Hardwick, born in Saltburn, was an elegant left-back, who made his debut for Middlesbrough in 1937. He was capped 13 times for England, and captained the national side. Along with his Middlesbrough team-mate Wilf Mannion (q.v), he played in the Great Britain side which thrashed the rest of Europe 6-1 at Hampden Park in May 1947. A great player himself (Tom Finney said he was the best defender he ever played against) he could handle men and get the best out of them - sometimes through sharp criticism. Rather underestimated as a player, his career as a manager included spells at Sunderland and PSV Eindhoven, as well as the Dutch national team. He was a sports journalist for 27 years and was a familiar figure in the Boro hospitality rooms during the '90s.

Hardwick was one of the few players of his era to sport a moustache. Tom Finney declared that he was handsome and debonair, the Errol Flynn of football.