Stephen Cluxton facts for kids
Cluxton taking a kick-out during the 2012 All-Ireland semi-final against Mayo
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Irish name | Stiofán Mac Lachtain | ||
| Sport | Gaelic football | ||
| Position | Goalkeeper | ||
| Born | 17 December 1981 Coolock, Dublin, Ireland |
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| Nickname | Clucko Stevo |
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| Occupation | Secondary school teacher | ||
| Club(s) | |||
| Years | Club | ||
|
2000–
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Parnells | ||
| Club titles | |||
| Dublin titles | 0 | ||
| Colleges(s) | |||
| Years | College | ||
|
2002–2006
|
Dublin City University | ||
| College titles | |||
| Sigerson titles | 1 | ||
| Inter-county(ies)* | |||
| Years | County | Apps (scores) | |
|
2001–
|
Dublin | 112 (0–48) | |
| Inter-county titles | |||
| Leinster titles | 18 | ||
| All-Irelands | 9 | ||
| NFL | 5 | ||
| All Stars | 7 | ||
| *Inter County team apps and scores correct as of 20:35, 14 May 2023 (UTC+1). | |||
Stephen Cluxton (born 17 December 1981) is a famous Irish Gaelic football player. He is a goalkeeper for the Dublin county team.
Stephen Cluxton first played for Dublin in 2001. Since then, he has become Dublin's main goalkeeper. He holds the record for the most All-Ireland Senior Football Championship medals, with nine! He won his first two in 2011 and 2013. Then, he helped Dublin win six championships in a row from 2015 to 2020. Stephen is the only player ever to captain a team to seven championship titles. He has also won 18 Leinster medals, five National Football League medals, and six All Stars.
Contents
Early Life and First Steps
Stephen Cluxton was born in Coolock, Dublin. His family loved association football (soccer). His dad, Pat, won many medals playing for Postal Celtic. Stephen also played soccer for his primary school, St David's, and for Tolka Rovers.
How Stephen Became a Goalkeeper
Stephen first played Gaelic football at St David's CBS in Artane. He preferred soccer and thought Gaelic football was "too rough." But he was convinced to join the St David's Gaelic football team. He started as a corner-forward because he could kick the ball well. Later, he moved to corner-back.
Then, something unexpected happened. The school's first and second-choice goalkeepers couldn't play anymore. So, Stephen stepped in as goalkeeper. This is how his amazing journey as a Gaelic football goalkeeper began!
Playing for His University
While studying at Dublin City University (DCU), Stephen played for their senior Gaelic football team. In 2006, he helped DCU win the Sigerson Cup. This is a big university competition in Ireland.
Playing for His Club
Stephen joined the Parnells club when he was young. He played at all levels as he grew up. People knew him for his great saves and quick moves. Some thought he was a bit small for a goalkeeper. But Stephen worked hard on his skills. He also plays in midfield for his club team.
Stephen's Journey with Dublin
Minor and Under-21 Teams
Stephen first played for Dublin at minor level when he was 17. In 1999, he was the goalkeeper when Dublin won the Leinster Minor Football Championship.
He then joined the Dublin under-21 team. In 2002, he won a Leinster Under-21 Football Championship medal. Later that year, Dublin reached the All-Ireland final, but they lost to Galway.
Senior Team Debut
Stephen made his senior championship debut for Dublin in 2001. He played in two games before the regular goalkeeper returned. In 2002, the main goalkeeper retired, and Stephen became Dublin's first-choice. He won his first Leinster Championship title that year. He also won his first All Star Award.
In 2003, Stephen had a tough moment when he was sent off in a game. This made him think about leaving Gaelic football. Some professional soccer clubs even offered him contracts. But he decided to stay with Dublin.
Winning More Leinster Titles
Stephen continued to help Dublin win many Leinster Championship titles. He won his second in 2005, and then three more in a row from 2006 to 2008. By 2009, he had won five Leinster medals in a row!
All-Ireland Glory and Captaincy
In 2011, Stephen won his seventh Leinster Championship medal. Later that year, he played in his first All-Ireland final against Kerry. The game was tied in the last minute. Stephen took a free kick and scored! This won Dublin their first All-Ireland title in 16 years. After the game, he quietly went to the dressing room, showing how humble he is. His teammate, Paul Flynn, said Stephen trains extra hard and can kick with his "eyes closed."
In 2012, Stephen won his eighth Leinster medal. After that season, he was chosen to be the captain of the Dublin team.
Leading Dublin to More Success
As captain, Stephen led Dublin to even more victories.
- 2013: He won his first National Football League title as captain. He also won his ninth Leinster Championship. In the All-Ireland final, he scored two points from free kicks, helping Dublin beat Mayo and win the title. He earned his fifth All Star Award.
- 2014: Dublin won another National League title and Stephen's 10th Leinster Championship.
- 2015: Dublin won their third National League title in a row. Stephen also won his 11th Leinster medal. He became the first goalkeeper to score in three All-Ireland finals when Dublin beat Kerry, winning his third All-Ireland medal.
- 2016: Stephen captained Dublin to another All-Ireland win against Mayo after a replay.
- 2017: Dublin won a record seven Leinster titles in a row. Stephen led Dublin to a historic third All-Ireland title in a row, beating Mayo again in a very close game.
- 2018: Stephen made his 100th league appearance and captained Dublin to another league title. He also led the team to a record-equalling fourth All-Ireland title in a row. This was his fifth time captaining the team to the title, and his sixth All-Ireland medal overall. After the win, he was seen sweeping the changing room floor, showing his humble nature again.
In 2020, Stephen became Dublin's most-capped player. On 19 December 2020, he won his eighth All-Ireland senior title, and seventh as captain, when Dublin beat Mayo.
A Brief Break and Return
Stephen was not with the Dublin team in 2021 and 2022. This led to a lot of talk about whether he had retired. However, in March 2023, he made a surprise return to the Dublin team as a substitute. On 30 July 2023, Stephen was part of the Dublin team that won the 2023 All-Ireland football final, bringing his total to nine All-Ireland medals!
Playing for Ireland
Stephen also played for the Ireland team in the International Rules Series. This is a special game played between Irish Gaelic footballers and Australian rules footballers. He played in 2002 and was part of the winning Irish team in 2004. He also captained Ireland to victory in 2011.
Life Outside Football
Stephen Cluxton is a secondary school teacher at St David's CBS in Artane. He teaches Biology at St Vincent's CBS. He has also helped coach the school football team.
Career Statistics
| Team | Season | National League | Leinster | All-Ireland | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Score | Apps | Score | Apps | Score | Apps | Score | ||
| Dublin | 2001 | Division 1A | 0 | 0–00 | 2 | 0–00 | 0 | 0–00 | 2 | 0–00 |
| 2002 | 5 | 0–00 | 3 | 0–00 | 3 | 0–00 | 11 | 0–00 | ||
| 2003 | 5 | 0–00 | 2 | 0–00 | 2 | 0–00 | 9 | 0–00 | ||
| 2004 | 5 | 0–00 | 0 | 0–00 | 5 | 0–00 | 10 | 0–00 | ||
| 2005 | 6 | 0–00 | 4 | 0–00 | 2 | 0–00 | 12 | 0–00 | ||
| 2006 | 6 | 0–00 | 3 | 0–00 | 2 | 0–00 | 11 | 0–00 | ||
| 2007 | 7 | 0–00 | 4 | 0–00 | 2 | 0–00 | 13 | 0–00 | ||
| 2008 | Division 2 | 6 | 0–00 | 3 | 0–00 | 1 | 0–00 | 10 | 0–00 | |
| 2009 | Division 1 | 6 | 0–00 | 3 | 0–00 | 1 | 0–00 | 10 | 0–00 | |
| 2010 | 5 | 0–00 | 2 | 0–00 | 5 | 0–05 | 12 | 0–05 | ||
| 2011 | 6 | 0–00 | 3 | 0–06 | 3 | 0–06 | 12 | 0–12 | ||
| 2012 | 4 | 0–04 | 3 | 0–03 | 2 | 0–06 | 9 | 0–13 | ||
| 2013 | 7 | 0–04 | 3 | 0–07 | 3 | 0–09 | 13 | 0–20 | ||
| 2014 | 8 | 0–10 | 3 | 0–04 | 2 | 0–01 | 13 | 0–15 | ||
| 2015 | 6 | 0–00 | 3 | 0–00 | 4 | 0–01 | 13 | 0–01 | ||
| 2016 | 6 | 0–00 | 3 | 0–00 | 4 | 0–00 | 13 | 0–00 | ||
| 2017 | 8 | 0–00 | 3 | 0–00 | 3 | 0–00 | 14 | 0–00 | ||
| 2018 | 6 | 0–00 | 2 | 0–00 | 5 | 0–00 | 13 | 0–00 | ||
| 2019 | 2 | 0–00 | 3 | 0–00 | 1 | 0–00 | 6 | 0–00 | ||
| Total | 104 | 0–18 | 52 | 0–20 | 50 | 0–28 | 206 | 0–66 | ||
Honours and Awards
Stephen Cluxton has won many awards throughout his career:
Team Awards
- Dublin City University:
* Sigerson Cup (1): 2006
- Dublin Senior Football Team:
* All-Ireland Senior Football Championship (9): 2011, 2013 (c), 2015 (c), 2016 (c), 2017 (c), 2018 (c), 2019 (c), 2020 (c), 2023 * Leinster Senior Football Championship (18): 2002, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013 (c), 2014 (c), 2015 (c), 2016 (c), 2017 (c), 2018 (c), 2019 (c), 2020 (c), 2023, 2024 * National Football League (5): 2013 (c), 2014 (c), 2015 (c), 2016 (c), 2018 (c) * O'Byrne Cup (1): 2007
- Dublin Under-21 Football Team:
* Leinster Under-21 Football Championship (1): 2002
- Dublin Minor Football Team:
* Leinster Minor Football Championship (1): 1999
- Ireland International Rules Team:
* International Rules Series (2): 2004, 2011 (c)
Individual Awards
- GAA-GPA All Stars Awards (7): 2002, 2006, 2007, 2011, 2013, 2019, 2023
- GPA Gaelic Team of the Year (2): 2006, 2007
- GAA/GPA Footballer of the Year (1): 2019
- The Sunday Game Team of the Year (1): 2023
- In May 2020, a public poll by RTÉ.ie named Stephen as the goalkeeper in a special team of All-Star footballers.
- Also in May 2020, the Irish Independent newspaper ranked Stephen as number four in their list of the "Top 20 footballers in Ireland over the past 50 years."
