Stewart Downing facts for kids
Downing training with Middlesbrough in 2016
|
|||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Stewart Downing | ||
| Date of birth | 22 July 1984 | ||
| Place of birth | Middlesbrough, England | ||
| Height | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | ||
| Position(s) | Left-Winger, left-back | ||
| Youth career | |||
| –2001 | Middlesbrough | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2001–2009 | Middlesbrough | 181 | (17) |
| 2003 | → Sunderland (loan) | 7 | (3) |
| 2009–2011 | Aston Villa | 63 | (9) |
| 2011–2013 | Liverpool | 65 | (3) |
| 2013–2015 | West Ham United | 69 | (7) |
| 2015–2019 | Middlesbrough | 153 | (9) |
| 2019–2021 | Blackburn Rovers | 59 | (2) |
| Total | 597 | (50) | |
| International career | |||
| 2001 | England U16 | 2 | (0) |
| 2002 | England U18 | 3 | (0) |
| 2002–2003 | England U19 | 7 | (0) |
| 2004–2005 | England U21 | 8 | (0) |
| 2007 | England B | 1 | (2) |
| 2005–2014 | England | 35 | (0) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Stewart Downing (born on 22 July 1984) is a former English footballer. He mostly played as a winger or left-back. Today, he is an assistant coach for Leeds United's U21 team.
Downing began his football journey at Middlesbrough. After a short loan at Sunderland, he became a very important player for Middlesbrough. He helped them win the League Cup in 2004. Two years later, he played a big part in their journey to the UEFA Cup final.
In 2009, he joined Aston Villa. Two years later, he moved to Liverpool, where he won the League Cup again in 2012. He then played for West Ham United for two seasons. After that, he returned to Middlesbrough and helped them get promoted to the Premier League.
Downing left Middlesbrough in 2019 after playing 404 games for them. He then signed with Blackburn Rovers. He played for the England national team from 2005 to 2014, earning 35 caps. He was part of the England squads for the 2006 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 2012. Stewart Downing announced his retirement from playing football in August 2021.
Contents
Stewart Downing's Club Career
Starting at Middlesbrough
Stewart Downing was born in Middlesbrough, England. He grew up playing football in the Middlesbrough Academy.
He signed his first professional contract on 6 September 2001. His first game was on 24 April 2002 against Ipswich Town. He played the whole game, which Middlesbrough lost 1–0. He played only a few games in his first two seasons. His first goal came on 1 October 2002 in a League Cup match against Brentford.
In October 2003, Downing went on loan to Sunderland for one month. He scored three goals in seven games for Sunderland. He scored his first goal for them on 4 November in a 3–1 win against Gillingham.
Middlesbrough called him back early in December 2003 because another player was injured. He became a regular player for the rest of that season. He was on the bench when Middlesbrough won the League Cup Final in 2004.
During the 2004–05 season, Downing played 49 games and scored six goals. He also set up many goals for his teammates. His good performances led to him being called up to the England squad in February 2005.
He had a knee injury in late 2005, which kept him out for five months. But he returned to help Middlesbrough reach the 2006 UEFA Cup Final. He provided three assists in the semi-final against Steaua București. Middlesbrough lost the final 4–0 to Sevilla.
On 26 February 2008, Downing signed a new five-year contract with Middlesbrough. He became one of the longest-serving players at the club.
The 2008–09 season was tough for Middlesbrough. They started well but then had a long period without winning. This caused them to fall into the relegation zone. Downing asked to leave the club in January 2009, but his request was turned down.
In May 2009, he got a foot injury that needed surgery. This meant he would be out for at least four months. Middlesbrough was relegated from the Premier League on the last day of the season. Downing played in almost every league game that season but did not score any league goals.
Playing for Aston Villa
After Middlesbrough was relegated, Downing joined Aston Villa in July 2009. He signed a four-year contract for about £10 million.
He made his debut for Aston Villa on 7 November 2009, coming on as a substitute against Burnley. His first goal for Villa was in the League Cup against Portsmouth on 1 December 2009.
Downing played in his usual left-wing position for Villa. He helped Villa win 1–0 against Manchester United at Old Trafford in December 2009. He scored his first two league goals for Villa in a 5–2 win against Burnley on 2 February 2010.
His second season at Aston Villa was much better. He scored his first Premier League goal of the season against West Ham United on 14 August. In total, he played 44 games and scored eight goals that season.
Liverpool showed interest in signing Downing in the summer of 2011. Aston Villa rejected an offer of £15 million. However, on 13 July 2011, the clubs agreed on a transfer fee.
Time at Liverpool
Downing officially joined Liverpool on 15 July 2011. The transfer fee was reportedly around £20 million.
He made his debut for Liverpool on 13 August 2011 in a 1–1 draw against Sunderland. His first goal for Liverpool came on 6 January 2012 in an FA Cup match against Oldham Athletic.
On 26 February 2012, he won the League Cup with Liverpool. He scored his penalty in the shootout and was named Man of the Match. He scored the winning goal in an FA Cup quarter-final against Stoke City on 18 March 2012. This goal sent Liverpool to another semi-final at Wembley.
Downing scored the winning goal in Liverpool's first game of the 2012–13 season. This was a UEFA Europa League match against Gomel. He also scored the only goal in a Europa League game against Anzhi Makhachkala.
On 22 December, he got his first league assist and scored his first league goal in a 4–0 win against Fulham. He scored his second league goal on 2 March 2013 against Wigan Athletic. In Liverpool's next game, Downing scored an equalizer against Tottenham Hotspur. This was his fifth and final goal for Liverpool.
Playing for West Ham United
On 13 August 2013, Downing signed a four-year contract with West Ham United. The fee was reported to be around £5 million.
He made his debut for West Ham on 17 August 2013, coming on as a substitute against Cardiff City. Downing scored his first goal for West Ham on 3 May 2014 in a 2–0 win against Tottenham Hotspur.
In the 2014–15 season, Downing scored his first goal against Crystal Palace on 23 August 2014. He played very well in a central role for West Ham. He scored against Stoke City on 1 November 2014 in a 2–2 draw. A week later, he scored against Leicester City with a great shot from 20 yards.
Returning to Middlesbrough
On 16 July 2015, Downing returned to his childhood club, Middlesbrough. He signed a four-year contract for about £5.5 million.
His first game back was on 9 August 2015, a 0–0 draw against Preston North End. On 12 September 2015, he scored his first goal in his second spell at the club. Middlesbrough won promotion to the Premier League on the last day of the season.
In January 2017, Middlesbrough said they would let Downing leave on loan. However, no move happened, and he stayed at the club. Middlesbrough was relegated back to the Championship that season.
After relegation, the new manager told Downing he could leave. But Downing soon got his place back in the team. He was one of four players released by Middlesbrough at the end of the 2018–19 season. He had played a total of 404 games for the club.
Playing for Blackburn Rovers
Downing signed with Championship club Blackburn Rovers on 21 June 2019. He signed a one-year contract.
He scored his first goal for Blackburn in an EFL Cup match against Oldham Athletic on 13 August. He played in almost every game during the 2019–20 season. His departure from the club was announced on 24 June 2020.
However, Downing signed a new contract with Blackburn in November 2020. He left the club again at the end of the 2020–21 season. After leaving, Downing said he was thinking about his future in football. He retired in August 2021.
Stewart Downing's International Career
Downing was first called up to the England Under-19 team when he was 19. He made his debut for the senior England team on 9 February 2005. This was in a friendly game against the Netherlands.
In May 2005, Downing got injured during an England training session. This kept him out of action until 2006. He was included in England's World Cup squad in May 2006. He came on as a substitute in England's first game against Paraguay.
On 16 August 2006, Downing started his first game for England. England beat Greece 4–0, and Downing was involved in three of the goals. He continued to play regularly for England under different managers.
After joining Liverpool, he played in two qualifying matches in 2011. He provided the assist for the only goal in a 1–0 win against Wales. On 16 May 2012, England manager Roy Hodgson named Downing in his squad for UEFA Euro 2012. He started in a 1–0 win against Norway before the tournament. Downing did not play in any games during UEFA Euro 2012.
He was called back into the England squad in November 2014. This was for matches against Slovenia and Scotland.
Career Statistics
Club Appearances and Goals
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Middlesbrough | 2001–02 | Premier League | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 3 | 0 | |
| 2002–03 | Premier League | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | — | 3 | 1 | ||
| 2003–04 | Premier League | 20 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 24 | 0 | ||
| 2004–05 | Premier League | 35 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 9 | 1 | 48 | 6 | |
| 2005–06 | Premier League | 12 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 26 | 1 | |
| 2006–07 | Premier League | 34 | 2 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 42 | 2 | ||
| 2007–08 | Premier League | 38 | 9 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — | 45 | 10 | ||
| 2008–09 | Premier League | 37 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 0 | — | 43 | 2 | ||
| Total | 181 | 17 | 27 | 3 | 8 | 1 | 18 | 1 | 234 | 22 | ||
| Sunderland (loan) | 2003–04 | First Division | 7 | 3 | — | — | — | 7 | 3 | |||
| Aston Villa | 2009–10 | Premier League | 25 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 35 | 3 |
| 2010–11 | Premier League | 38 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 44 | 8 | |
| Total | 63 | 9 | 9 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 79 | 11 | ||
| Liverpool | 2011–12 | Premier League | 36 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 0 | — | 46 | 2 | |
| 2012–13 | Premier League | 29 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 12 | 2 | 45 | 5 | |
| Total | 65 | 3 | 8 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 12 | 2 | 91 | 7 | ||
| West Ham United | 2013–14 | Premier League | 32 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | 37 | 1 | |
| 2014–15 | Premier League | 37 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 42 | 6 | ||
| Total | 69 | 7 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 0 | — | 79 | 7 | |||
| Middlesbrough | 2015–16 | Championship | 45 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | 49 | 3 | |
| 2016–17 | Premier League | 30 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | 34 | 2 | ||
| 2017–18 | Championship | 40 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 47 | 3 | |
| 2018–19 | Championship | 38 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 40 | 2 | ||
| Total | 153 | 9 | 6 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 170 | 10 | ||
| Blackburn Rovers | 2019–20 | Championship | 41 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | — | 43 | 3 | |
| 2020–21 | Championship | 18 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 19 | 0 | ||
| Total | 59 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | — | 62 | 3 | |||
| Career total | 597 | 50 | 57 | 6 | 35 | 4 | 33 | 3 | 722 | 63 | ||
International Appearances and Goals
| National team | Year | Competitive | Friendly | Total | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| England | 2005 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2006 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 0 | |
| 2007 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 0 | |
| 2008 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 0 | |
| 2009 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2011 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 9 | 0 | |
| 2012 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2014 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| Total | 17 | 0 | 18 | 0 | 35 | 0 | |
Honours and Awards
Stewart Downing won several awards and trophies during his career:
Middlesbrough
- Football League Cup: 2003–04 (Winner)
- UEFA Cup runner-up: 2005–06 (Second Place)
- Football League Championship runner-up: 2015–16 (Second Place, promoted to Premier League)
Aston Villa
- Football League Cup runner-up: 2009–10 (Second Place)
Liverpool
- Football League Cup: 2011–12 (Winner)
- FA Cup runner-up: 2011–12 (Second Place)
Individual Awards
- North-East FWA Player of the Year: 2005
- Alan Hardaker Trophy: 2012 (Award for Man of the Match in the League Cup Final)
- Aston Villa Player of the Season: 2010–11
- Middlesbrough Player of the Year: 2004–05
- Middlesbrough Young Player of the Year: 2003–04
See also
In Spanish: Stewart Downing para niños
