Stiliyan Petrov facts for kids

In this article, the family name is Alyoshev.

Quick facts for kids
Stiliyan Petrov
Personal information
Petrov with Bulgaria in 2011
Full name	Stiliyan Alyoshev Petrov
Date of birth	(1979-07-05) 5 July 1979 (age 46)
Place of birth	Montana, Bulgaria
Height	1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Position(s)	Midfielder
Youth career
	Montana
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1995–1996	Montana	21	(4)
1996–1999	CSKA Sofia	45	(3)
1999–2006	Celtic	228	(64)
2006–2013	Aston Villa	185	(9)
Total		479	(80)
International career
1998–2013	Bulgaria	105	(8)
Managerial career
2013	Aston Villa Academy (assistant)
2015	Aston Villa (team coach)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Stiliyan Alyoshev Petrov (born 5 July 1979) is a famous Bulgarian former footballer. He played as a midfielder, which is a player who helps both attack and defense.

Petrov joined Celtic in Scotland in 1999. He won many trophies there, including four Scottish Premier League titles. In 2006, he moved to Aston Villa in England. He became the team captain at Villa Park. He is also Bulgaria's most-capped player, meaning he played the most games for his country.

In 2012, Petrov was diagnosed with acute leukaemia, a serious blood condition. He stopped playing football to get treatment. He officially retired in May 2013. After his recovery, he worked as a coach at Aston Villa. He even trained with the team again in 2016.

Playing for Clubs
Playing for His Country
Life Outside Football
- His Battle with Leukaemia
Coaching Career
Television Appearances
Career Statistics
- Club
- International Goals
Awards and Achievements
See also

Playing for Clubs

Starting His Career

Stiliyan Petrov was born in Montana, Bulgaria. He started playing football for his local team, FC Montana. When he was 18, a scout noticed him. He then signed with CSKA Sofia for about €30,000. With CSKA Sofia, he won the Bulgarian Championship in 1997. He also won the national cup in 1997 and 1999.

Time at Celtic

Petrov playing for Aston Villa in 2008

In 1999, Petrov joined Celtic for £2.8 million. He won the League Cup in his first season. This was his second major trophy. At first, he found it hard because he missed home and could not speak English. He worked hard to learn English and fit in.

In his second season, under manager Martin O'Neill, Celtic won three trophies. Petrov scored 7 league goals in 28 games. He was the first foreign player to win the SPFA Young Player of the Year award. He broke his leg near the end of the season. This meant he missed two cup finals.

After recovering, Petrov became a key player for Celtic. He was known as a dynamic box-to-box midfielder. This means he played well in both defense and attack. He won his second SPL medal in 2002.

In his fourth season, Petrov scored 14 goals in 50 games. He also played in the UEFA Cup final, where Celtic finished as runners-up. He won the Scottish Cup twice and his third SPL medal in the next two seasons. In 2005, he won the Celtic Player of The Year award.

The 2005–06 season was his last full season at Celtic. He scored his first hat-trick for the club. Celtic won the SPL and League Cup double that year. He then moved to Aston Villa to join his former manager, Martin O'Neill. He played 312 games for Celtic, scoring 55 goals. He won the SPL four times and both Scottish Cups three times.

Time at Aston Villa

Petrov joined Aston Villa in August 2006 for £6.5 million. His first game was against West Ham United. He scored his first goal for Villa in December 2006.

In April 2008, he scored an amazing goal from near the halfway line against Derby County. This goal was considered for "goal of the season." It was also the furthest goal scored by an Aston Villa player ever.

Petrov's performance improved a lot in the 2008–09 season. He became a regular player. He was named captain for the first time in a UEFA Cup game. In May 2009, he was named Aston Villa's "Player of the Year" by both fans and players. He signed a new four-year contract.

After the team captain retired, Petrov became the official captain of Aston Villa in 2009. He led the team to a strong finish in the Premier League. He also led them to the semi-finals of the FA Cup and the final of the League Cup. He played his 150th Premier League game for Aston Villa in 2011. In October 2011, he played his 200th game for the club and scored a goal.

Taking a Break Due to Illness

In March 2012, Petrov was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. This is a type of cancer that affects blood cells. He had to stop playing football to get treatment. Fans showed huge support for him. During games, they would applaud in the 19th minute, which was his shirt number.

In May 2013, Petrov officially announced his retirement from football. A special game was held in Bulgaria to honor him. Many famous Bulgarian footballers played in it. In October 2014, he started playing football again for a local team of players over 35.

In March 2015, he returned to Aston Villa in a coaching role. In April 2016, he even trained with Villa's Under-21 team. He played in some friendly matches before the season started.

Playing for His Country

Petrov with Bulgaria in 2011

Stiliyan Petrov first played for the Bulgaria national team in December 1998. He scored his first goal for Bulgaria in March 2000.

In 2003, he won the Bulgarian Footballer of the Year award. He was the captain of the national team at Euro 2004. He was sent off during a match against Denmark.

In 2006, Petrov announced he would retire from international football. However, he changed his mind in 2007 and returned to the team. He became captain again in 2010. In March 2011, Petrov played his 100th game for Bulgaria. He received an award for this achievement.

Throughout his career, Petrov was often recognized as one of Bulgaria's best players. He won the Bulgarian Footballer of the Year award in 2003. He also placed second or third in other years.

Life Outside Football

In 2005, Petrov wrote a book about his life called You Can Call Me Stan. "Stan" is a shorter version of his first name. He explained that "Stiliyan" is the correct spelling.

He is married to Paulina and they have two sons, Kristiyan and Stiliyan Jr.

His Battle with Leukaemia

On 30 March 2012, Stiliyan Petrov was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. This news came after he developed a fever. At first, there were reports he would retire, but his agent said he was fighting to recover.

Fans at Villa Park showed incredible support. In the 19th minute of every game, fans from both teams would stand and applaud. This was a tribute to Petrov, who wore the number 19 shirt.

Aston Villa's manager announced that Petrov would remain the club captain for the 2012–13 season. On his 33rd birthday, his teammates gave him a cake and sang to him.

In August 2012, it was announced that Petrov's leukaemia was in remission. This meant the signs of the illness had gone away.

Petrov officially retired from football on 9 May 2013. On the last day of the season, he walked onto the pitch with his family. He thanked the fans for their amazing support during his illness.

Coaching Career

After retiring from playing, Petrov took on a new role at Aston Villa. In May 2013, he became an assistant coach for the Youth Development team. He was excited to learn and work with young players.

He later took a break to focus on his family. In March 2015, he returned to Aston Villa. He helped coach the First Team.

Petrov has completed his UEFA pro coaching licence. He also earned a master's degree in Sports Management. He now helps other players transition into retirement through a business called Player 4 Player.

Television Appearances

Stiliyan Petrov has appeared on television shows. He also works as a football expert for sports channels like Sky Sports and TNT Sports. He often talks about Celtic games.

Career Statistics

Club

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club	Season	League			National cup		League cup		Continental		Total
Club	Season	Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
CSKA Sofia	1996–97	A PFG	5	0			–		–		5	0
	1997–98	A PFG	11	0			–		–		11	0
	1998–99	A PFG	29	3			–		–		29	3
	Total		45	3	0	0	0	0	0	0	45	3
Celtic	1999–2000	Scottish Premier League	26	1	–		2	0	1	0	29	1
	2000–01	Scottish Premier League	28	7	3	0	2	0	5	0	38	7
	2001–02	Scottish Premier League	28	6	5	1	3	0	8	1	44	8
	2002–03	Scottish Premier League	34	12	–		2	0	14	2	50	14
	2003–04	Scottish Premier League	35	6	5	3	–		15	1	55	7
	2004–05	Scottish Premier League	37	11	5	1	1	0	6	0	49	12
	2005–06	Scottish Premier League	37	10	–		4	0	2	0	43	10
	2006–07	Scottish Premier League	3	2	–		–		–		3	2
	Total		228	55	18	5	14	0	51	4	311	64
Aston Villa	2006–07	Premier League	30	2	1	0	3	0	–		34	2
	2007–08	Premier League	28	1	1	0	2	0	–		31	1
	2008–09	Premier League	36	1	3	0	1	0	7	1	47	2
	2009–10	Premier League	37	0	3	1	6	0	1	0	47	1
	2010–11	Premier League	27	1	2	1	0	0	1	0	30	2
	2011–12	Premier League	27	4	2	0	1	0	–		30	4
	2012–13	Premier League	0	0	0	0	0	0	–		0	0
	Total		185	9	12	2	13	0	9	1	219	12
Career total			458	67	30	7	27	0	60	5	575	79

International Goals

Scores and results list Bulgaria's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Petrov goal.

List of international goals scored by Stiliyan Petrov
No.	Date	Venue	Opponent	Result	Competition
1	29 March 2000	Sofia, Bulgaria	Belarus	4–1	Friendly
2	24 January 2001	Morelia, Mexico	Mexico	2–0	Friendly
3	28 February 2001	Amman, Jordan	Jordan	2–0	Friendly
4	7 September 2002	Brussels, Belgium	Belgium	2–0	UEFA Euro 2004 Qualification
5	12 October 2002	Sofia, Bulgaria	Croatia	2–0	UEFA Euro 2004 Qualification
6	27 March 2003	Kruševac, Serbia and Montenegro	Serbia and Montenegro	2–1	Friendly
7	30 March 2005	Budapest, Hungary	Hungary	1–1	FIFA World Cup 2006 Qualification
8	6 September 2008	Podgorica, Montenegro	Montenegro	2–2	FIFA World Cup 2010 Qualification