Stephen Carr

Stephen Carr (2007)

Stephen Carr ( born August 29, 1976 in Dublin ) is a former Irish football player. The mostly used on the right -back position 44 times Irish A-National player of his long affiliation from 1991 to 2004 Tottenham Hotspur, where he was employed in a total of 226 league games became known. After four years in succession club Newcastle United, he was following the 2007/ 08 season at first no more jobs in professional football, but two months after he had already announced his retirement from active competition, he celebrated in February 2009 made ​​a comeback at Birmingham City.

Professional career

In the club

Tottenham Hotspur (1993-2004)

Carr grew up around ten kilometers north east of Dublin city center in Donaghmede on and learned to play football at Trinity Boys at St. Kevin 's School and later for two years at a small club with the name Stella Maris. At the age of 15 years, he successfully completed a trial with North London club Tottenham Hotspur and was henceforth part of the youth department at the " Spurs ". Although Carr had played at a young age mostly at midfield positions and always emulated Bryan Robson, saw the trainers in him early the capabilities of a full-back.

Shortly after his 17th birthday, the then Argentine coach Osvaldo Ardiles signed him and already on 29 September 1993 debuted Carr in a Premier League match against Ipswich Town for the A- team. However, it should last until the 1996/97 season until Carr could be followed by other missions. There, just 1.75 meters tall Irishman was then on the so-called wing -back position as very offensive full-backs in 26 league games, a win for the team and showed strengths in terms of endurance, speed and ferocity in battle. In the following season 1997/98 Carr cemented his place on the right side of defense. He stood in all 38 league games for Spurs on the pitch and remembered with his offensive forays increasingly on the on the left is successfully active at Manchester United compatriot Denis Irwin. What was missing, was the first competitive goal, but then followed in the 1996/97 season in the League Cup against FC Brentford. Here Carr had also shown under new manager George Graham consistent performances in defense and midfield; Special highlights were for him the goalless draw at Arsenal and the 1-0 final victory in the League Cup against Leicester City - his first major trophy in professional football at all.

Equipped with increasing self-confidence Carr now developed increasingly becoming key players who put opposing midfielders and defensive lines specifically by its tempo runs some major problems. Including a " Goal of the Month " against Mark Bosnich from Manchester United - To this end, a new goal threat, which expressed itself in three league goals joined. The 2000/01 season, he opened against Ipswich Town ( 3-1 ) with a goal and although put him groin temporarily incapacitated, the colleagues of the players' union PFA voted him at the end of the round in the team of the season ( "PFA Team of the Year " ).

A temporary end to this steady positive development took place in the summer of 2001, when Carr undergo and which resulted in the entire 2001/02 season was sidelined due to severe knee problems surgery. In his comeback in August 2002, he decided in the first half with a thigh injury and came only after a further regeneration phase in October again regularly to the course. He very nearly any problem to its good performance before the long break, leading to a second nomination in the Premier League team last season after themselves. The 2003/04 season was Carr's last season for Tottenham Hotspur. In this he completed again 39 Official matches and said goodbye then towards Newcastle United, who was coached by Bobby Robson and had for some time expressed interest. For a fee of two million pounds of Tottenham's new coach Jacques Santini Carr was eventually pull.

Newcastle United (2004-2008)

In Newcastle, Carr signed a four-year contract and under the new athletic director Graeme Souness - Robson was a short time after Carr's obligation has been discharged - he was solid at first ingredient in the back four of the " Magpies ". His first match, he denied on August 14, 2004 compared to FC Middlesbrough; later he injured his knee, thereby paused for three months and was then due to the general injury crisis after his return frequently in the central- midfield for use. Notable successes were in his first season the quarter-finals of the UEFA Cup and reaching the FA Cup semi-finals. Disappointing, however, was 14th in the Premier League, which coach Souness came under pressure and was replaced in January 2006 against Glenn Roeder. More groin problem plagued him in the 2005/06 season and he recovered from it slowly. He had already crashing against Mansfield Town after 45 minutes and later undergo a second operation a comeback in the FA Cup. Only after this surgery he showed up at the Cup quarter-final against Chelsea again as reinforcement on the defensive.

The next setback was followed in November 2006, when he was against Manchester City drew upon an ankle injury and Nolberto Solano on the right-back position convinced such that Carr after his return only allowed to help out on the left side of defense and its prospects in the club were total questioned. More misfortune befell him after the first three league games in the 2007/ 08 season when a hamstring injury put him out of the game against FC Middlesbrough incapacitated and after a premature return to play mode until January 2008 was sidelined. That he first again found his way back into the team, was the fact that the new competitor Habib Beye was staying at the African Cup of Nations in Ghana; after his return, he again lost the square and end of the season Newcastle United offered him a new contract more. Since no other professional club could be found, Carr remained unemployed for half a year and declared on 1 December 2008 even already his resignation ..

Birmingham City (2009-2013)

Nevertheless, he trained in February 2009 with the second-division club Birmingham City and agreed with the club on a contract with a month duration, after it was created for the Blues urgent action on the right -back position. On 24 February 2009, he celebrated his debut against Crystal Palace and after the one-month contract he signed until end of season in Birmingham, which eventually even brought promotion to the Premier League. Carr subsequently extended for two more years and after the injury of Lee Carsley he also took over the captaincy. Athletic brought the following two years, as it a great success, as the sovereign relegation in 2010 in the meantime 15 competitive matches without defeat and 2011 the League Cup victory after a surprising 2-1 final win against Arsenal, but also a severe setback as the re- descent into the season 2010/11. The club then took advantage of an option contained in the agreement to extend the contract with Carr for another year.

Due to a cartilage injury in the knee, which largely put him in the second half of the 2011/12 season out of action, ran much addition to the final End of career, before he signed a new one-year contract in July 2012 under new coach and former Newcastle team-mate Lee Clark. An injury in the subsequent pre-season but then left it to come to any further use of more and although Clark wanted to convince him to work in his coaching staff, Carr left Birmingham to Spain, where he moved with his family.

Irish national

Carr played 44 times in the Irish national football team, having previously passed through all youth teams of the association. His debut for the senior team he had in April 1999 thereby given against Sweden and from then won a regular place after the resignation of Denis Irwin. Due to a knee injury but Carr missed the finals of the football World Cup in 2002 with the Irish team. It should have been for him the only way to finals appearance, as it were, the qualification for Euro 2004 in Portugal and the 2006 World Cup in Germany, he missed later. He then announced in October 2005 that he will retire from the national team, then let himself but persuaded by coach Steve Staunton 's successor at a comeback. Two years later Carr's international career ended in November 2007 final. Occasions were in favor of an increasing number of injuries that left him sporting come under pressure in the club and the fact that younger players like Kevin Foley stood ready at his position in the Irish team as a potential successor.

Title / Awards

• English League Cup: 1999, 2011
• UEFA Intertoto Cup: 2006
• PFA Team of the Year: 2001, 2003