Stewart Downing
Downing as a player of FC Liverpool ( 2011)
Stewart Downing ( born July 22, 1984 in Middlesbrough) is an English footballer. The winger has since the beginning of the 2013/14 season at the Premier League club West Ham United.
Sports career
Downing grew up in the east of the city of Middlesbrough lying settlement on Pallister and came early to the youth department of the "big" Middlesbrough FC. The footballing talent was quickly recognized in the "Academy" and at the age of 17, Downing made his debut on 24 April 2002 against Ipswich Town in the English top flight. In the outgoing 2002/ 03, he went to a total of three applications. Similarly, many duty games followed in the season 2003/ 04, Downing also in a 4-1 victory in the League Cup against FC Brentford brought the first goal.
On the traditional left wing position in midfield prospects of the " left-footed " stagnated due to the intense competition from the Dutch international Boudewijn Zenden first, so that the club's management decided on a lending transaction. In order to gain match practice, Downing was "parked" for this purpose in November 2003, the second division club FC Sunderland. Just one month later ordered him back " Boro ", as a Injured misery had decimated the number of deployable players significantly. The extremely responsive winger took the opportunity to breakthrough sporting and rose in the season 2004/ 05 on the guide players. In the total of 49 competitive games he made primarily steadily as the "gateway Preparer " a name. Highlights were the stakes in the UEFA Cup, which ended only in the second round against Sporting Lisbon and his first cap for England on February 9, 2005 - under manager Sven -Goran Eriksson ended the cost of the U -21 national player and participant in the U -19- 2003 European Championship with a 0-0 draw against Championship opponents from the Netherlands.
The rapid rise was after a few games in the season 2005/ 06 a damper. Downing was five months out due to a severe knee injury and only came in January 2006 to his comeback. The return to full power quickly succeeded and Downing was instrumental in the UEFA Cup finals of his club as he prepared three goals late in the 4-2 second-leg victory against Steaua Bucharest. Although the final itself was then clearly with 0:4 against FC Sevilla lost, but England manager Eriksson was the performance as good enough to Downing - ostensibly as a " second choice " after Joe Cole - in the left midfield for the upcoming World Cup in Germany to nominate. Its operations in the tournament were confined to three substitutions against Paraguay, Trinidad & Tobago and in stoppage time of the second round game against Ecuador. Under Eriksson's successor Steve McClaren Downing was first used in England's starting line-up for the course and after the 4-0 win against Greece, he was also in the subsequent qualifying matches for Euro 2008 team. In the appendix of the "Three Lions " Downing was, however, under massive criticism; it was during the failed qualification for the European Championship as a " favorite " of his former Boro coach McClaren and had to poor performance often used as a scapegoat.
On 26 February 2008 Downing signed for FC Middlesbrough a new 5-year contract and also in the national team, he cemented his status, especially as McClaren's successor Fabio Capello in March 2008 signaled to continue to count on him. Especially Downings performances during the friendly match tour of North America brought the formerly criticized now praise in the media landscape and the new manager a.
At the beginning of the 2008 /09 Downing made headlines outside of the playing field, as this indirectly fraud accused his former agents and in collaboration with the English Football Association, his club and the police collected evidence that led to the arrest of the accused. In terms of sport, the season was disappointing. After the best start of the club over the past six years and the temporarily eighth place in the table, Boro crashed in November 2008 from the lower half of the table and sat down in the relegation places fixed. Downing asked on 5 January 2009 at his club in writing for a transfer, remained with his request for a premature end of the contract but to no avail. At the end of the game sobering time in Downing managed a single league goal, Boro got off in the second-class Football League Championship. To make matters worse, the national player injured after a challenge with Stilian Petrov still in the penultimate match against Aston Villa at the foot and needed surgery.
In summer 2009, Downing moved to Aston Villa; the transfer fee was ten million pounds, plus the possibility of a further increase of up to two million pounds, depending on the frequency of use in the "Villans ".
After two years in Birmingham Downing was hired by the League rivals Liverpool. The change was announced on 16 July 2011. The transfer fee is said to have amounted to 20 million pounds.