Ross Wallace

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Ross Wallace
Image:Ross wallace.jpg
Personal information
Date of birth 23 May 1985 (1985-05-23) (age 23)
Place of birth    Dundee, Scotland
Height 5 ft 6 in (1.68 m)
Playing position Left winger
Club information
Current club Sunderland
Number 33
Senior clubs1
Years Club App (Gls)*
2002–2006
2006–
Celtic
Sunderland
37 (1)
53 (8)   

1 Senior club appearances and goals
counted for the domestic league only and
correct as of 4 June, 2008.
* Appearances (Goals)

Ross Wallace (born 23 May 1985 in Dundee, Scotland) is a professional footballer currently playing for Sunderland.

Contents

[edit] Club career

[edit] Celtic

Wallace started his career with Celtic where he played as a left midfielder but under his former manager Gordon Strachan he played at left back for the reserves and eventually the first team.

Towards the end of the 2005–06 season, new signing Mark Wilson replaced him at left back even though it is not his natural position. Wallace did, however, play the whole of the Scottish League Cup Final at left back because Wilson was cup tied after having played in the competition for Dundee United. Alan Thompson once said that Wallace was likely to succeed him in the future at left midfield.

He joined Sunderland from Celtic on 31 August 2006 along with teammate Stanislav Varga.[1]

[edit] 2006–07

He made his first team début on 9 September against Derby County and scored the winner in a 2-1 win. His arrival on Wearside saw him keep the number 33 that he wore at Celtic, which had previously belonged to former Sunderland favourite Julio Arca (now with Middlesbrough).

He had made an excellent start as a Sunderland player with a match-winning goal on his début at Derby and again at Hull City. On both occasions he removed his shirt after scoring, which at Hull earned him a second yellow card and his second red card of the season. He later apologised and promised not to do it again.

Sunderland fans were more than pleased with the promising form Wallace showed throughout the 2006–07 campaign as Sunderland won the Championship. His early formed did tail towards the back of the season only for him to re-find his form as the season ended. The left-wing position had been highly contested between Ross and team-mate Tobias Hysén.

[edit] 2007–08

Wallace started the season as Sunderland's first choice left-back despite several new defenders joining the club during the pre-season. On 11 August 2007 Ross lined up against Tottenham Hotspur on the first game of the season and successfully provided the 93rd minute assist that enabled Michael Chopra to score and Sunderland to win the game. This form has continued into the second game away to Birmingham City when once again Ross played an integral part in the decisive goal when he provided the free kick that eventually led to Stern John's late equaliser. The match finished 2-2.

He scored his first goal of the season against Reading at the Stadium of Light in a 2-1 victory for Sunderland, scoring again on a 3-2 loss to Arsenal scoring the first ever goal for Sunderland at their first ever game at the Emirates Stadium. Despite his impressive season so far, Roy Keane stated he would consider offers for Wallace. On 18 January 2008 it was reported that Wallace had sustained an Anterior Cruciate Ligament knee injury and would therefore miss the rest of the 2007/8 football season.

[edit] International aspirations

On 13 August 2007, two Sunderland players were called into the Scotland national team: defender Russell Anderson and goalkeeper Craig Gordon. Although pleased with the two nominated players, many Sunderland fans expressed disappointment in the fact that Wallace had once again been overlooked for the squad, especially as he had started the new season so well and that Scotland manager Alex McLeish had selected four goalkeepers in his squad.[2]

[edit] References

[edit] External links


Persondata
NAME Wallace, Ross
ALTERNATIVE NAMES
SHORT DESCRIPTION Footballer
DATE OF BIRTH 23 May 1985
PLACE OF BIRTH Dundee, Scotland
DATE OF DEATH
PLACE OF DEATH
Languages