Scott Carson

Scott Carson
Carson, Scott.jpg
Personal information
Full name Scott Paul Carson
Date of birth 3 September 1985 (1985-09-03) (age 24)
Place of birth    Whitehaven, Cumbria, England
Height 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Playing position Goalkeeper
Club information
Current club West Bromwich Albion
Number 19
Youth clubs

2001–2002
2002–2003		 Cleator Moor Celtic
Workington
Leeds United
Senior clubs1
Years Club App (Gls)*
2003–2005
2005–2008
2006
2006–2007
2007–2008
2008–		 Leeds United
Liverpool
→ Sheffield Wednesday (loan)
→ Charlton Athletic (loan)
→ Aston Villa (loan)
West Bromwich Albion		 03 (0)
04 (0)
09 (0)
36 (0)
35 (0)
13 (0)   
National team2
2003–2007
2006
2007–		 England U21
England B
England		 29 (0)
02 (0)
03 (0)

1 Senior club appearances and goals
counted for the domestic league only and
correct as of 20:57, 19 November 2008 (UTC).
2 National team caps and goals correct
as of 20:57, 19 November 2008 (UTC).
* Appearances (Goals)

Scott Paul Carson (born 3 September, 1985 in Whitehaven, Cumbria) is an English professional footballer who plays for Premier League club West Bromwich Albion as a goalkeeper.

He joined the Leeds United football academy in 2002, making his full first-team debut for Leeds against Manchester United in February 2004. He made his first appearance for the England Under-21 team in the same month and later set a record of 29 caps for the under-21 side.

In January 2005, he moved to Liverpool for a transfer fee of £750,000 and was called up for the England senior team summer tour to the United States later that year. He made nine appearances for Liverpool, including the Champions League quarter-final victory over Juventus in April 2005, before going on loan to Sheffield Wednesday, Charlton Athletic and Aston Villa to gain experience.

Following the 2007 UEFA Under-21 Championship, Carson made his full debut for the England senior team against Austria in November 2007. After his return to Liverpool from his loan spell at Aston Villa at the end of the 2007–08 season, he joined West Bromwich Albion for a £3.25 million fee in July 2008.

Contents

Club career

Leeds United

Carson grew up in Cleator Moor in Cumbria, where he attended Ehenside School.[1] Although a promising rugby league player as a youth,[2] he instead chose to concentrate on football, playing in goal for his school team from the age of "about 11 or 12".[3] He quickly rose through the youth teams at local side Cleator Moor Celtic to play for the men's team when he was 15.[2] He joined the Leeds United football academy in July 2002 after impressing former Leeds defender Peter Hampton while playing for non-league Workington in the FA Youth Cup.[4] He spent less than a year in the academy and half a season with the reserves before making his first-team debut in January 2004, coming on as a late substitute after Paul Robinson was sent off against Middlesbrough.[5][6] Two weeks later, he made his full debut, starting against Manchester United in a 1–1 draw at Old Trafford,[7] and made one further appearance in the 2003–04 season against Chelsea in May 2004.[5] Robinson left Leeds in May 2004 and Leeds signed Scottish international goalkeeper Neil Sullivan two months later to compete with Carson for a first-team place,[8][9] and to help Carson develop and improve.[10] Carson's contract was due to expire at the end of the 2004–05 season but Leeds were keen to retain him and in December 2004 offered him a new long-term contract.[11] However, he chose to join Liverpool, who paid Leeds a transfer fee of £750,000 for him, in January 2005.[12][13]

Liverpool

Carson joined Liverpool on a four-and-a-half year contract and was to provide competition for Jerzy Dudek for a first-team place.[12] He made his first team debut for Liverpool in March 2005 in a defeat to Newcastle United,[14] and made three consecutive appearances in April, including the home leg of the Champions League quarter-final victory over Juventus.[15][16] He gained winner's medals after Liverpool were victorious in the 2005 UEFA Champions League Final and 2005 UEFA Super Cup, although as an unused substitute he did not see action in either match.[17][18] Carson made only four appearances in the 2005–06 season, all in cup competitions,[19][20] and in March 2006, was allowed to move to Sheffield Wednesday on loan. Wednesday sought his services to help solve their goalkeeping crisis, while Carson was looking to gain more first team experience and to challenge for a place in the England 2006 World Cup squad.[16][21][22] He kept five clean sheets in nine games for Wednesday, whose assistant manager Kevin Summerfield hailed his contribution as a key factor in helping the club escape relegation.[23] He returned to Liverpool at the end of the season and in July 2006, extended his contract with Liverpool until 2011.[24]

In August 2006, Carson joined Charlton Athletic on loan for the 2006–07 season,[25] after Charlton failed in a bid for Norwich City goalkeeper Robert Green.[26] Carson explained that “Liverpool want me to get some experience and then hopefully I can go back next season and be challenging Pepe [Reina] for the number one spot. There were a couple of Championship clubs interested but I need to be playing Premiership football because Robert Green, Ben Foster and Chris Kirkland are going to be playing week in, week out so I need to be performing.”[27] He played in 36 of 38 Premier League games, missing only the two matches against Liverpool due to the terms of his loan deal.[28][29] Although he was unable to prevent Charlton from being relegated at the end of 2006–07,[30] his outstanding form led him to be named as the Charlton Athletic Supporters' Club player of the year, the first loan player ever to receive the award.[31][32]

Carson on loan at Aston Villa.

Carson returned to Liverpool at the end of the season and in June 2007, Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez confirmed that he would be part of the first-team squad for the 2007–08 season, saying “He must fight with Pepe Reina now for a starting place.”[30] Carson remained second choice to Reina, however, and faced further competition following the signing of Charles Itandje in August 2007; as a result, Carson was loaned out again, this time to Aston Villa at a cost to Villa of £2 million. Benitez said of the deal, “We do not want to sell him, we are very happy with Scott. But he needs to play to keep up his England place.”[33][34] Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill preferred Carson to Thomas Sorensen and Stuart Taylor, and Carson played in all but three of Villa's 38 league matches, missing the two games against Liverpool as he was ineligible to play,[34][35] and kept 11 clean sheets during the 2007–08 season.[36][37] He received the first red card of his career when he fouled Carlos Tévez in Villa's 4–1 Premier League defeat to Manchester United.[38]

West Bromwich Albion

Carson returned to Liverpool at the end of the 2007–08 season but in July 2008 joined West Bromwich Albion on a four year contract for a £3.25 million fee, rising to £3.75 million, with an option for the club to extend the contract by another year.[13] Carson, who had played for five different clubs since making his debut for Leeds United in 2004, explained that he wanted to get settled at one club, saying “I've been like a nomad for three or four years. It'll be good to get some roots and hopefully settle. I can see myself here for four or five years, even longer.”[39] He made his debut in a 1–0 defeat to Arsenal in the opening game of the 2008–09 Premier League season.[40]

International career

Carson was first called up to the England Under-21 squad in October 2003, a month after his 18th birthday, for the UEFA Under-21 Championship 2004 qualifier against Turkey. At the time he was yet to make his competitive debut for Leeds United's first team,[4] and had previously played only four games for England at other levels. He made his under-21 debut in a 3–2 win for England against the Netherlands in February 2004.[41] He was selected in the squad for the 2007 UEFA Under-21 Championship, and in the third game against Serbia, he earned his 28th under-21 cap,[42][43] eclipsing the record held by Gareth Barry and Jamie Carragher.[44] His 29th and final cap came against the hosts, the Netherlands, in the semi-final, which finished level at 1–1 after extra-time. In the resultant shootout, he saved one of the 16 penalties he faced and also scored one himself, but England lost 13–12.[45] Carson has since been overtaken by James Milner as the England Under-21 team's most-capped player.[46]

In May 2005, while still a member of the Under-21 side, Carson was called up to the England senior team squad for the team's tour of the United States later that month.[47] A year later, he came on as substitute for Robert Green, who had suffered a serious injury, in the England B international friendly against Belarus in May 2006.[48] The injury to Green, who had been named in the England squad for the 2006 World Cup, led to Carson, who was on standby, being promoted to the England squad for the tournament,[49] although he did not make any appearances. Carson continued to be selected for the England senior team squad,[50][51] and in May 2007, made his second appearance for the England B team in a 3–1 win over Albania.[52] Following the 2007 UEFA Under-21 Championships, he made his full England debut in a friendly against Austria in November 2007 when he kept a clean sheet.[53] A week later, he made his competitive debut in a crucial match against Croatia, in which England lost 3–2 and were eliminated from Euro 2008, with Carson being held particularly culpable for the first goal, when he failed to gather a speculative shot from 30 yards by Niko Kranjčar that dipped and bounced before him and which he could only parry into the net.[54][55] England coach Steve McClaren was sacked the next day,[56] as commentators criticised McClaren for selecting an inexperienced goalkeeper for the match.[57][58]

New manager Fabio Capello named Carson in his first England squad for the friendly match against Switzerland in February 2008,[59] but the goalkeeper did not make the final squad for the match against France the following month due to injury.[60] After failing to make Capello's squads for the next five internationals, Carson was recalled to the England squad in October 2008 for the 2010 World Cup qualifiers against Kazakhstan and Belarus.[61][62] He won his third England cap in November 2008, in a friendly against Germany in Berlin when he came on for the second half. In doing so he became the first West Bromwich Albion player to play for England for 24 years.[63]

Personal life

Carson married Amy Barton on 17 May 2008 in Egremont; the couple have a son, Hayden.[1][3] Carson's younger brother Grant is also a goalkeeper and is on the books of Carlisle United.[64]

Honours

Liverpool

Personal

Career statistics

Club performance[65]
Club Season League FA Cup League Cup Europe Total
App App App App App
Leeds United 2003–04 3 0 0 0 3
Subtotal 3 0 0 0 3
Liverpool 2004–05 4 0 0 1 5
2005–06 0 1 1 2 4
Subtotal 4 1 1 3 9
Sheffield Wednesday
(loan)		 2005–06 9 0 0 0 9
Subtotal 9 0 0 0 9
Charlton Athletic
(loan)		 2006–07 36 0 2 0 38
Subtotal 36 0 2 0 38
Aston Villa
(loan)		 2007–08 35 1 0 0 36
Subtotal 35 1 0 0 36
West Bromwich Albion 2008–09 11 0 0 0 11
Subtotal 11 0 0 0 11

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Irving, Alan (2008-05-14). "A new goal for Scott and Amy", The Whitehaven News. Retrieved on 2008-08-25. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Carson glows in darkness of Charlton survival bid", Evening Standard, The (London) (22 December 2006). Retrieved on 2008-07-20. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "PAST, PRESENT & FUTURE: Scott Carson", West Bromwich Albion F.C. (2008-08-21). Retrieved on 2008-08-25. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Carson delight at U21 call-up", BBC Sport (9 October 2003). Retrieved on 2008-07-20. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Games played by Scott Carson in 2003/2004". Soccerbase. Racing Post. Retrieved on 2008-07-20.
  6. ↑ "Leeds 0-3 Middlesbrough", BBC Sport (31 January 2004). Retrieved on 2008-07-20. 
  7. ↑ "Man Utd 1-1 Leeds", BBC Sport (21 February 2004). Retrieved on 2008-07-20. 
  8. ↑ "Robinson seals Spurs move", BBC Sport (14 May 2004). Retrieved on 2008-07-20. 
  9. ↑ "Sullivan joins Leeds", BBC Sport (31 July 2004). Retrieved on 2008-07-20. 
  10. ↑ "Carson can rely on Sullivan", BBC Sport (4 August 2004). Retrieved on 2008-07-20. 
  11. ↑ "Leeds to offer Carson fresh deal", BBC Sport (8 December 2004). Retrieved on 2008-07-20. 
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 "Carson seals switch to Liverpool", BBC Sport (21 January 2005). Retrieved on 2008-07-20. 
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 "West Brom snap up keeper Carson", BBC Sport (18 July 2008). Retrieved on 2008-07-18. 
  14. ↑ "Newcastle 1-0 Liverpool", BBC Sport (5 March 2005). Retrieved on 2008-07-20. 
  15. ↑ "Liverpool 2-1 Juventus", BBC Sport (5 April 2005). Retrieved on 2008-07-20. 
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 "Owls swoop for keeper Carson", Football, Liverpool Echo (11 March 2006).  “The 20-year-old has made only four appearances this season - all in cup competitions - and has been allowed to move to gain more first team experience.”
  17. ↑ "AC Milan 3-3 Liverpool (aet)", BBC Sport (25 May 2005). Retrieved on 2008-10-06. 
  18. ↑ "Liverpool 3-1 CSKA Moscow (aet)", BBC Sport (26 August 2005). Retrieved on 2008-10-06. 
  19. ↑ "Games played by Scott Carson in 2004/2005". Soccerbase. Racing Post. Retrieved on 2008-07-20.
  20. ↑ "Games played by Scott Carson in 2005/2006". Soccerbase. Racing Post. Retrieved on 2008-07-20.
  21. ↑ "Owls complete double loan swoop", BBC Sport (10 March 2006). Retrieved on 2008-07-20. 
  22. ↑ "Owls keeper's world cup bid owls", The Star (Sheffield) (11 March 2006). Retrieved on 2008-07-20. 
  23. ↑ "Loan keeper Carson No 1 for Wednesday in Championship survival battle", Star, The (Sheffield) (1 May 2006). Retrieved on 2008-07-20. 
  24. ↑ "Carson & Anderson sign new deals", BBC Sport (26 July 2006). Retrieved on 2008-07-20. 
  25. ↑ "Carson signs for Charlton on loan", BBC Sport (14 August 2006). Retrieved on 2008-07-20. 
  26. ↑ Brooks, Gideon (15 August 2006). "Dowie's Plan B after Green's Hammer blow", Express, The (London).  “The former Canary, [Robert Green], 26, became a Hammer despite being widely expected to dot his signature on a deal that would have taken him to The Valley.”
  27. ↑ Veysey, Wayne (18 August 2006). "Carson hopes for Valley lift", Evening Standard, The (London). 
  28. ↑ Haines, Gary (2006-12-16). "Charlton sunk by Reds", Charlton Athletic F.C.. Retrieved on 2008-08-31.  “Charlton's on-loan Liverpool keeper Scott Carson missed out due to Premier League regulations...”
  29. ↑ Haines, Gary (2007-05-13). "Addicks bow out with a bang", Charlton Athletic F.C.. Retrieved on 2008-08-31.  “...the terms of Scott Carson's loan arrangement from Liverpool preventing him from playing against his parent club.”
  30. ↑ 30.0 30.1 "Liverpool include Carson in plans", BBC Sport (22 July 2007). Retrieved on 2007-06-22. 
  31. ↑ McCombie, Lindsay (30 April 2007). "Carson keeping faith", Charlton Athletic F.C.. Retrieved on 2008-09-04. 
  32. ↑ "Fans' choice Carson drops clanger", Evening Standard, The (London) (30 April 2007). Retrieved on 2008-09-04.  “The 21-year-old has been in outstanding form since joining on a season's loan from Liverpool last summer and the fact Charlton still have a hope of avoiding the drop are thanks in a large part to his displays.”
  33. ↑ "Villa close in on keeper Carson", BBC Sport (9 August 2007). Retrieved on 2008-07-20. 
  34. ↑ 34.0 34.1 "Villa sign keeper Carson on loan", BBC Sport (10 August 2007). Retrieved on 2008-07-20. 
  35. ↑ Lansley, Peter (21 January 2008). "Martin O’Neill says US owner is with Villa for long haul", Times, The (London). Retrieved on 2008-09-07.  “Stuart Taylor is in goal, with Scott Carson is ineligible because he is on loan from Liverpool.”
  36. ↑ "Villa can keep Carson - Benitez", BBC Sport (15 November 2007). Retrieved on 2008-07-20. 
  37. ↑ "Games played by Scott Carson in 2007/2008". Soccerbase. Racing Post. Retrieved on 2008-07-20.
  38. ↑ "Aston Villa 1-4 Man Utd". BBC Sport (20 October 2007). Retrieved on 2008-09-24.
  39. ↑ "Carson wants lengthy Baggies stay", BBC Sport (25 July 2008). Retrieved on 2008-09-04. 
  40. ↑ "Arsenal vs WBA", West Bromwich Albion F.C. (2008-08-16). Retrieved on 2008-08-16. 
  41. ↑ "England U21 3-2 Holland U21", BBC Sport (17 February 2004). Retrieved on 2008-07-20. 
  42. ↑ "England U21 2-0 Serbia U21", BBC Sport (2007-06-17). Retrieved on 2008-08-05. 
  43. ↑ McGrath, Mike (18 June 2007). "Ugly atmosphere mars battling England win", Birmingham Post.  “Serbia tried long-range efforts and Scott Carson, setting a new record of 28 for England Under-21 caps, was kept alert ...”
  44. ↑ "Liverpool goalkeeper Scott Carson will ...", Express on Sunday, The (London) (17 June 2007).  “Liverpool goalkeeper Scott Carson will move past Gareth Barry and Jamie Carragher and break the record for England Under-21 caps when he faces Serbia tonight ...”
  45. ↑ "Holland U21 1-1 Eng U21 (aet)", BBC Sport (2007-06-20). Retrieved on 2008-08-05. 
  46. ↑ "Montenegro U21 0-3 England U21", BBC Sport (7 September 2008). Retrieved on 2008-08-06.  “Milner, who was making his 30th appearance, surpassed Scott Carson to set a new record for England Under-21 caps.”
  47. ↑ "Crouch nets England squad call-up", BBC Sport (12 May 2005). Retrieved on 2008-08-06.  “Liverpool goalkeeper Scott Carson is also included for the first time ...”
  48. ↑ "England B 1-2 Belarus", BBC Sport (26 May 2006). Retrieved on 2008-08-09. 
  49. ↑ "Carson promoted to England squad", BBC Sport (26 May 2006). Retrieved on 2008-07-20. 
  50. ↑ "McClaren plays it safe with squad", BBC Sport (16 March 2007). Retrieved on 2008-08-09. 
  51. ↑ "Beckham recalled to England squad", BBC Sport (26 May 2007). Retrieved on 2008-08-09. 
  52. ↑ "England B 3-1 Albania", BBC Sport (26 May 2007). Retrieved on 2008-08-09. 
  53. ↑ Mawhinney, Stuart (11 November 2007). "Carson's debut delight", The Football Association. Retrieved on 2008-08-06. 
  54. ↑ Stevenson, Jonathan (21 November 2007). "England 2-3 Croatia", BBC Sport. Retrieved on 2008-09-04. 
  55. ↑ Wallace, Sam (22 November 2007). "England 2 Croatia 3: Carson calamity sets the tone as abject England reach all-time low", Independent, The (London). Retrieved on 2008-08-09. 
  56. ↑ "Steve McClaren is sacked", Independent, The (London) (22 November 2007). Retrieved on 2008-08-09. 
  57. ↑ Whittingham, Stewart (22 November 2007). "Rain over - England 2 Croatia 3: We're in the gutter", Sun, The (London), p. 2.  “Ex-Liverpool star Alan Hansen slammed McClaren for picking Carson. He said: "It is a big, big game for a 22-year-old goalkeeper. McClaren got it wrong.”
  58. ↑ James, David (25 November 2007). "Don't blame Carson - the real gaffe was exposing him to such high pressure", Observer, The (London). Retrieved on 2008-08-09. 
  59. ↑ "Capello keeps Agbonlahor in squad", BBC Sport (2 February 2008). Retrieved on 2008-08-09. 
  60. ↑ "Beckham recalled to England squad", BBC Sport (24 March 2008). Retrieved on 2008-10-06. 
  61. ↑ "Scott Carson earns England recall", Birmingham Post (6 October 2008). Retrieved on 2008-10-06. 
  62. ↑ "England: matches played", TheFA.com. Retrieved on 2008-10-06. 
  63. ↑ "Carson earns England cap", West Bromwich Albion F.C. (19 November 2008). Retrieved on 2008-11-19. 
  64. ↑ Dickinson, Matt (2008-01-29). "Scott Carson seeks chance again as nightmare starts to fade", TimesOnline. Retrieved on 2008-08-25. 
  65. ↑ "Scott Carson career statistics". Soccerbase. Racing Post. Retrieved on 2008-11-05.

External links

Awards
Preceded by
Darren Bent		 Charlton Athletic
Supporters' Club player of the year
2006–07		 Succeeded by
Matt Holland
England squad – 2006 FIFA World Cup
1 Robinson • 2 Neville • 3 A. Cole • 4 Gerrard • 5 Ferdinand • 6 Terry • 7 Beckham • 8 Lampard • 9 Rooney • 10 Owen • 11 J. Cole • 12 Campbell • 13 James • 14 Bridge • 15 Carragher • 16 Hargreaves • 17 Jenas • 18 Carrick • 19 Lennon • 20 Downing • 21 Crouch • 22 Carson • 23 Walcott • Coach: Eriksson
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West Bromwich Albion F.C. – current squad

1 Kiely • 2 Hoefkens • 3 Robinson • 4 Čech • 5 Barnett • 6 Clement • 7 Koren • 8 Greening • 9 Bednář • 10 Miller • 11 Brunt • 12 Beattie • 14 Kim • 15 MacDonald • 16 Moore • 17 Dorrans • 18 Pelé • 19 Carson • 20 Teixeira • 22 Zuiverloon • 23 Méïté • 26 Olsson • 27 Morrison • 28 Valero • 30 Donk • –– Worrall • Manager: Mowbray
Persondata
NAME Carson, Scott Paul
ALTERNATIVE NAMES
SHORT DESCRIPTION English football goalkeeper
DATE OF BIRTH 3 September 1985
PLACE OF BIRTH Whitehaven, England
DATE OF DEATH
PLACE OF DEATH