| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Craig Russell | ||
| Date of birth | 4 February 1974 | ||
| Place of birth | South Shields, England | ||
| Height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | ||
| Playing position | Forward, Left back | ||
| Youth career | |||
| – | Sunderland | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1992–1997 | Sunderland | 149 | (31) |
| 1997–2000 | Manchester City | 31 | (2) |
| 1998 | → Tranmere Rovers (loan) | 4 | (0) |
| 1999 | → Port Vale (loan) | 8 | (1) |
| 2000 | → Darlington (loan) | 12 | (2) |
| 2000 | → Oxford United (loan) | 6 | (0) |
| 2000 | → St. Johnstone (loan) | 1 | (1) |
| 2000–2003 | St. Johnstone | 35 | (2) |
| 2003–2004 | Carlisle United | 19 | (1) |
| 2004–2005 | Darlington | 40 | (2) |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals). |
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Craig Russell (born 4 February 1974 in South Shields) is an English former footballer.
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Russell started his career at Sunderland in the 1992, quickly breaking into the first team. However he gradually fell out of favour as Sunderland became a more successful team, he was replaced by Kevin Phillips and Niall Quinn and left the club for Manchester City for a £1,000,000 fee in November 1997.
Whilst with City he had numerous loan spells with lower level clubs: Tranmere Rovers in August 1998, Port Vale in February/March 1999, Darlington in September/October 1999, Oxford United in February 2000 and St. Johnstone in April 2000.
In July 2000, the million pound player was allowed to leave for St Johnstone permanently on a free transfer,[1] having scored four goals in 36 appearances at Maine Road (a return of one goal every nine games). Jinxed with injury at the Scottish club, his family did not take to life in the country and so he made the decision to leave the club in October 2002.[2] In January 2003 he moved on to Carlisle United,[3] spending twelve months with the Cumbrians before joining Darlington. He left Darlington in May 2005. He then signed for South Shields in the Northern League.
Once, during practice before a Sunderland match against Aston Villa in the mid 1990s, Russel accidentally kicked the ball in the direction of a youngster holding a hot drink. Russel immediately ran over to check on the boy and after checking that he was alright, raced off down the tunnel and came back with a scarf and signed ball for him.[4]
After retiring, Russell joined rugby union club Newcastle Falcons as a masseur,[5] later moving on to Newcastle United[6] and then former club Sunderland.[7]