Michael Stewart (footballer)

Michael Stewart
Personal information
Full nameMichael James Stewart
Date of birth26 February 1981
Place of birthEdinburgh, Scotland
Height6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Playing positionMidfielder
Youth career
Rangers
1997–1998Manchester United
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps†(Gls)†
1998–2005Manchester United8(0)
2003–2004→ Nottingham Forest (loan)13(0)
2004–2005→ Hearts (loan)17(0)
2005–2007Hibernian54(2)
2007–2010Hearts87(12)
2010–2011Gençlerbirliği0(0)
2011Charlton Athletic9(0)
National team
2002–2008Scotland4(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.
† Appearances (Goals).

Michael James Stewart (born 26 February 1981) is a Scottish former footballer. He is notable for beginning his career with Manchester United and having played for both of the Edinburgh derby rivals, Hearts and Hibernian. He has also played for Nottingham Forest and Charlton Athletic during his career. Stewart has been capped four times for the Scotland national football team.

Career

Manchester United

As a highly rated young player, Stewart trained twice a week with Rangers while still at Craigmount High School. Manchester United signed Stewart as a professional in 1998. He made his senior debut for the club on 31 October 2000 against Watford. Later that season it was agreed for Stewart and two other players (John O'Shea and Jimmy Davis) to be loaned to Belgian feeder club Royal Antwerp, but Stewart decided against the move, believing he would break into the first team more quickly by training with United.[1] His initial promise saw him rewarded with further opportunities, filling in for a suspended Roy Keane.[1] He struggled to hold down a first team place,[1] however, and had a disappointing loan spell at Nottingham Forest. He is known for playing with a high-tempo style and can often find himself in trouble, regularly being booked or sent off.

In the summer of 2004, United manager Sir Alex Ferguson intimated that Stewart had no future at the club and he was free to leave. Rangers initially showed interest, but after a two-week trial, he was sent back to Manchester.[2] Stewart's lucrative contract with United was seen as a stumbling block to a transfer.[2] A loan deal was reached with Stewart's boyhood favourites Hearts, with Stewart himself taking a substantial wage drop to facilitate the deal.[3] Stewart failed to match expectations and at the end of a season disrupted by injury, Hearts allowed him to leave.[3]

Hibernian

Desperate for continuity and regular football, Stewart expressed his wish to stay in Edinburgh. He therefore signed for Hearts' rivals Hibernian after negotiating the end of his Manchester United contract. After two seasons with Hibs, the club announced in April 2007 that his contract would not be extended and he was free to leave the club.[4] He left Easter Road after the media reported that there was unrest amongst the Hibs squad.[5] Stewart spent a week training with Roy Keane's Sunderland, but he did not earn a contract.

Hearts

On 30 June 2007, Hearts introduced Stewart as a new signing,[5] making him the only player since the Second World War to sign for Hearts, then Hibs and then return to Hearts. Stewart scored his first SPL goal for Hearts against Aberdeen on 12 August 2007. He also scored a penalty for Hearts in a 4–2 win over Rangers in September 2007.

Stewart was appointed Hearts club captain by manager Csaba Laszlo before the start of the 2009–10 season, following the departure of Robbie Neilson. He was sent off, for two bookable offences, 52 minutes into his first competitive game as captain.[6] Stewart left the club by mutual consent on 13 May 2010.

Gençlerbirliği

Stewart then agreed a "lucrative" move to Turkish club Gençlerbirliği signing a one-year contract with the club with the option of a further 2 years.[7] Stewart picked up an injury early into his spell at Gençlerbirliği, Stewart left the club in January 2011, claiming that they had not honoured his contract since suffering an injury early in the 2010–11 season.[8]

Charlton

Sky Sports reported on 6 February that Stewart had been given a one-week trial with Leeds United.[9] He played part in a training ground friendly match against York City.[10] Stewart's trial period with Leeds was extended,[11] but he did not sign for Leeds and subsequently went on trial at Charlton Athletic.[12] He agreed to sign for Charlton until the end of the 2010–11 season on 22 March.[12]

International career

Stewart won three caps for Scotland while he was a youth player at Manchester United. He won a recall after an absence of six years for the friendly match against Northern Ireland in August 2008.[13]

After playing

Stewart has worked as a football pundit, providing analysis of Scottish football for BBC Scotland,[14] BT Sport and The Scottish Sun.[15][16]

On 31 December 2014, Stewart announced via Twitter his intention to stand for election as a Scottish National Party MP in the Edinburgh West constituency in the 2015 UK general election.[17] He went up against Edinburgh councillor and finance leader Alasdair Rankin and Michelle Thomson in the running to become the SNP candidate.[18] Thomson won the nomination.

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Forsyth, Neil (7 September 2003). "Stewart goes it a loan at Forest to impress Ferguson". Scotland on Sunday. Retrieved 11 October 2010.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Rangers send Stewart back to Manchester, Daily Telegraph, 19 July 2004.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Hearts allowing Stewart to leave, BBC Sport, 11 June 2005.
  4. ↑ "Stewart told Hibs days are over". BBC Sport. 19 April 2007.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Hearts call tempts Stewart back". BBC Sport (British Broadcasting Corporation). 30 June 2007.
  6. ↑ "Dundee United 2–0 Hearts". BBC Sport (BBC). 17 August 2009.
  7. ↑ Johnstone, Darren (22 May 2010). "Stewart completes move to Turkish top flight". The Scotsman. Retrieved 22 May 2010.
  8. ↑ McLauchlin, Brian (20 January 2011). "Michael Stewart severs ties with Genclerbirligi". BBC Sport. Retrieved 20 January 2011.
  9. ↑ Kajue, Soriebah (6 February 2011). "Leeds eye Stewart". Sky Sports. Retrieved 6 February 2011.
  10. ↑ http://www.leedsunited.com/news/20110207/stewart-one-of-two-trialists-in-for-game_2247585_2287356
  11. ↑ http://www.leedsunited.com/news/20110217/trialist-set-for-extended-stay_2247585_2295500
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 Haines, Gary (22 March 2011). "Stewart signs up". Charlton Athletic F.C. official website. Retrieved 23 March 2011.
  13. ↑ "Five withdraw from Scotland squad". BBC Sport. 18 August 2008.
  14. ↑ Scottish Premiership as it happened, BBC Sport
  15. ↑ Player of the year? Give it to Kris now, The Scottish Sun
  16. ↑ Ex-Hearts star Michael Stewart backs independence, The Scotsman
  17. ↑ "Ex-footballer Michael Stewart announces bid to become SNP MP". Herald Scotland (Herald & Times Group). 31 December 2014. Retrieved 4 January 2015.
  18. ↑ McCafferty, Ross; Philip, Andy (30 December 2014). "Sportscene pundit Michael Stewart bidding to become Scottish Nationalist MP". Daily Record (Glasgow: Scottish Daily Record and Sunday Mail). Retrieved 4 January 2015.

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