Steve Sidwell

Steve Sidwell
Sidwell playing for Stoke City in 2015
Personal information
Full name Steven James Sidwell[1]
Date of birth (1982-12-14) 14 December 1982 (age 41)[1]
Place of birth Wandsworth, England
Height 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)[2]
Position(s) Midfielder[3]
Youth career
Chipstead
1997–2001 Arsenal
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2001–2003 Arsenal 0 (0)
2001–2002Brentford (loan) 30 (4)
2002Beveren (loan) 0 (0)
2002–2003Brighton & Hove Albion (loan) 12 (5)
2003–2007 Reading 168 (29)
2007–2008 Chelsea 15 (0)
2008–2011 Aston Villa 45 (3)
2011–2014 Fulham 92 (14)
2014–2016 Stoke City 13 (0)
2016Brighton & Hove Albion (loan) 16 (1)
2016–2018 Brighton & Hove Albion 34 (1)
Total 425 (57)
International career
2001–2002 England U20 2 (0)
2003 England U21 5 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Steven James Sidwell (born 14 December 1982) is an English former professional footballer who played as a midfielder.

Sidwell was a product of the Arsenal academy, and after winning two FA Youth Cups, he had constructive loan spells at Brentford and Brighton & Hove Albion, but never broke into the Arsenal first team. He came to prominence in the Championship with Reading after a January 2003 move to the Royals and spent 4+12 years with the club, helping them to earn promotion to the Premier League for the first time ever in 2005–06.

He joined Chelsea on a free transfer for the 2007–08 season, however opportunities were limited at Stamford Bridge, as he competed with players such as Frank Lampard, Michael Ballack, Claude Makélélé, and Michael Essien for playing time in central midfield. He moved to Aston Villa in July 2008 for a fee of £5 million. In his 2+12-year stay at Villa Park he played 64 times, scoring four goals. Sidwell then spent 3+12 years at Fulham, making 115 appearances scoring 17 goals. His time at Craven Cottage ended after the club was relegated from the Premier League in 2013–14, and he subsequently joined Stoke City in June 2014 on a free transfer. He made only 13 Premier League appearances for the club, and finished his career with a two year spell at Brighton & Hove Albion, initially on loan, retiring in 2018.

  1. ^ a b Hugman, Barry J., ed. (2008). The PFA Footballers' Who's Who 2008–09. Mainstream. ISBN 978-1-84596-324-8.
  2. ^ "Premier League Player Profile Steve Sidwell". Premier League. Barclays Premier League. 2015. Archived from the original on 22 August 2014. Retrieved 15 January 2015.
  3. ^ "Steven Sidwell". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 15 July 2019.