Kevin Thomson
Encyclopedia
Kevin Thomson is a Scottish
association footballer who plays for Middlesbrough
and the Scotland national football team
. Thomson began his career with Hibernian
before joining Rangers
in 2007 for a £
2m transfer fee. He plays as a defensive midfielder with key attributes of passing and tackling. Thomson won five major trophies with Rangers, including back to back Scottish Premier League championships in 2009 and 2010. Thomson was also part of the Rangers side which reached the 2008 UEFA Cup Final
. Thomson joined up with ex-Rangers teammate Kris Boyd
at Middlesbrough
for a fee of £2m on 16 July 2010.
, in the Scottish Borders
. His first club was Peebles Thistle, who play in the Eastern Region Youth League. He then moved on to play for Edinburgh side Hutchison Vale before being signed by on a four year contract. Thomson suffered from homesickness
and returned to Scotland with .
, Derek Riordan
, Scott Brown and Garry O'Connor
. Thomson established himself as a regular in the Hibernian first team during the 2003–04 season
and played in that season's Scottish League Cup
final defeat by , but he suffered a serious cruciate ligament injury
during a game against near the end of that season. The injury meant that he was out of football for almost a year, and he consequently made only four league appearances in the 2004–05 season
.
In the 2005–06 season
Thomson made his comeback from his injury, establishing himself as one of Hibernian's most important players. He signed a long term contract (until 2010) in March 2006. Thomson was appointed as club captain by Tony Mowbray
after the previous captain Gary Caldwell
left the club to join . Despite signing a long term contract with Hibernian, it was still speculated that Thomson would soon leave Hibs. On 31 August 2006, Premier League
club made an offer that was rejected by Hibernian.
Speculation about Thomson's future increased after he (and Scott Brown) appointed Willie McKay
as his agent. McKay demanded that Hibernian offer Brown and Thomson wages commensurate with the transfer fees Hibernian were demanding for the players. Hibernian would have needed to significantly break their pay scale in order to offer such wages. Hibernian refused to meet with McKay to discuss improved contracts, which resulted in Brown submitting a written transfer request.
On 20 December 2006, Charlton Athletic
made a joint offer for Brown and Thomson, which was rejected by Hibernian. This sparked a further round of speculation, as Brown and Thomson demanded to know why they had not been informed of the offer before it was rejected. Thomson was stripped of the captaincy on 2 January 2007 and was replaced by Rob Jones
. Thomson was told by manager John Collins to concentrate on his game because he believed that Thomson's performance levels had dropped since the transfer speculation began.
's for a fee of £
2 million on 30 January 2007. Less than two months earlier, Smith had been critical of Thomson's behaviour, calling on him to show more "responsibility", although this was a month before Smith had been appointed as Rangers manager. Thomson made his Rangers debut on 11 February in a 3–1 victory over , although he was substituted at half-time after suffering a hamstring
injury.
Thomson established himself as a regular in the Rangers first team. He scored his first goal for Rangers in a victory over on 29 March 2008 and he played in the club's run to the 2008 UEFA Cup Final
and winning the League Cup
and Scottish Cup
in his first full season.
Thomson scored his second goal of the 2008–09 season when he scored an equalising goal in injury time against at Ibrox Stadium
, on 4 November 2008. In the following league match against at Rugby Park
, a 4–0 victory for Rangers was overshadowed by Thomson suffering a serious knee injury. This injury ruled him out for the rest of the 2008–09 season. Thomson had surgery to save his career on 31 December 2008. The surgery was a success and Thomson hoped to be fit for the following season. On his return to the Rangers first team, Thomson was sent off in the 13th minute of a 2-1 win over Hearts
.
Thomson was sent off in the 2010 League Cup Final
in the second half for a poorly timed challenge, although Rangers won the match 1–0 despite Danny Wilson
also being shown a red card. Thomson helped Rangers win their second title in a row in 2010
.
accepted a £2m offer from Middlesbrough
for Thomson in July 2010. Middlesbrough then confirmed that Thomson had passed a medical, despite the player having suffered two serious knee injuries earlier in his career, and completed his transfer. In his second league match for Middlesbrough, Thomson suffered a fractured fibula against Leicester City
, which prevented him from playing for two months.
in a goalless draw against Northern Ireland
on 20 August 2008.
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
association footballer who plays for Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough F.C.
Middlesbrough Football Club , also known as Boro, are an English football club based in Middlesbrough, who play in the Football League Championship. Formed in 1876, they have played at the Riverside Stadium since August 1995, their third ground since turning professional in 1889...
and the Scotland national football team
Scotland national football team
The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...
. Thomson began his career with Hibernian
Hibernian F.C.
Hibernian Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Leith, in the north of Edinburgh. They are one of two Scottish Premier League clubs in the city, the other being their Edinburgh derby rivals, Hearts...
before joining Rangers
Rangers F.C.
Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...
in 2007 for a £
Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
2m transfer fee. He plays as a defensive midfielder with key attributes of passing and tackling. Thomson won five major trophies with Rangers, including back to back Scottish Premier League championships in 2009 and 2010. Thomson was also part of the Rangers side which reached the 2008 UEFA Cup Final
2008 UEFA Cup Final
The 2008 UEFA Cup Final was the 37th final of the UEFA Cup, UEFA's second tier club football tournament. The match was played at the City of Manchester Stadium, home ground of Manchester City F.C., in Manchester, England, at 20:45 CEST on 14 May 2008.The match was contested by Zenit St. Petersburg...
. Thomson joined up with ex-Rangers teammate Kris Boyd
Kris Boyd
Kris Boyd is a Scottish professional footballer who currently plays as a striker for Turkish side Eskişehirspor.Boyd grew up in the Ayrshire village of Tarbolton and started his senior career with Kilmarnock. He transferred to Rangers in January 2006, and was Rangers' top goalscorer in each of his...
at Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough F.C.
Middlesbrough Football Club , also known as Boro, are an English football club based in Middlesbrough, who play in the Football League Championship. Formed in 1876, they have played at the Riverside Stadium since August 1995, their third ground since turning professional in 1889...
for a fee of £2m on 16 July 2010.
Early life
Thomson grew up in PeeblesPeebles
Peebles is a burgh in the committee area of Tweeddale, in the Scottish Borders, lying on the River Tweed. According to the 2001 Census, the population was 8,159.-History:...
, in the Scottish Borders
Scottish Borders
The Scottish Borders is one of 32 local government council areas of Scotland. It is bordered by Dumfries and Galloway in the west, South Lanarkshire and West Lothian in the north west, City of Edinburgh, East Lothian, Midlothian to the north; and the non-metropolitan counties of Northumberland...
. His first club was Peebles Thistle, who play in the Eastern Region Youth League. He then moved on to play for Edinburgh side Hutchison Vale before being signed by on a four year contract. Thomson suffered from homesickness
Homesickness
Homesickness is the distress or impairment caused by an actual or anticipated separation from the specific home environment or attachment objects....
and returned to Scotland with .
Hibernian
Thomson joined Hibernian on 10 August 2001. He was one of a group of young players who came through their youth team during the early 2000s, also including Steven WhittakerSteven Whittaker
Steven Gordon Whittaker is a Scottish association footballer who currently plays as a right back for Scottish Premier League club Rangers and the Scotland national side....
, Derek Riordan
Derek Riordan
Derek George Riordan is a Scottish footballer who plays as a forward. He has been capped three times by the Scotland national football team. Riordan started his career with Hibernian in 2001 and had a brief spell on loan with Cowdenbeath in 2003...
, Scott Brown and Garry O'Connor
Garry O'Connor
Garry Lawrence John O'Connor is a Scottish professional footballer who currently plays for Hibernian. He has also played for the Scotland international team....
. Thomson established himself as a regular in the Hibernian first team during the 2003–04 season
2003-04 in Scottish football
The 2003–04 season was the 107th season of competitive football in Scotland.-Scottish Premier League:The 2003–04 Scottish Premier League season was won by Celtic with 98 points, 17 points ahead of closest challengers Rangers. Both Rangers and Celtic therefore gained the two UEFA...
and played in that season's Scottish League Cup
Scottish League Cup 2003-04
The 2003–04 Scottish League Cup was the 58th staging of the Scotland's second most prestigious football knockout competition, also known for sponsorship reasons as the CIS Insurance Cup....
final defeat by , but he suffered a serious cruciate ligament injury
Anterior cruciate ligament injury
An injury to the anterior cruciate ligament can be a debilitating musculoskeletal injury to the knee, seen most often in athletes. Non-contact tears and ruptures are the most common causes of ACL injury....
during a game against near the end of that season. The injury meant that he was out of football for almost a year, and he consequently made only four league appearances in the 2004–05 season
2004-05 in Scottish football
The 2004–05 season was the 108th season of competitive football in Scotland.-2004:*6 July 2004 - Nacho Novo from Dundee to Rangers, £450,000*1 July 2004 - Dado Prso from AS Monaco to Rangers, Bosman...
.
In the 2005–06 season
2005-06 in Scottish football
The 2005–06 season was the 109th season of competitive football in Scotland.-2005:*1 June: Gordon Strachan officially takes charge of Celtic after the resignation of Martin O'Neill...
Thomson made his comeback from his injury, establishing himself as one of Hibernian's most important players. He signed a long term contract (until 2010) in March 2006. Thomson was appointed as club captain by Tony Mowbray
Tony Mowbray
Anthony Mark "Tony" Mowbray is an English former professional football player, who is currently the manager of Middlesbrough...
after the previous captain Gary Caldwell
Gary Caldwell
Gary Robert Caldwell is a Scottish footballer who is currently the captain of Wigan Athletic and also plays for the Scotland national football team....
left the club to join . Despite signing a long term contract with Hibernian, it was still speculated that Thomson would soon leave Hibs. On 31 August 2006, Premier League
FA Premier League
The Premier League is an English professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the English football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with The Football League. The Premier...
club made an offer that was rejected by Hibernian.
Speculation about Thomson's future increased after he (and Scott Brown) appointed Willie McKay
Willie McKay
Willie McKay is a Scottish football agent based in Monaco. He is the agent of many top-level footballers, mainly based in England and France - specifically the Premier League...
as his agent. McKay demanded that Hibernian offer Brown and Thomson wages commensurate with the transfer fees Hibernian were demanding for the players. Hibernian would have needed to significantly break their pay scale in order to offer such wages. Hibernian refused to meet with McKay to discuss improved contracts, which resulted in Brown submitting a written transfer request.
On 20 December 2006, Charlton Athletic
Charlton Athletic F.C.
Charlton Athletic Football Club is an English professional football club based in Charlton, in the London Borough of Greenwich. They compete in Football League One, the third tier of English football. The club was founded on 9 June 1905, when a number of youth clubs in the southeast London area,...
made a joint offer for Brown and Thomson, which was rejected by Hibernian. This sparked a further round of speculation, as Brown and Thomson demanded to know why they had not been informed of the offer before it was rejected. Thomson was stripped of the captaincy on 2 January 2007 and was replaced by Rob Jones
Rob Jones (footballer born 1979)
Robert William "Rob" Jones is an English footballer who currently plays as a centre back for League One club Sheffield Wednesday....
. Thomson was told by manager John Collins to concentrate on his game because he believed that Thomson's performance levels had dropped since the transfer speculation began.
Rangers
Thomson signed for Walter SmithWalter Smith
Walter Smith, OBE is a Scottish football manager. His most recent job was at Scottish Premier League club Rangers.Smith had a relatively modest playing career, consisting of two spells with Dundee United which was split by a short time at Dumbarton.A pelvic injury meant he moved in to coaching at...
's for a fee of £
Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
2 million on 30 January 2007. Less than two months earlier, Smith had been critical of Thomson's behaviour, calling on him to show more "responsibility", although this was a month before Smith had been appointed as Rangers manager. Thomson made his Rangers debut on 11 February in a 3–1 victory over , although he was substituted at half-time after suffering a hamstring
Hamstring
In human anatomy, the hamstring refers to any one of the three posterior thigh muscles, or to the tendons that make up the borders of the space behind the knee. In modern anatomical contexts, however, they usually refer to the posterior thigh muscles, or the tendons of the semitendinosus, the...
injury.
Thomson established himself as a regular in the Rangers first team. He scored his first goal for Rangers in a victory over on 29 March 2008 and he played in the club's run to the 2008 UEFA Cup Final
2008 UEFA Cup Final
The 2008 UEFA Cup Final was the 37th final of the UEFA Cup, UEFA's second tier club football tournament. The match was played at the City of Manchester Stadium, home ground of Manchester City F.C., in Manchester, England, at 20:45 CEST on 14 May 2008.The match was contested by Zenit St. Petersburg...
and winning the League Cup
2008 Scottish League Cup Final
-Statistics:-References:...
and Scottish Cup
2008 Scottish Cup Final
The 2008 Scottish Cup Final was a football match which took place at Hampden Park in Glasgow on 24 May 2008. The match was the final of the 123rd Scottish Cup and was contested by Queen of the South and Rangers. Queen of the South beat Aberdeen 4–3 in their semi-final, Rangers beat St...
in his first full season.
Thomson scored his second goal of the 2008–09 season when he scored an equalising goal in injury time against at Ibrox Stadium
Ibrox Stadium
Ibrox Stadium is a football stadium located on the south side of the River Clyde, on Edmiston Drive in the Ibrox district of Glasgow. It is the home ground of Scottish Premier League club Rangers and has an all-seated capacity of 51,082...
, on 4 November 2008. In the following league match against at Rugby Park
Rugby Park
Rugby Park is a football stadium situated in the Scottish town of Kilmarnock. It was first used in 1899 and is the home of Kilmarnock F.C..It underwent a major redevelopment in 1994–95, becoming an all-seater stadium with a capacity of 18,128...
, a 4–0 victory for Rangers was overshadowed by Thomson suffering a serious knee injury. This injury ruled him out for the rest of the 2008–09 season. Thomson had surgery to save his career on 31 December 2008. The surgery was a success and Thomson hoped to be fit for the following season. On his return to the Rangers first team, Thomson was sent off in the 13th minute of a 2-1 win over Hearts
Heart of Midlothian F.C.
Heart of Midlothian Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Gorgie, in the west of Edinburgh. They currently play in the Scottish Premier League and are one of the two principal clubs in the city, the other being Hibernian...
.
Thomson was sent off in the 2010 League Cup Final
2010 Scottish League Cup Final
The 2010 Scottish League Cup Final was the final match of the 2009–10 Scottish League Cup, the 63rd season of the Scottish League Cup.-St. Mirren:...
in the second half for a poorly timed challenge, although Rangers won the match 1–0 despite Danny Wilson
Danny Wilson (Scottish footballer)
Daniel "Danny" Wilson is a Scottish footballer who currently plays as a centre back or left back for Premier League club Liverpool and the Scottish national side.-Rangers:...
also being shown a red card. Thomson helped Rangers win their second title in a row in 2010
2009–10 Scottish Premier League
The 2009–10 Scottish Premier League season was the twelfth season of the Scottish Premier League. Rangers were the defending champions and they retained the championship with three games to spare by winning 1–0 against Hibernian at Easter Road on 25 April...
.
Middlesbrough
RangersRangers F.C.
Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...
accepted a £2m offer from Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough F.C.
Middlesbrough Football Club , also known as Boro, are an English football club based in Middlesbrough, who play in the Football League Championship. Formed in 1876, they have played at the Riverside Stadium since August 1995, their third ground since turning professional in 1889...
for Thomson in July 2010. Middlesbrough then confirmed that Thomson had passed a medical, despite the player having suffered two serious knee injuries earlier in his career, and completed his transfer. In his second league match for Middlesbrough, Thomson suffered a fractured fibula against Leicester City
Leicester City F.C.
Leicester City Football Club , also known as The Foxes, is an English professional football club based at the King Power Stadium in Leicester...
, which prevented him from playing for two months.
International career
Thomson made his debut for ScotlandScotland national football team
The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...
in a goalless draw against Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland national football team
The Northern Ireland national football team represents Northern Ireland in international association football. Before 1921 all of Ireland was represented by a single side, the Ireland national football team, organised by the Irish Football Association...
on 20 August 2008.
Career statistics
| Club | Season | League | Cup | League Cup | Europe UEFA The Union of European Football Associations , almost always referred to by its acronym UEFA is the administrative and controlling body for European association football, futsal and beach soccer.... |
Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Hibernian Hibernian F.C. Hibernian Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Leith, in the north of Edinburgh. They are one of two Scottish Premier League clubs in the city, the other being their Edinburgh derby rivals, Hearts... |
2003–04 2003-04 in Scottish football The 2003–04 season was the 107th season of competitive football in Scotland.-Scottish Premier League:The 2003–04 Scottish Premier League season was won by Celtic with 98 points, 17 points ahead of closest challengers Rangers. Both Rangers and Celtic therefore gained the two UEFA... Includes match against Rangers on 30 November 2003 which was not recorded for Kevin Thomson due to a Soccerbase error |
23 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 26 | 1 |
| 2004–05 2004-05 in Scottish football The 2004–05 season was the 108th season of competitive football in Scotland.-2004:*6 July 2004 - Nacho Novo from Dundee to Rangers, £450,000*1 July 2004 - Dado Prso from AS Monaco to Rangers, Bosman... |
3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | |
| 2005–06 2005-06 in Scottish football The 2005–06 season was the 109th season of competitive football in Scotland.-2005:*1 June: Gordon Strachan officially takes charge of Celtic after the resignation of Martin O'Neill... |
31 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 37 | 0 | |
| 2006–07 2006-07 in Scottish football The 2006–07 season was the 110th season of competitive football in Scotland.-2006:*9 July: Rangers defender Fernando Ricksen is banned for the club's pre-season trip to South Africa, following an incident on the outbound flight. Manager Paul Le Guen cited "wholly inappropriate and... |
23 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 31 | 1 | |
| Total | 80 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 98 | 2 | |
| Rangers Rangers F.C. Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses... |
2006–07 2006-07 in Scottish football The 2006–07 season was the 110th season of competitive football in Scotland.-2006:*9 July: Rangers defender Fernando Ricksen is banned for the club's pre-season trip to South Africa, following an incident on the outbound flight. Manager Paul Le Guen cited "wholly inappropriate and... |
9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 12 | 0 |
| 2007–08 2007-08 in Scottish football The 2007-08 season was the 111th season of competitive football in Scotland.-Overview:* Gretna were competing in the Scottish Premier League for the first time, their first ever season in the top-flight, after being promoted as First Division champions the previous season.* Dunfermline Athletic... |
26 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 44 | 1 | |
| 2008–09 2008-09 in Scottish football The 2008–09 season was the 112th season of competitive football in Scotland.-Overview:* Hamilton Academical competed in the Scottish Premier League for the first time, their first season in the top-flight since the 1988–89 season, after being promoted as First Division champions the... Total includes both matches versus FBK Kaunas FBK Kaunas Kauno futbolo beisbolo klubas is a Lithuanian football club from the city of Kaunas, that currently plays in the A Lyga, the top level of Lithuanian football.- History :... . Thomson started both legs per the BBC match reports (1st leg); (2nd leg), but it is not recorded by Soccerbase (1st leg); (2nd leg) |
11 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 14 | 2 | |
| 2009–10 | 25 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 39 | 0 | |
| Total | 71 | 2 | 9 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 23 | 1 | 109 | 3 | |
| Middlesbrough Middlesbrough F.C. Middlesbrough Football Club , also known as Boro, are an English football club based in Middlesbrough, who play in the Football League Championship. Formed in 1876, they have played at the Riverside Stadium since August 1995, their third ground since turning professional in 1889... |
2010–11 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 0 |
| 2011–12 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | |
| Total | 23 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 0 | |
| Career total | 174 | 4 | 15 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 29 | 1 | 231 | 5 | |
Honours
RangersRangers F.C.
Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...
Scottish Premier LeagueScottish Premier LeagueThe Scottish Premier League , also known as the SPL , is a professional league competition for association football clubs in Scotland...
(2): 2009Scottish Premier League 2008-09The 2008–09 Scottish Premier League season was the eleventh season of the Scottish Premier League and the second season under the sponsorship of the Clydesdale Bank...
, 2010- Scottish CupScottish CupThe Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,, commonly known as the Scottish Cup or the William Hill Scottish Cup for sponsorship purposes, is the main national cup competition in Scottish football. It is a knockout cup competition run by and named after the Scottish Football Association.The...
(1): 20082008 Scottish Cup FinalThe 2008 Scottish Cup Final was a football match which took place at Hampden Park in Glasgow on 24 May 2008. The match was the final of the 123rd Scottish Cup and was contested by Queen of the South and Rangers. Queen of the South beat Aberdeen 4–3 in their semi-final, Rangers beat St... - Scottish League CupScottish League CupThe Scottish League Cup is a football competition open to all Scottish Football League and Scottish Premier League clubs. At present it is also known as the Scottish Communities League Cup owing to the sponsorship deal in place with the Scottish Government. In the past it has been sponsored by...
(2): 20082008 Scottish League Cup Final-Statistics:-References:...
, 20102010 Scottish League Cup FinalThe 2010 Scottish League Cup Final was the final match of the 2009–10 Scottish League Cup, the 63rd season of the Scottish League Cup.-St. Mirren:...