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Stephen Elliott (footballer)
Encyclopedia
Stephen Elliott is an Irish
international footballer who plays as a striker
for Hearts
.
, but failed to establish himself in the first team, making only two appearances as a substitute. His league debut came on 21 February 2004 when Kevin Keegan
used him as a late substitute in a 3–1 win at Bolton Wanderers
.
manager Mick McCarthy
signed him from Manchester City
in June 2004 for an initial fee of £125,000, set by a tribunal, with well over £250,000 of additional payments linked to his subsequent performance at the Black Cats (viz. £100,000 if Sunderland were promoted to the Premier League; £50,000 if he played in a competitive game for the Republic of Ireland
; five installments of £20,000 for each set of ten appearances he made for Sunderlnd up to a maximum of 50 games; and 25% of any sell-on transfer fees). McCarthy later admitted that he had bought him outrageously cheaply, although that was before all of the above add-ons were ultimately realised.
He quickly established himself as first-team regular, scoring 15 goals as the team finished as champions in 2005. However, his first Premiership season was largely disrupted by injury, although prior to his injuries he scored spectacular long-range goals against Manchester United
and Newcastle United
. On Sunderland
's return to the Championship
, he showed good form when fit, but again injury problems blighted his career.
on 17 July 2007 for an undisclosed fee (reportedly around £750,000), linking up again with Mick McCarthy
, his former manager at Sunderland. However, he failed to make a strong impact at Molineux
, and was transfer-listed at the season's end after the club missed out on the play-offs on goal difference.
on 1 September 2008 for an undiclosed fee.
On 18 October he scored his first goal for Preston against Reading
, it turned out to be the winning goal. He scored a brace against his former team Wolves at Molineux
. He was to form a partnership with Jon Parkin
in Preston's attack. On 4 March 2010, Elliot signed on an emergency loan deal with Norwich City
.
side Heart of Midlothian on a two-year deal on August 9, 2010.
Elliott made his first full start for Hearts against rivals Hibernian in the first Edinburgh Derby of the 2010–11 SPL season; he scored the second goal in a 2–0 victory for Hearts. He scored his first home goal for the club to make the score 3–0 in a 5–0 victory against Aberdeen F.C.
Elliott has become renowned for his crucial goals away from home. Of his seven goals for Hearts, as of April 3, 2011, six have come away from home including doubles at Hamilton Accies in a 2-0 win, and at Kilmarnock
in a 2-1 victory, the latter coming after Elliott had come off the substitutes bench for the second half to reverse a 1-0 deficit.
Arguably Elliott's most vital goal so far came in the third Edinburgh Derby of the season, when he scored in the 83rd minute to rescue Hearts after they had gone 2-1 down, despite having played for over an hour with 10 men. This dramatic volley ensured Elliott's name would be written into Hearts folkore.
in 2004 led to a call-up to the Republic of Ireland
, and he made his international debut against Croatia
at Lansdowne Road
on 16 November 2004. He had previously represented Ireland's U-20 team at the 2003 FIFA World Youth Championship
, where he was their top goalscorer, and the Republic of Ireland national under-21 football team
where he is the joint top scorer.
He scored his first senior International goal to beat Cyprus
1–0 in a World Cup qualifier on 8 October 2005. He has yet to play under head coach Giovanni Trapattoni
.
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
international footballer who plays as a striker
Striker
Forwards, also known as strikers, are the players on a team in association football who play nearest to the opposing team's goal, and are therefore principally responsible for scoring goals...
for 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...
.
Manchester City
Elliott began his professional career as a youth player at Manchester CityManchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
, but failed to establish himself in the first team, making only two appearances as a substitute. His league debut came on 21 February 2004 when Kevin Keegan
Kevin Keegan
Joseph Kevin Keegan, OBE is a former international footballer and former manager of the England national football team and several English clubs, most notably Newcastle United....
used him as a late substitute in a 3–1 win at Bolton Wanderers
Bolton Wanderers F.C.
Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the area of Horwich in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. They began their current spell in the Premier League in 2001....
.
Sunderland
SunderlandSunderland A.F.C.
Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League...
manager Mick McCarthy
Mick McCarthy
Michael Joseph "Mick" McCarthy is an English-born former Irish international footballer who is currently the manager of Premier League club Wolverhampton Wanderers, where he has been in charge since July 2006....
signed him from Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
in June 2004 for an initial fee of £125,000, set by a tribunal, with well over £250,000 of additional payments linked to his subsequent performance at the Black Cats (viz. £100,000 if Sunderland were promoted to the Premier League; £50,000 if he played in a competitive game for the Republic of Ireland
Republic of Ireland national football team
The Republic of Ireland national football team represents Ireland in association football. It is run by the Football Association of Ireland and currently plays home fixtures at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, which opened in May 2010....
; five installments of £20,000 for each set of ten appearances he made for Sunderlnd up to a maximum of 50 games; and 25% of any sell-on transfer fees). McCarthy later admitted that he had bought him outrageously cheaply, although that was before all of the above add-ons were ultimately realised.
He quickly established himself as first-team regular, scoring 15 goals as the team finished as champions in 2005. However, his first Premiership season was largely disrupted by injury, although prior to his injuries he scored spectacular long-range goals against Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
and Newcastle United
Newcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
. On Sunderland
Sunderland A.F.C.
Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League...
's return to the Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
, he showed good form when fit, but again injury problems blighted his career.
Wolverhampton Wanderers
Elliott moved to WolvesWolverhampton Wanderers F.C.
Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club that represents the city of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands region. They are members of the Premier League, the highest level of English football. The club was founded in 1877 and since 1889 has played at...
on 17 July 2007 for an undisclosed fee (reportedly around £750,000), linking up again with Mick McCarthy
Mick McCarthy
Michael Joseph "Mick" McCarthy is an English-born former Irish international footballer who is currently the manager of Premier League club Wolverhampton Wanderers, where he has been in charge since July 2006....
, his former manager at Sunderland. However, he failed to make a strong impact at Molineux
Molineux stadium
Molineux Stadium is a Premier League football stadium situated in Whitmore Reans, Wolverhampton, England. It has been the home ground of Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club since 1889, and has a long and illustrious history as the first 'new build' stadium in Football League history, one of the...
, and was transfer-listed at the season's end after the club missed out on the play-offs on goal difference.
Preston North End
Elliot signed for Preston North EndPreston North End F.C.
Preston North End Football Club is an English professional football club located in the Deepdale area of the city of Preston, Lancashire, currently playing in the third tier of English league football, League One...
on 1 September 2008 for an undiclosed fee.
On 18 October he scored his first goal for Preston against Reading
Reading F.C.
Reading Football Club is an English association football club based in the town of Reading, Berkshire who currently play in the Championship...
, it turned out to be the winning goal. He scored a brace against his former team Wolves at Molineux
Molineux stadium
Molineux Stadium is a Premier League football stadium situated in Whitmore Reans, Wolverhampton, England. It has been the home ground of Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club since 1889, and has a long and illustrious history as the first 'new build' stadium in Football League history, one of the...
. He was to form a partnership with Jon Parkin
Jon Parkin
Jon "The Beast" Parkin is a journeyman English footballer who plays for Huddersfield Town on loan from Cardiff City as a striker.-Early career:...
in Preston's attack. On 4 March 2010, Elliot signed on an emergency loan deal with Norwich City
Norwich City F.C.
Norwich City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk. As of the 2011–12 season, Norwich City are again playing in the Premier League after a six-year absence, having finished as runner up in the Championship in 2010–11 and winning automatic promotion.The...
.
Heart of Midlothian
Elliott joined SPLScottish Premier League
The Scottish Premier League , also known as the SPL , is a professional league competition for association football clubs in Scotland...
side Heart of Midlothian on a two-year deal on August 9, 2010.
Elliott made his first full start for Hearts against rivals Hibernian in the first Edinburgh Derby of the 2010–11 SPL season; he scored the second goal in a 2–0 victory for Hearts. He scored his first home goal for the club to make the score 3–0 in a 5–0 victory against Aberdeen F.C.
Elliott has become renowned for his crucial goals away from home. Of his seven goals for Hearts, as of April 3, 2011, six have come away from home including doubles at Hamilton Accies in a 2-0 win, and at Kilmarnock
Kilmarnock F.C.
Kilmarnock Football Club is a Scottish football team based in the town of Kilmarnock, Ayrshire. Founded in 1869, "Killie" is the oldest club currently in the Scottish Premier League. Home matches are played at Rugby Park...
in a 2-1 victory, the latter coming after Elliott had come off the substitutes bench for the second half to reverse a 1-0 deficit.
Arguably Elliott's most vital goal so far came in the third Edinburgh Derby of the season, when he scored in the 83rd minute to rescue Hearts after they had gone 2-1 down, despite having played for over an hour with 10 men. This dramatic volley ensured Elliott's name would be written into Hearts folkore.
International career
Elliott's good start for SunderlandSunderland A.F.C.
Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League...
in 2004 led to a call-up to the Republic of Ireland
Republic of Ireland national football team
The Republic of Ireland national football team represents Ireland in association football. It is run by the Football Association of Ireland and currently plays home fixtures at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, which opened in May 2010....
, and he made his international debut against Croatia
Croatia national football team
The Croatia national football team represents Croatia in international football. The team is controlled by the Croatian Football Federation, the governing body for football in the country, and has been managed since 2006 by former player Slaven Bilić...
at Lansdowne Road
Lansdowne Road
Lansdowne Road was a stadium in Dublin owned by the Irish Rugby Football Union that has been the location of a number of sports stadiums. It was used primarily for rugby union and for association football matches as well as some music concerts...
on 16 November 2004. He had previously represented Ireland's U-20 team at the 2003 FIFA World Youth Championship
2003 FIFA World Youth Championship
The 2003 FIFA World Youth Championship took place in United Arab Emirates between November 27 and December 19, 2003. The 2003 championship was the 14th contested...
, where he was their top goalscorer, and the Republic of Ireland national under-21 football team
Republic of Ireland national under-21 football team
The Republic of Ireland national under-21 football team, is the national under-21 football team of the Republic of Ireland and is controlled by the Football Association of Ireland and competes in the biennial European Under-21 Football Championship and has competed since 1978.-Competition...
where he is the joint top scorer.
He scored his first senior International goal to beat Cyprus
Cyprus national football team
The Cyprus national football team represents Cyprus in association football and is controlled by the Cyprus Football Association, the governing body for football in Cyprus. Cyprus' home ground is the GSP Stadium in Nicosia and the current coach is Nikos Nioplias...
1–0 in a World Cup qualifier on 8 October 2005. He has yet to play under head coach Giovanni Trapattoni
Giovanni Trapattoni
Giovanni Trapattoni , sometimes known as "Trap" or "Il Trap", is an Italian football coach and former player, considered the most successful club coach in the history of Serie A. As a player he was part of Italy's squad at the 1962 FIFA World Cup....
.