Stephen Pearson

Infobox Football biography
playername = Stephen Pearson


fullname = Stephen Paul Pearson
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1982|10|2
cityofbirth = Lanark
countryofbirth = Scotland
height = height|m=1.86
position = Left winger
currentclub = Derby County
clubnumber = 27
youthyears =
youthclubs =
years = 2000–2004
2004–2007
2007–
2008
clubs = Motherwell
Celtic
Derby County
→ Stoke City (loan)
caps(goals) = 80 (12)
56 0(6)
34 0(2)
04 0(0)
nationalyears = 2002–2003
2003–
2006–
nationalteam = Scotland U21
Scotland
Scotland B
nationalcaps(goals) = 08 0(0)
10 0(0)
02 0(0)
pcupdate = 10:18, 21 July 2008 (UTC)
ntupdate = 10:18, 21 July 2008 (UTC)

Stephen Paul Pearson (born October 2, 1982) is a Scottish footballer who plays for Derby County. He is a full international for Scotland, and also played for Motherwell, Celtic and Stoke City.

Early career

Pearson was born in Lanark. As a boy, he attended Our Lady's High School in Motherwell and is one of the school's numerous footballing alumni, a list which includes such luminaries as Sir Matt Busby, Billy McNeill, and Bobby Murdoch. [cite web
url=http://www.ourladyshighschool.co.uk/old/footballhistory.htm
title=Football history
publisher=Our Lady's High School, Motherwell
accessdate=2008-07-18] Though he grew up a Celtic fan, he began his footballing career at Motherwell F.C., after they watched him score the winning goal in the final of the under-18 Scottish Schools competition. [cite news
url=http://www.sportinglife.com/football/scottishpremier/news/story_get.cgi?STORY_NAME=soccer/04/05/21/SOCCER_Celtic_Pearson.html
title=Pearson out to repeat cup heroics
work=sportinglife.com
date=2004-05-21
accessdate=2008-07-18]

Motherwell were a financially troubled club at this time and in 2002 they were placed in administration to prevent liquidation, with 19 senior players released. This period of adversity did however have one redeeming feature, as many talented young players, notably Pearson and his friend and fellow emerging talent James McFadden, gained instant elevation to first team status and a chance to develop and hone their skills more quickly than contemporaries at other clubs.cite web
url=http://www.motherwellfc.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=146&Itemid=175
title=Club history 1999–2007
publisher=Motherwell F.C.
accessdate=2008-07-18]

After a period of acclimatisation under new manager Terry Butcher during which Motherwell finished bottom of the SPL in the 2002–03 season, avoiding relegation only because Falkirk's ground failed to reach SPL standard, by December 2003 the youthful Motherwell team were comfortably in mid-table. Pearson's form was such that he gained a surprise call-up to Berti Vogts' full Scotland squad, [cite news
url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/internationals/scotland/3252683.stm
title=Pearson's surprise selection
publisher=BBC Sport
date=2003-11-08
accessdate=2008-07-18] winning his first cap in the 1–0 Euro 2004 play-off victory over the Netherlands, [cite news
url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/internationals/scotland/3256987.stm
title=Scotland take first leg honours
publisher=BBC Sport
date=2003-11-15
accessdate=2008-07-18] and attracted interest from clubs at home and abroad. [cite news
url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/m/motherwell/3217529.stm
title=Pearson's Well future in doubt
publisher=BBC Sport
date=2003-10-27
accessdate=2008-07-18]

Celtic

However, Motherwell's financial predicament ensured they were unable to refuse any reasonable offers [cite news
url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/m/motherwell/3224593.stm
title=O'Neill targets Pearson
publisher=BBC Sport
date=2003-10-31
accessdate=2008-07-18] and when Celtic manager Martin O'Neill offered £350,000 in January 2004, Pearson fulfilled a childhood ambition by moving to Parkhead. [cite news
url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/m/motherwell/3368747.stm
title=Celtic parade Pearson
publisher=BBC Sport
date=2004-01-29
accessdate=2008-07-18] He continued his fine form, notably in Celtic's epic UEFA Cup defeat of FC Barcelona, [cite news
url=http://www.cnn.com/2004/SPORT/football/03/11/celtic.uefa/index.html
title=Three off as Celtic beat Barcelona
publisher=CNN
date=2004-03-12
accessdate=2008-07-18] was in the starting eleven in the Cup Final [cite news
url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/scot_div_1/3736209.stm
title=Larsson caps Celtic triumph
publisher=BBC Sport
date=2004-05-22
accessdate=2008-07-18] and won the Scottish PFA Young Player of the Year award for the 2003–04 season. [cite news
url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2004/04/26/1094750.htm
title=Sutton and Pearson earn Celtic award double
publisher=ABC News
date=2004-04-26
accessdate=2008-07-18]

Pearson was unable to match these achievements in 2004–05. He increased his international tally to six caps, but his first team opportunities were limited by injury, and he played just nine games for Celtic that season. [cite news
url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/c/celtic/4471610.stm
title=Pearson admits Celtic frustration
publisher=BBC Sport
date=2005-11-25
accessdate=2008-07-18] [cite web
url=http://www.soccerbase.com/players_details.sd?playerid=24315&seasonid=134
title=Games played by Stephen Pearson in 2004/2005
work=Soccerbase
publisher=Racing Post
accessdate=2008-07-18] The 2005–06 season saw little improvement as he made only three starting appearances in a relatively injury-hit season. In January 2006 he held talks with manager Gordon Strachan, who reassured him as to his future with the club. [cite news
url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/c/celtic/4625216.stm
title=Pearson content to stay at Celtic
publisher=BBC Sport
date=2006-01-18
accessdate=2008-07-18] Pearson did however make 17 substitute appearances and scored a crucial goal against Hearts at Tynecastle as Celtic came from behind to win 3–2. [cite news
url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/scot_prem/4569382.stm
title=Hearts 2-3 Celtic
publisher=BBC Sport
date=2006-01-01
accessdate=2008-07-19]

Though Pearson had been involved in two Scottish Premier League-winning campaigns with Celtic, he struggled to hold down a regular place. English Championship side Derby County, managed by his former Motherwell manager Billy Davies, made a bid of £600,000 in August 2006, but Strachan said he was not for sale. [cite news
url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/c/celtic/4784569.stm
title=Celts' Pearson denied Derby exit
publisher=BBC Sport
date=2006-08-11
accessdate=2008-07-18] The departure of Stiliyan Petrov to Aston Villa gave Pearson an opportunity to regain a place in the Celtic midfield and, despite rumours of a move away from Celtic Park, he went on to score the third goal against Benfica in the group stages of the 2006–07 Champions League, to take the score to 3–0. [cite news
url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/c/celtic/6071410.stm
title=Pearson will consider Celtic move
publisher=BBC Sport
date=2006-10-20
accessdate=2008-07-18] He described this goal as "the moment of my career". [http://www.theherald.co.uk/sport/72627.html, "The Herald". Newsquest.]

Derby County

Pearson eventually signed a three-and-a-half-year deal for Derby on 10 January 2007 for a fee of £750,000. [cite news
title=Derby complete Pearson transfer
url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/d/derby_county/6238769.stm
publisher=BBC Sport
date=2007-01-11
accessdate=2008-07-18] and made his debut in a 1–0 win which put Derby level on points at the top of the division, [cite news
url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_1/6236727.stm
title=Derby 1-0 Sheff Wed
publisher=BBC Sport
date=2007-01-13
accessdate=2008-07-18] A latter season drop in form saw the club finish in third place and having to compete in the playoffs. Pearson played a key role in Derby's success, winning a penalty in a 2–1 win over Southampton in the semi-final first leg [cite news
url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_1/6645679.stm
title=Southampton 1-2 Derby
publisher=BBC Sport
date=2007-05-12
accessdate=2008-07-18] and then scoring the winning goal, his first for the club, as Derby ran out 1–0 winners over West Bromwich Albion in the 2007 Championship playoff final. [cite news
title=Derby 1-0 West Brom
url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_1/6689971.stm
publisher=BBC Sport
author=Paul Fletcher
date=2007-05-28
accessdate=2008-07-19] Pearson's strike has been described as "the £60 million goal", [cite news
title=Pearson celebrates that £60m goal for Derby
url=http://iclanarkshire.icnetwork.co.uk/football/motherwellfc/tm_headline=pearson-celebrates-that-x00a3-60m-goal-for-derby&method=full&objectid=19221444&siteid=50144-name_page.html
work=icLanarkshire
date=2007-05-30
accessdate=2008-07-21] such is the perceived value of promotion from the Championship to the Premier League. [cite news
title=Davies delighted as Derby cash in
url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_1/6694769.stm
publisher=BBC Sport
date=2007-05-28
accessdate=2008-07-21]

Derby struggled badly following promotion and, after a promising beginning to the season Pearson soon found himself out of the side. He was loaned out to Stoke City for three months at the end of the season but only made a few appearances, though he did contribute to the club's promotion, his second in twelve months. Though the move was initially with a view to a permanent deal, Stoke decided not to follow up their interest and he returned to Derby. In July 2008, Birmingham City had a £600,000 bid accepted and Pearson agreed personal terms, but his medical examination revealed a groin tear; the clubs agreed a loan deal instead, but the player rejected this arrangement. [cite news
title=Pearson switch to Blues is in doubt
url=http://www.therams.co.uk/details.asp?back=true&key=1D29|0|2185366269754|R|536|13211272072008800701832&parentkey=1D29|0|2185366269754|p|536|0
work=therams.co.uk
date=2008-07-21
accessdate=2008-07-21] [cite news
title=Alex McLeish rethink on Ben Watson as Stephen Pearson move collapses
url=http://www.birminghammail.net/birmingham-sport/birmingham-city-fc/birmingham-city-fc-news/2008/07/25/alex-mcleish-rethink-on-ben-watson-as-stephen-pearson-move-collapses-97319-21406047/
author=Colin Tattum
work=Birmingham Mail
date=2008-07-25
accessdate=2008-07-25]

References

External links

* [http://www.welltrustfc.net/players/player.php?id=46 Stephen Pearson's WTFC.net player profile]
*soccerbase|id=24315|name=Stephen Pearson