Stephen Crainey

Football player infobox
playername = Stephen Crainey
fullname = Stephen Daniel Crainey


dateofbirth = birth date and age|1981|6|22|df=y
cityofbirth = Glasgow
countryofbirth = Scotland
height = height|ft=5|in=9
currentclub = Blackpool
clubnumber = 3
position = Defender
youthyears =
youthclubs =
years = 1997–2004
2004
2004
2004–2007
2007–
clubs = Celtic
Southampton
→ Leeds United (loan)
Leeds United
Blackpool
caps(goals) = 041 (0)
005 (0)
000 (0)
052 (0)
037 (1)
nationalyears = 2001–2002 2002–2004
nationalteam = Scotland U-21 Scotland
nationalcaps(goals) = 007 (0) 006 (0)
pcupdate = 16:34, 29 March 2008 (UTC)
ntupdate = 12:00, 19 November 2006 (UTC)

Stephen Daniel Crainey (born 22 June, 1981 in Glasgow) is a Scottish footballer who currently plays for English club Blackpool. He previously played for Leeds United, Southampton and Celtic.

Career

Crainey is a left back. He was signed from Southampton for £200,000 in August 2005, having joined them from boyhood favourites Celtic, where he was an extremely promising prospect, in 2003. This was Leeds United's first cash signing since relegation from the Premiership in May 2005.

Crainey was a regular at the start of the 2006–07 campaign under former manager Kevin Blackwell, but played less regularly following Blackwell's departure on September 20 2006. Crainey featured in the heavy defeats that quickly ended John Carver's hopes of becoming the permanent Leeds manager. When new boss Dennis Wise took over, he dropped Crainey in favour of Eddie Lewis and, later, other options at left back. Crainey later regained his place, but then was dropped again before suffering an injury.

However, Crainey's recovery coincided with the return to fitness of the loan player Robbie Elliott who was widely regarded as Dennis Wise's first choice left-back. Elliott featured on the bench for the game against Leicester City on 13 March 2007, in his first outing since returning from injury, but Crainey was not even included in the squad as Wise chose to start Armando Sá in that role. Crainey was eventually released at the end of his Leeds contract on 15 May 2007.

On 9 July 2007, Crainey signed for Blackpool in a one-year deal with an option for a further year.On 13 August 2007, Crainey was named in the Press Association's The Championship "Team of the Week".cite web
title = Coca-Cola Championship Team of the Week
publisher = The Football League
date = 2007-08-13
url = http://www.football-league.premiumtv.co.uk/javaImages/66/45/0,,10794~3360102,00.jpg
format = PDF
accessdate = 2007-12-04 ] Crainey scored his first-ever league goal on 19 September 2007, in a 2–2 draw with Bryan Robson's Sheffield United at Bloomfield Road. On 3 December 2007, he was again named in the Press Association's The Championship "Team of the Week".cite web
title = Coca-Cola Championship Team of the Week
publisher = The Football League
date = 2007-12-03
url = http://www.football-league.premiumtv.co.uk/staticFiles/c2/bf/0,,10794~114626,00.pdf
format = PDF
accessdate = 2007-12-04 ] Crainey was also named in the Press Association's The Championship "Team of the Week" on 4 February 2008.cite web
title = Coca-Cola Championship Team of the Week
publisher = The Football League
date = 2008-02-04
url = http://www.football-league.premiumtv.co.uk/staticFiles/7b/7d4/0,,10794~119931,00.pdf
format = PDF
accessdate = 2008-02-04 ]

At the end of the season, he won five awards at the clubs annual presentation night on 6 May 2008:
*Leyland & Chorley Seasiders player of the season
*BBC Radio Lancashire player of the season
*Blackpool Supporters Association player of the season
*Players' player
*John Schofield Memorial Trophy Blackpool F.C. player of the season.cite news
title = Pool Player of Year revealed
publisher = Blackpool Gazette
date = 2008-05-07
url = http://www.blackpoolgazette.co.uk/sports-news/Pool-Player-of-Year-revealed.4055775.jp
accessdate = 2008-05-07 ]

In June 2008 Crainey was linked with a £250,000 move to fellow Championship club Burnley.cite news
title= Crainey Clarets link
publisher= Blackpool Gazette
date=2008-06-02
url=http://www.blackpoolgazette.co.uk/sports-news/Crainey-Clarets-link.4141195.jp
accessdate=2008-06-02] He missed the start of the 2008-09 season with a groin injury and Blackpool brought in Mohammed Camara on loan to cover for him. On 9 September the club confirmed that Crainey had undergone an operation the day before which would keep him out of action for a further four to six weeks.cite news
title= Crainey blow for Pool
publisher=Blackpool F.C.
date=2008-09-09
url=http://www.blackpoolfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10432~1388144,00.html
accessdate=2008-09-09]

International career

Crainey has been capped at full and under-21 level by Scotland.

Honours

;Celtic
*Scottish League Cup winner: 2001
*Scottish Premier League winner: 2002
*UEFA Cup runner-up: 2003

References

External links

* [http://www.blackpoolfc.co.uk/page/ProfilesDetail/0,,10432~6824,00.html Stephen Crainey profile] at blackpoolfc.co.uk
*soccerbase|id=19431|name=Stephen Crainey