Stephen Carr

Football player infobox
playername = Stephen Carr


fullname = Stephen Babeson Carr
height = height|meters=1.75
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1976|8|29
cityofbirth = Dublin
countryofbirth = Republic of Ireland
currentclub = Free Agent
clubnumber =
contractend =
position = Right back
youthyears = 1991–1993
youthclubs = Tottenham Hotspur
years = 1993–2004
2004–2008

clubs = Tottenham Hotspur
Newcastle United
caps(goals) = 226 (7)
078 (1)
nationalyears = 1999–2007
nationalteam = Republic of Ireland
nationalcaps(goals) = 044 (0)
pcupdate = 15:45, 6 May 2008 (UTC)
ntupdate = 15:45, 6 May 2008 (UTC)

Stephen Babeson Carr (born August 29, 1976 in Dublin), is an Irish footballer who most recently played for the English Premier League team Newcastle United, but is currently a free agent having been released on 6 May 2008. He is a former International player with the Republic of Ireland. His position is right back, but has been known to deputise at left back or centre back when required.

Club career

Tottenham Hotspur

As a fifteen year old, Carr had a trial at Tottenham Hotspur and was signed up by then manager Ossie Ardiles. He made his debut for the club on September 29 1993 away to Ipswich Town in the 1993-94 Premier League season. However he had to wait until the 1996-97 season to establish himself as a regular first-team player, when he made 28 appearances that campaign.

He picked up a League Cup medal with Spurs in 1999 after contributing to a 1-0 win over Leicester City in the final. The 1999-00 Premier League season was arguably his best ever as far as his performances are concerned. As well as scoring a fantastic 35-yard screamer against champions Manchester United.Fact|date=October 2007

His reputation continued to grow throughout the 2000-01 Premier League season, and other clubs were beginning to show interest in signing him. However, in the summer of 2001, he began to have problems with his knee and required an operation which he underwent in September of that year. He did not make any appearances in the 2001-02 Premier League season and would also miss the World Cup 2002 finals. It wasn't until October 2002 that Carr was back in training and fully fit. As he returned to form, interest from other Premiership clubs started to resurface. Carr was linked with Manchester United, and a move to Newcastle United was on the cards.

Newcastle United

Carr signed for Newcastle United in August 2004 when then manager Bobby Robson signed him for a fee of £2 million and a contract that would last four years. Soon after he signed Bobby Robson was sacked from his managerial post by chairman Freddy Shepherd. He was replaced by Graeme Souness, who like Robson, saw Carr as a first-team player. Carr's debut for the club came in a 2-2 draw against Middlesbrough on August 14 2004. He played in 26 league games in the 2004-05 season, scoring once. His first goal for the club came from a 30 yard strike against Southampton. He helped Newcastle reach the quarter-finals of the UEFA Cup and the semi-final of the FA Cup. Newcastle finished 14th, which put pressure on Souness.

In the 2005-06 season, he only managed to make 19 league appearances for the club as the persistent knee injury ruled him out for two months. The team finished 7th in the league under the new management of Glenn Roeder, after Souness was sacked in January.

Carr was one of the many injury victims at Newcastle during the 2006–07 season and was out with a fractured foot for a few months. He returned for the 2-2 draw against West Ham United on January 20 2007. However in this game he found himself filling in at an unfamiliar left-back position after impressive displays from Nolberto Solano at right-back during Carr's absence, putting question marks over Carr's future at the club. The 2007–08 season saw Carr move further back in the Newcastle pecking order, with the signings of Habib Beye and Geremi. Beye's impressive form and Carr's inability to maintain fitness resulted in Kevin Keegan deciding against renewing Carr's contract, releasing him from the club along with Peter Ramage and James Troisi. [cite news
date=2008-05-06
url=http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11095_3528782,00.html
title=Trio to Leave Newcastle
publisher=Sky Sports
accessdate=2008-05-06 ]

He had been linked with moves to Aston Villa, Everton, West Ham United, Wigan Athletic, Hertha Berlin and Bohemian F.C.

International career

Carr has represented his country at Schoolboy, Youth, Under-18, Under-21 and full international levels. He missed out on the 2002 World Cup due to injury.

Carr initially retired from the international scene after the team failed to qualify for the 2006 World Cup, having played 39 times for his country. However he was convinced to continue playing international football by new Ireland manager Steve Staunton. Due to injuries and the sacking of Irish manager Staunton, Carr retired from international football on November 14 2007. [ [http://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2007/1114/carrs.html RTÉ Sport: Carr calls time on International career ] ]

tatistics

"As of March 1 2008"

Career honours

;Tottenham Hotspur F.C.:Winner:* 1998–99 League Cup

Individual honours

* 2002–03 PFA Premiership Team of the Season

References

External links

*soccerbase|id=1320|name=Stephen Carr