Stuart Parnaby

Football player infobox
playername = Stuart Parnaby


fullname = Stuart Parnaby
nickname =
dateofbirth = Birth date and age|1982|07|19|
height = height|ft=5|in=10
cityofbirth = Durham
countryofbirth = England
currentclub = Birmingham City
clubnumber = 21
position = Right back
youthyears = 1998–2000
youthclubs = Middlesbrough
years = 2000–2007
2000
2007–
clubs = Middlesbrough
→ Halifax Town (loan)
Birmingham City
caps(goals) = 91 (2)
06 (0)
19 (0)
nationalyears = 2002–2003
nationalteam = England U21
nationalcaps(goals) = 04 (0)
pcupdate = 18:34, 21 September 2008 (UTC)
ntupdate = 12:11, 1 June 2007 (UTC)

Stuart Parnaby (born July 19, 1982) is an English footballer who plays for Birmingham City as a right-back. Born in Durham, Parnaby graduated from Middlesbrough F.C.'s Academy, run by his father, Dave Parnaby, and went on to make more than 100 appearances for Middlesbrough's first team before joining Birmingham in 2007.

Football career

Parnaby began his senior career for Middlesbrough in September 2000 in a League Cup match against Macclesfield Town. The next month, he was loaned to Halifax Town, during which time he played six games and won Division Three's Player of the Month award.

Parnaby did not feature in the 2001–02 season, due to long-lasting injuries. Again, during the 2003–04 season, he found himself struggling to feature in the team after a four-month layoff for a knee injury. The following year he played in over half Middlesbrough's Premier League matches, and in 2005–06 he played a full part in their progress to the semifinal of the FA Cup and the final of the UEFA Cup. He was first choice right-back at the start of the 2006–07 season, but the form and performances of fellow defenders Andrew Davies and Abel Xavier made him lose his place in the starting line-up.

Parnaby is widely acknowledged in Durham as one of the town's premier sporting icons abd has captained his country at various levels of the English game up to Under-21 level.

Parnaby was signed by Birmingham City F.C. on a free transfer and penned a three year contract when he joined the club on June 1 2007.cite news
title = Parnaby makes Birmingham switch
url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/b/birmingham_city/6711829.stm
publisher = BBC Sport
date = 2007-06-01
accessdate = 2007-06-01]

In the FA Barclaycard Premiership 2007-2008 season Parnaby struggled with former injuries and a loss of form meaning that former-Spurs player Stephen Kelly was able to capture the jersey. Kelly managed to retain the jersey for the whole of the Premiership campaign being the only player of the season to play every Premiership game. However in pre-season in preparation for the 2008-2009 season the Ireland national football team player picked up a slight groin strain prompting the club to take a closer look at Parnaby.

Alex McLeish the Birmingham manager allowed Parnaby to play the first game of the season versus Sheffield United after Birmingham's demotion to the Football League Championship and he has seized on the chance and his assured performances have made him a crowd pleaser with the St. Andrew's faithful.

External links

*soccerbase|id=22471|name=Stuart Parnaby
* [http://www.blues.premiumtv.co.uk/page/ProfilesDetail/0,,10412~7158,00.html Profile] at bcfc.com