 Pearson withMotherwell in 2015 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Stephen Paul Pearson[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1982-10-02)2 October 1982 (age 43) | ||
| Place of birth | Lanark, Scotland | ||
| Height | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)[2] | ||
| Position | Midfielder | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2000–2004 | Motherwell | 80 | (12) |
| 2004–2007 | Celtic | 56 | (6) |
| 2007–2012 | Derby County | 112 | (4) |
| 2008 | →Stoke City (loan) | 4 | (0) |
| 2011–2012 | →Bristol City (loan) | 28 | (3) |
| 2012–2014 | Bristol City | 36 | (3) |
| 2014 | Kerala Blasters | 17 | (1) |
| 2015–2016 | Motherwell | 39 | (8) |
| 2016 | Atlético Kolkata | 11 | (2) |
| 2017 | Motherwell | 11 | (1) |
| Total | 394 | (39) | |
| International career | |||
| 2002–2003 | Scotland U21 | 8 | (0) |
| 2003–2008 | Scotland B | 2 | (0) |
| 2003–2007 | Scotland | 10 | (0) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Stephen Paul Pearson (born 2 October 1982) is a Scottish former professionalfootballer who played as amidfielder.
He began his career atMotherwell and joinedCeltic in 2004, where he won domestic honours including twoScottish Premier League titles. In January 2007 he moved toDerby County, whom he helped achieve promotion to thePremier League, later having loans atStoke City andBristol City, whom he joined permanently in 2012. After featuring for theKerala Blasters in the inaugural season of theIndian Super League, Pearson returned to Motherwell in 2015 before mutually terminating his contract a year later to return to India withAtlético de Kolkata. He signed for Motherwell for a third time in February 2017.
Pearson earned ten caps forScotland between 2003 and 2007.
Pearson was born inLanark. As a boy, he attendedOur Lady's High School inMotherwell and is one of the school's numerous footballing alumni, a list whose notable members includeSir Matt Busby,Billy McNeill, andBobby Murdoch.[3] Though he grew up aCeltic fan, he began his footballing career atMotherwell, after they watched him score the winning goal in the final of the under-18 Scottish Schools competition.[4]
Motherwell were a financially troubled club at this time and in 2002 they were placed inadministration to preventliquidation, 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 talentJames McFadden, gained instant elevation to first team status and a chance to develop and hone their skills more quickly than contemporaries at other clubs.[5]
After a period of acclimatisation under new managerTerry Butcher during which Motherwell finished bottom of theSPL in the2002–03 season, avoidingrelegation only becauseFalkirk'sBrockville Park ground failed to reach SPL standard, by December 2003 the youthful Motherwell team were comfortably in mid-table.[5] Pearson's form was such that he gained a surprise call-up toBerti Vogts' fullScotland squad,[6] winning his firstcap in the 1–0Euro 2004 play-off victory over theNetherlands,[7] and attracted interest from clubs at home and abroad.[8]
However, Motherwell's financial predicament ensured they were unable to refuse any reasonable offers[9] and when Celtic managerMartin O'Neill paid £350,000 of his own personal money in January 2004, Pearson fulfilled a childhood ambition by moving toParkhead.[10] He continued his fine form, notably in Celtic's epicUEFA Cup defeat ofFC Barcelona,[11] was in the starting eleven in theCup Final[12] and won theScottish PFA Young Player of the Year award for the2003–04 season.[13]
Pearson was unable to match these achievements in2004–05. He increased his international tally to sixcaps, but his first team opportunities were limited by injury, and he played just nine games for Celtic that season.[14][15] The2005–06 season saw little improvement as he made only three starting appearances in a relatively injury-hit season. In January 2006 he held talks with managerGordon Strachan, who reassured him as to his future with the club.[16] Pearson did however make 17 substitute appearances and scored a crucial goal againstHearts atTynecastle as Celtic came from behind to win 3–2.[17]
Though Pearson had been involved in twoScottish Premier League-winning campaigns with Celtic, he struggled to hold down a regular place.English Championship sideDerby County, managed by his former Motherwell managerBilly Davies, made a bid of £600,000 in August 2006, but Strachan said he was not for sale.[18] The departure ofStiliyan Petrov toAston 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 againstBenfica in thegroup stages of the2006–07 Champions League, to take the score to 3–0.[19] He described this goal as "the moment of my career".[20]
Pearson eventually signed a three-and-a-half-year deal for Derby on 10 January 2007 for a fee of £750,000.[21] and made his debut in a 1–0 win against Sheffield Wednesday, which put Derby level on points at the top of the division.[22] A latter season drop in form saw the club finish in third place and having to compete in theplayoffs. Pearson played a key role in Derby's success, winning a penalty in a 2–1 win overSouthampton in the semi-final first leg[23] and then scoring the winning goal, his first for the club, as Derby ran out 1–0 winners overWest Bromwich Albion in the2007 Championship playoff final.[24] Pearson's strike has been described as "the £60 million goal",[25] such is the perceived value of promotion from the Championship to the Premier League.[26]
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 toStoke City for three months at the end of the season but only made four 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. When Pearson recovered, he won his place back in the side and scored againstSwansea City in a 1–1 away draw, but after a handful of starts suffered another injury which kept him out for 4 months.[27] Pearson made his return from injury in the final minutes of Derby's FA Cup 5th round tie againstManchester United on 15 February 2009, but suffered setbacks on his road to recovery, finally starting again for the club against Burnley on 4 April 2009. and appearing in a further five games before the season ended, finishing the season with just 13 appearances in all competitions. Pearson enjoyed a more productive 2009–10 season with the club, making 34 starts and making a further 8 appearances as sub and impressed enough to earn a new contract until the end of the 2011–12 season from Derby managerNigel Clough.[28] He got his third Derby goal, and his first for 18 months, with the consolation strike in a 2–1 defeat atBristol City in the penultimate game of Derby's 2009–10 campaign before a knee operation ruled him out for the next four months, meaning he would miss pre-season and the first four to six weeks of the 2010–11 season.[29]
Pearson returned to first team action as a second-half substitute in a 1–1 draw atBarnsley on 18 September 2010; Derby's seventh game of the 2010–11 season.
On 4 November 2011, Pearson joined Championship strugglersBristol City on loan until 2 January 2012.[30] He scored the opening goal on his debut againstBurnley on 5 November 2011, a game which Bristol City won 3–1.[31] Pearson impressed Bristol City managerDerek McInnes during his loan spell, with Rams manager Nigel Clough confirming talks between the two clubs over a potential permanent move in the January transfer window.[32] On 6 January 2012, Pearson's contract at Derby was terminated by mutual consent[33] and on the same day he signed for Bristol City on a contract until the end of the 2011–12 season.[34] On 7 June 2012, Bristol City confirmed that Pearson had signed a two-year deal at the club.[35]On 19 September 2013, it was announced that Pearson had undergone ankle surgery, keeping him out for six months.[36] At the end of the 2013–14 season, Pearson was released by Bristol City.
Pearson joinedIndian Super League sideKerala Blasters for the 2014 season. On 16 December 2014, he scored his first goal for the club in the 117th minute of second leg of the play-off semifinals againstChennaiyin FC with a neat finish with his left foot, which turned out to be the winner.[37]
On 19 January 2015, Pearson returned toMotherwell for a second spell, signing until the end of the2014–15 season.[38] He made his second debut for the club on 21 January 2015, in a 4–0 defeat against his former clubCeltic.[39] On 3 April 2015, Pearson signed a new two-year contract with Motherwell, keeping him at the club until 2017.[40] He scored the first goal of his second spell at the club on 4 April 2015, in a 2–1 win away toKilmarnock.[41]
On 29 June 2016, Motherwell confirmed that they and Pearson had come to a mutual agreement to allow Pearson's contract to be terminated in order for the midfielder to joinIndian Super League sideAtlético de Kolkata.[42]
On 2 February 2017, Pearson signed forMotherwell for a third time, agreeing a contract until the end of the2016–17 season.[43] He was released by the club in May 2017, at the end of his contract.[44]
Pearson made his international debut forScotland on 15 November 2003, replacingNeil McCann for the final 20 minutes of a 1–0 first leg win over theNetherlands atHampden Park in the play-off forUEFA Euro 2004;[45] he did not feature in the second leg, which saw the Dutch qualify. He made one appearance in Scotland's2006 FIFA World Cup qualification campaign, as a 63rd-minute substitute forRichard Hughes in a 1–0 home defeat toNorway on 9 October 2004.[46] Pearson earned ten caps in all for Scotland, his last being on 17 October 2007 in a 2–0 away defeat toGeorgia inUEFA Euro 2008 qualifying, playing the first 66 minutes before being replaced byKris Boyd.[47]
Pearson married model and beauty pageant titleholderAisling Friel in 2010. The couple separated in 2012.[48]
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Continental | Other[A] | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Motherwell | 2000–01 | Scottish Premier League | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 6 | 0 | ||
| 2001–02 | Scottish Premier League | 27 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 29 | 2 | |||
| 2002–03 | Scottish Premier League | 29 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 35 | 6 | |||
| 2003–04 | Scottish Premier League | 18 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | — | — | 19 | 6 | |||
| Total | 80 | 12 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 88 | 13 | ||
| Celtic | 2003–04 | Scottish Premier League | 17 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | — | 28 | 3 | |
| 2004–05 | Scottish Premier League | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 9 | 0 | ||
| 2005–06 | Scottish Premier League | 18 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 20 | 2 | ||
| 2006–07 | Scottish Premier League | 13 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 1 | — | 19 | 2 | ||
| Total | 56 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 76 | 7 | ||
| Derby County | 2006–07 | Championship | 9 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 3 | 1 | 13 | 1 | |
| 2007–08 | Premier League | 24 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 27 | 0 | |||
| 2008–09 | Championship | 12 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 13 | 1 | |||
| 2009–10 | Championship | 37 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 42 | 1 | |||
| 2010–11 | Championship | 30 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 30 | 1 | |||
| 2011–12 | Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 1 | 0 | |||
| Total | 112 | 3 | 8 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 126 | 4 | ||
| Stoke City (loan) | 2007–08 | Championship | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 4 | 0 | ||
| Bristol City (loan) | 2011–12 | Championship | 28 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 30 | 3 | ||
| Bristol City | 2012–13 | Championship | 36 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 38 | 3 | ||
| Kerala Blasters | 2014 | Indian Super League | 17 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 17 | 1 | ||
| Motherwell | 2014–15 | Scottish Premiership | 13 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 15 | 1 |
| 2015–16 | Scottish Premiership | 26 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 25 | 9 | |||
| Total | 39 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 43 | 10 | ||
| Atlético de Kolkata | 2016 | Indian Super League | 11 | 2 | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | 11 | 2 | |||
| Motherwell | 2016–17 | Scottish Premiership | 11 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 11 | 1 | ||
| Career total | 394 | 39 | 23 | 2 | 11 | 1 | 10 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 444 | 44 | ||
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scotland | 2004 | 1 | 0 |
| 2005 | 5 | 0 | |
| 2007 | 4 | 0 | |
| Total | 10 | 0 | |
Celtic
Atletico de Kolkata
Derby County
