| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Steven John Jennings[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1984-10-28)28 October 1984 (age 41)[2] | ||
| Place of birth | Liverpool, England[2] | ||
| Height | 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m)[2] | ||
| Position | Central midfielder | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1993–1998 | Everton | ||
| 1998–2002 | Tranmere Rovers | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2002–2009 | Tranmere Rovers | 140 | (6) |
| 2007 | →Hereford United (loan) | 11 | (0) |
| 2009–2012 | Motherwell | 93 | (2) |
| 2012–2013 | Coventry City | 39 | (0) |
| 2013–2014 | Tranmere Rovers | 25 | (1) |
| 2014–2015 | Port Vale | 4 | (0) |
| 2014 | →Tranmere Rovers (loan) | 8 | (1) |
| 2015–2017 | Tranmere Rovers | 79 | (3) |
| 2017–2018 | Southport | 12 | (1) |
| 2017–2018 | →Warrington Town (loan) | 19 | (3) |
| 2018–2019 | Barrow | 14 | (0) |
| 2019–2020 | Warrington Town | 10 | (0) |
| Total | 454 | (17) | |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Steven John Jennings (born 28 October 1984) is an English former professionalfootballer who played as acentral midfielder in theEnglish Football League,Scottish Premier League and in Englishnon-League football.
Jennings turned professional atTranmere Rovers in October 2002 and made his first-team debut 12 months later. He remained with Tranmere for six seasons, also playing onloan atHereford United in the latter half of the 2006–07 season. He signed withScottish Premier League clubMotherwell in July 2009. He spent three seasons in Scotland, featuring on the losing side in the2011 final of theScottish Cup. He then spent one season each atCoventry City and Tranmere Rovers before joiningPort Vale in July 2014. He returned to Tranmere on loan later in the year before joining the club permanently in January 2015. He switched to Southport in June 2017 and was loaned out toWarrington Town in November 2017. He joinedBarrow in August 2018 before returning to Warrington Town the following year.
Jennings was taken out of theEverton Academy by his father and instead joined theTranmere Rovers Centre of Excellence in 1998.[3] He was a key part of the Roversyouth team that reached theFA Youth Cup semi-finals in 2003. He signed a three-and-a-half-year professionalcontract with the club in October 2002.[4] He made his first-team debut on 18 October 2003, coming on as a last minutesubstitute forIain Hume in a 2–1 win overOldham Athletic atPrenton Park.[5] He made his first start on 13 December, in a 2–2 draw atChesterfield.[6] He played a total of fourSecond Division games during the2003–04 campaign, and featured in 11League One games during the2004–05 season.
Jennings established himself in the Rovers first-team underBrian Little's stewardship in the2005–06 campaign, featuring 43 times and scoring two goals. He scored his first senior goal on 18 October in a 2–1Football League Trophy victory overLincoln City.[7] He scored his first league goal 11 days later, in a 2–0 victory atDoncaster Rovers.[8] He signed a new two-year contract in April 2006.[9] Having been limited to only five appearances in the first half of the2006–07 season under new bossRonnie Moore, Jennings joinedGraham Turner'sHereford United onloan in January 2007.[10] He impressed atEdgar Street, which led to his loan being extended to the end of the2006–07 season, and he played a total of 11League Two games for the "Bulls".
Jennings re-established his place at Tranmere during the2007–08 season, appearing in all but five league matches, usually partneringPaul McLaren in the centre of midfield. He had an excellent season, winning praise for his highwork rate and willingness to make challenges. He won the Players' Young Player of the Season award at the end of the season. He was voted Tranmere Player's Player of the Year at the end of the2008–09 after missing only two league games due to suspension.[11]
In July 2009, he becameJim Gannon's first signing asMotherwellmanager when he joined the club on a one-year deal.[12] He made hisScottish Premier League debut for the "Steelmen" atFir Park on 22 August, in a 3–1 win overKilmarnock.[13] He scored his first goal for Motherwell in a 3–1 loss toSt Johnstone on 26 December.[14] He signed a new one-year contract in May 2010, leaving managerCraig Brown to say that the deal was a "massive boost" for the club and that "he's an excellent midfield player who has been at the heart of everything we did in the second half of the season".[15]
The Association of British Bookmakers investigated "suspicious betting patterns" on ared card being shown to Jennings for dissent during a game in December 2010.[16] Jennings was arrested, along with eight other men, on suspicion of conspiracy to defraud in October 2011.[17] A week later, his club confirmed that he would continue to be available for first-team selection.[18]Merseyside Police advised Jennings in April 2012 that their inquiries had ceased and that no further action would be taken.[19] His solicitor said that Jennings felt vindicated in believing that there had been no criminal activity.[19] After the police ended their investigation, Motherwell managerStuart McCall criticised unnamed Scottish football officials who had suggested that Jennings should have been suspended while under suspicion.[20]
He made 43 appearances in the2010–11 campaign, including theScottish Cup finaldefeat toCeltic atHampden Park.[21] He signed a one-year contract extension with Motherwell in July 2011.[22] He played 37 games in the2011–12 season, helping the club to qualify for theUEFA Champions League.
In August 2012, Jennings signed a two-year contract withMark Robins's League One sideCoventry City.[23] He played 49 games in the2012–13 campaign, with only two players playing more games for the "Sky Blues" that season. Despite this, he was judged to be surplus to requirements at theRicoh Arena by new bossSteven Pressley, and his contract was terminated by mutual consent in September 2013.[24][25]
In October 2013, Jennings returned to Tranmere Rovers, still in League One and managed byRonnie Moore, on non-contract terms.[26] He impressed atPrenton Park and his short-term stay was extended into the summer.[27] The club wererelegated into League Two at the end of the2013–14 season.
In July 2014, Jennings signed a one-year deal at League One clubPort Vale, following a short period on trial.[28] On 27 October 2014, after only six appearances for the "Valiants", Jennings returned to Tranmere Rovers for a third spell, signing on loan until January 2015; in doing so he was also reunited with managerMicky Adams, who had signed him for Port Vale three months earlier.[29] He made a scoring start to his third spell atPrenton Park, netting from long range in a 2–2 draw withStevenage on 1 November.[30] He leftVale Park by mutual consent in January 2015,[31] and signed a permanent contract with Tranmere.[32] He ended the2014–15 season with 36 appearances to his name, as Rovers were relegated out of theEnglish Football League.
He signed a new one-year contract in May 2015, stating that "I want to make right the wrongs of the last couple of seasons".[33] He was later appointed as clubcaptain.[34] He scored two goals in 45 appearances in the 2015–16 season, as Tranmere finished one place and two points outside the play-off zone.[35] He signed a new one-year contract in May 2016.[36] He played 20 games across the2016–17 campaign after overcoming a knee injury which required surgery.[37]
Jennings signed withNational League North clubSouthport in June 2017, and was described as a "massive coup" for the "Sandgrounders" by manager Alan Lewer.[38] On 3 November 2017, he joinedNorthern Premier League Premier Division sideWarrington Town on a two-month loan deal; "Yellows" managerPaul Carden said that "Jenno is a player I know well and the opportunity to sign him was too good to turn down".[39] After settling in well at Warrington he said he was "more than happy" to extend his loan deal.[40] He helped Warrington to a third-place finish at the end of the2017–18 season, which qualified them for the play-off semi-finals, where they were beaten 3–0 byGrantham Town.[41]
On 14 August 2018, Jennings signed with National League sideBarrow.[42] He made his debut later that day, and wassent off in a 3–2 win overChesterfield atHolker Street.[43] He featured a total of 14 times for the "Bluebirds" throughout the2018–19 campaign. In August 2019, he rejoined Warrington Town and played ten league games before retiring from football in January 2020.[44][45]
Speaking in February 2014, Tranmere RoverscoachJohn McMahon labelled Jennings a "fire blanket" for his ability to break up opposition play across thepitch.[46]
In September 2022, Jennings andAlan Rogers stood trial for allegedlyblackmailing an unnamed football manager over gambling debts of nearly £1million. The case was dropped after the manager, who the court had granted anonymity, declined to give evidence.[47]
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Other[A] | Total[48] | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Tranmere Rovers | 2003–04[49] | Second Division | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| 2004–05[50] | League One | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 14 | 0 | |
| 2005–06[51] | League One | 38 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 43 | 2 | |
| 2006–07[52] | League One | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 1 | |
| 2007–08[53] | League One | 41 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 47 | 4 | |
| 2008–09[54] | League One | 44 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 53 | 3 | |
| Total | 140 | 6 | 10 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 12 | 2 | 167 | 10 | ||
| Hereford United (loan) | 2006–07[52] | League Two | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 |
| Motherwell | 2009–10[55] | Scottish Premier League | 29 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 33 | 2 |
| 2010–11[56] | Scottish Premier League | 30 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 43 | 1 | |
| 2011–12[57] | Scottish Premier League | 34 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 37 | 0 | |
| Total | 93 | 2 | 7 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 113 | 3 | ||
| Coventry City | 2012–13[58] | League One | 39 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 49 | 2 |
| Tranmere Rovers | 2013–14[59] | League One | 25 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 25 | 1 |
| Port Vale | 2014–15[60] | League One | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| Tranmere Rovers | 2014–15[60] | League Two | 30 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 36 | 1 |
| 2015–16[61] | National League | 42 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 45 | 2 | |
| 2016–17[61] | National League | 15 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 20 | 1 | |
| Total | 87 | 4 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 101 | 4 | ||
| Warrington Town | 2017–18[62] | Northern Premier League Premier Division | 19 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 25 | 3 |
| Southport | 2017–18[61] | National League North | 12 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 1 |
| 2018–19[61] | National League North | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Total | 12 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 1 | ||
| Barrow | 2018–19[61] | National League | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 0 |
| 2019–20[61] | National League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Total | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 0 | ||
| Warrington Town | 2019–20[63] | Northern Premier League Premier Division | 10 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 |
| Career total | 454 | 17 | 28 | 4 | 14 | 0 | 38 | 3 | 534 | 24 | ||
Motherwell
