Stewart Downing

Middlesbrough

Downing was born in Middlesbrough, Teesside, and was a graduate of the Middlesbrough Academy. Downing signed his first professional contract on 6 September 2001. His debut came on 24 April 2002 in a Premier League match away to Ipswich Town, playing the full 90 minutes of a 1–0 loss at Portman Road. He was limited to just three appearances during the 2001–02 season, plus a further three in the following 2002–03 season. His first senior goal came on 1 October 2002 in a 4–1 League Cup second round away victory over Brentford, coming on as a substitute to conclude the scoring at Griffin Park. On 30 October 2003, Downing went on a one-month loan to Sunderland, of the First Division. He scored three goals in seven matches for Mick McCarthy's Black Cats team, starting on 4 November when he equalised in a 3–1 win at Gillingham, also assisting John Oster. Having scored as many goals on his loan as Middlesbrough's top scorer Szilárd Németh had recorded all season, Downing was recalled from his loan on 11 December due to injury to Juninho. He was a regular for the remainder of the season, but was an unused substitute on 29 February 2004, when they won the 2004 League Cup Final against Bolton Wanderers. The 2004–05 season saw Downing make 49 appearances, scoring six goals, as well as providing numerous assists. In a UEFA Cup match against Lazio in November 2004, both Downing and Zenden were in the starting line-up. Though Zenden scored both goals in the 2–0…

Downing was first called up as a 19-year-old for the 2003 UEFA European Under-19 Championship. With seven under-21 caps to his name, Downing made his England debut on 9 February 2005 in a home friendly, played at Villa Park against the Netherlands, replacing Shaun Wright-Phillips in the second half. Downing's international career took a setback in May 2005 when he was injured during a training session with England on their tour of the United States, keeping him out of action until 2006. Downing was included in the England World Cup squad in May 2006 by Sven-Göran Eriksson, primarily as a back-up for Joe Cole, and came on as a second-half substitute in England's victorious opening match against Paraguay. He was brought on once again in the match against Trinidad and Tobago, when England scored two goals in the last ten minutes. On 16 August 2006, Downing made his first start for England, as Greece were beaten by 4–0, with Downing involved in three of the goals. He started the subsequent three Euro 2008 qualifiers, against Andorra and Macedonia. Downing hoped to have proven many of his critics wrong after Fabio Capello became the third successive England manager to give him an England cap, on 26 March 2008 in a 1–0 friendly defeat to France. He was also called up (alongside Middlesbrough teammate David Wheater) for Capello's friendlies against United States and Trinidad and Tobago, where he received the nod ahead of Ashley Young. His performance justified his selection by…

Downing primarily played as a left-winger, his key attributes being his dribbling and crossing abilities. He could also operate on the opposite flank, having been integrated onto the right under Gareth Southgate. Downing's preference was to play on the left with his dominant foot, though his function on the right allowed him to come inside to his stronger foot and attack the defender's weak foot. During the 2012–13 season, Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers relocated Downing into defence at left-back. Downing did not enjoy playing at left-back, stating it was not his natural position. Under Sam Allardyce at West Ham United, Downing moved into a central attacking midfielder role in which he played at the top of a diamond formation, allowing him to create more chances in open play.

Towards the end of his second spell playing for Middlesbrough, Downing began studying for his UEFA B licence coaching qualification, having been recommended to do so by his then-manager Tony Pulis. During the 2020–21 season, he had a brief spell coaching Blackburn Rovers' under-23s side, combining this role with his playing responsibilities for their senior side. Downing had begun studying for his UEFA A licence upon joining Blackburn in 2019. In November 2022, Downing began working for his boyhood club Middlesbrough, gaining a part-time role working amongst various age groups within their Academy set-up. He primarily coached within the club's under-14 and under-16 sides. Downing later iterated his ambitions of pursuing a career in management, stating, "I don't have immediate plans for where my coaching will take me, but I'm quite open with where I want to get to one day. I want to be a manager." In January 2024, Downing was appointed as an assistant coach of Leeds United's under-21s side, becoming part of newly-appointed head coach Scott Gardner's backroom staff. In their first full season in charge, they won the 2024–25 National League Cup for the first time in their history.