Richard Stearman
Encyclopedia
Richard James Michael Stearman (born 19 August 1987) is an English
footballer of Irish
descent who plays as a defender
for Premier League club Wolverhampton Wanderers
. He is a versatile defender, being able to play in any defensive slot although primarily a centre half or right back.
and raised in Leicestershire
, joined the Leicester City
youth academy in 1998 having been spotted playing for his local side Harborough Town
. Equally adept at playing at right-back or centre-back, he signed his first professional contract in 2004, shortly after having won Leicester's Young Player of the Year award in 2003–04
.
Stearman made his senior debut aged 17, on 30 October 2004 in a goalless draw at Cardiff
, and finished his first season with 8 appearances. He became a first team regular in 2005–06
, and attracted a bid from Sunderland
, rejected by then-manager Rob Kelly
, who said he was unwilling to part with one of his players he considered a hot prospect. He remained with the club for two more seasons, and won both Player of the Year and Player's Player of the Year awards in 2007–08
.
, Stearman signed for Championship
side Wolverhampton Wanderers
on 25 June 2008 in a four year deal. He made his debut for Wolves in a 2–2 draw at on 9 August 2008. Towards the latter end of 2008 saw Stearman partnering England under-21's team-mate Michael Mancienne
in defence. After a poor run of form, Mick McCarthy dropped him to the bench to be replaced by the experienced Jody Craddock
for the promotion run in. Wolves went on to concede only one goal in five games keeping Stearman on the bench. On 3 May, he scored his first goal for the club, an injury time winner against Doncaster Rovers
, and received a championship winners medal.
With regular right back Kevin Foley
out injured, Stearman had an extended run in the starting eleven early in their Premier League return, during which he scored his first top flight goal, against Hull City
. He has returned to the centre back position for most of the current campaign, in the absence of the injured Jody Craddock
.
He is contracted to the Molineux
club until Summer 2014.
and also at the Under-18 level. He was first called up by the England under-21 squad in November 2007 for the 2009 European Championship qualifiers
, however he was an unused substitute in the games. He later received a second call-up from the under-21s when he was selected for a European Championship qualifier
against Portugal
in September 2008. However, he was again an unused substitute in the game, and again in the qualifying play-offs against Wales
in October 2008.
He finally made his debut in a 2–0 friendly win over the Czech Republic under-21s
on 18 November 2008, and a 3–2 defeat to Ecuador on 11 February 2009. Stuart Pearce included him in the squad for the 2009 UEFA U21 championships
when centre half and captain Steven Taylor
withdrew due to injury.
On the 12 March 2011, the Football Association of Ireland
confirmed that they had contacted Stearman to play for the Republic of Ireland
as he has an Irish grandparent
on his mother's side of the family. Irish sources say fellow team mate Kevin Doyle
initiated with the FAI, who followed that with a call to Stearman. If he did choose to play for Ireland it would take him four months to do so. He would have to obtain an Irish passport which would take a month to process, present his grandparents birth certificate to be ratified by the FAI to prove his qualification and finally he would have to change his citizenship through FIFA, which would take three months.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
footballer of Irish
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
descent who plays as a defender
Defender (association football)
Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....
for Premier League club Wolverhampton Wanderers
Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.
Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club that represents the city of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands region. They are members of the Premier League, the highest level of English football. The club was founded in 1877 and since 1889 has played at...
. He is a versatile defender, being able to play in any defensive slot although primarily a centre half or right back.
Leicester City
Stearman, born in WolverhamptonWolverhampton
Wolverhampton is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands, England. For Eurostat purposes Walsall and Wolverhampton is a NUTS 3 region and is one of five boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "West Midlands" NUTS 2 region...
and raised in Leicestershire
Leicestershire
Leicestershire is a landlocked county in the English Midlands. It takes its name from the heavily populated City of Leicester, traditionally its administrative centre, although the City of Leicester unitary authority is today administered separately from the rest of Leicestershire...
, joined the Leicester City
Leicester City F.C.
Leicester City Football Club , also known as The Foxes, is an English professional football club based at the King Power Stadium in Leicester...
youth academy in 1998 having been spotted playing for his local side Harborough Town
Harborough Town F.C.
Harborough Town F.C are a football club based in the town of Market Harborough in the south of Leicestershire. They currently play in the United Counties League Division One. They have yet to reach the first round of the FA Cup.- History :...
. Equally adept at playing at right-back or centre-back, he signed his first professional contract in 2004, shortly after having won Leicester's Young Player of the Year award in 2003–04
2003-04 in English football
The 2003-04 season was the 124th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:Arsenal completed the entire campaign without losing a single league game....
.
Stearman made his senior debut aged 17, on 30 October 2004 in a goalless draw at Cardiff
Cardiff City F.C.
Cardiff City Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Cardiff, Wales. The club competes in the English football pyramid and is currently playing in the Football League Championship. Cardiff City is the best supported football club in Wales, averaging approximately 22,500 for...
, and finished his first season with 8 appearances. He became a first team regular in 2005–06
2005-06 in English football
The 2005–06 season was the 126th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:*The rebuilt Wembley Stadium was due to open in time for the FA Cup final in May. However, in August 2005, The Football Association reserved the Millennium Stadium as a backup, as there was some doubt whether...
, and attracted a bid from Sunderland
Sunderland A.F.C.
Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League...
, rejected by then-manager Rob Kelly
Rob Kelly
Robert Anthony "Rob" Kelly is an English former footballer and manager. Recently caretaker manager at Nottingham Forest, after Steve McClaren's departure and prior to the appointment of Steve Cotterill...
, who said he was unwilling to part with one of his players he considered a hot prospect. He remained with the club for two more seasons, and won both Player of the Year and Player's Player of the Year awards in 2007–08
2007-08 in English football
The 2007–08 season was the 128th season of competitive football in England.-European competitions:In October 2007 Arsenal equalled the UEFA Champions League record victory with a 7–0 win over Slavia Prague at the Emirates Stadium. The record was broken the following month when Liverpool...
.
Wolverhampton Wanderers
After Leicester were relegated to League OneFootball League One
Football League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....
, Stearman signed for Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
side Wolverhampton Wanderers
Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.
Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club that represents the city of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands region. They are members of the Premier League, the highest level of English football. The club was founded in 1877 and since 1889 has played at...
on 25 June 2008 in a four year deal. He made his debut for Wolves in a 2–2 draw at on 9 August 2008. Towards the latter end of 2008 saw Stearman partnering England under-21's team-mate Michael Mancienne
Michael Mancienne
Michael Ian Mancienne is an English footballer who plays for German Bundesliga club Hamburger SV as a defender.Schooled primarily as a centre back, Mancienne can also play as a defensive midfielder as well as both fullback positions as he showed during appearances for Chelsea, and multiple loan...
in defence. After a poor run of form, Mick McCarthy dropped him to the bench to be replaced by the experienced Jody Craddock
Jody Craddock
Jody Darryl Craddock is an English football defender signed to Premier League side Wolverhampton Wanderers.Craddock broke into league football at Cambridge United in the mid 1990s before spending six years at Sunderland, with whom he won promotion to the Premier League...
for the promotion run in. Wolves went on to concede only one goal in five games keeping Stearman on the bench. On 3 May, he scored his first goal for the club, an injury time winner against Doncaster Rovers
Doncaster Rovers F.C.
Doncaster Rovers Football Club is an English football club, based at the Keepmoat Stadium in Doncaster, South Yorkshire. The team currently competes in the Football League Championship, after being promoted via the League One play-offs in 2008, and have remained there since.The club was founded in...
, and received a championship winners medal.
With regular right back Kevin Foley
Kevin Foley (footballer)
Kevin Patrick Foley is an English-born Irish footballer who plays as a defender for Premier League club Wolverhampton Wanderers and the Republic of Ireland national football team. Foley previously spent twelve years at Luton Town...
out injured, Stearman had an extended run in the starting eleven early in their Premier League return, during which he scored his first top flight goal, against Hull City
Hull City A.F.C.
Hull City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, founded in 1904. The club participates in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football...
. He has returned to the centre back position for most of the current campaign, in the absence of the injured Jody Craddock
Jody Craddock
Jody Darryl Craddock is an English football defender signed to Premier League side Wolverhampton Wanderers.Craddock broke into league football at Cambridge United in the mid 1990s before spending six years at Sunderland, with whom he won promotion to the Premier League...
.
He is contracted to the Molineux
Molineux stadium
Molineux Stadium is a Premier League football stadium situated in Whitmore Reans, Wolverhampton, England. It has been the home ground of Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club since 1889, and has a long and illustrious history as the first 'new build' stadium in Football League history, one of the...
club until Summer 2014.
International career
Stearman has represented England at Under-17 level in the 2004 European Championships2004 UEFA European Under-17 Football Championship
-Group B:---------------------Semifinals:-----Third Place Playoff:-Final:-References:**...
and also at the Under-18 level. He was first called up by the England under-21 squad in November 2007 for the 2009 European Championship qualifiers
2009 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship qualification
The 2009 UEFA European Under-21 Championship started on 31 May 2007 with a qualifying competition and finishes on 15 October 2008, before the final tournament on 15–23 June 2009....
, however he was an unused substitute in the games. He later received a second call-up from the under-21s when he was selected for a European Championship qualifier
2009 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship qualification
The 2009 UEFA European Under-21 Championship started on 31 May 2007 with a qualifying competition and finishes on 15 October 2008, before the final tournament on 15–23 June 2009....
against Portugal
Portugal national under-21 football team
The Portugal national under-21 football team is the national under-21 football team of Portugal and is controlled by the Portuguese Football Federation . They are nicknamed "Esperanças." Esperança means hope, thus they are Portugal's hopes for the future...
in September 2008. However, he was again an unused substitute in the game, and again in the qualifying play-offs against Wales
Wales national under-21 football team
The Wales national under-21 football team, also known as the Wales U21s, is the national under-21 football team of Wales and is controlled by the Football Association of Wales. The team competes in the UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship, held every two years...
in October 2008.
He finally made his debut in a 2–0 friendly win over the Czech Republic under-21s
Czech Republic national under-21 football team
The Czech Republic national under-21 football team is the national under-21 football team of the Czech Republic and is controlled by the Football Association of the Czech Republic...
on 18 November 2008, and a 3–2 defeat to Ecuador on 11 February 2009. Stuart Pearce included him in the squad for the 2009 UEFA U21 championships
2009 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship
The 2009 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship began on 15 June 2009, and was the 17th UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship. This was the first tournament after the competition reverted to a two-year format, following the single-year 2006-07 competition, which allowed the change to...
when centre half and captain Steven Taylor
Steven Taylor (footballer)
Steven Vincent Taylor is an English footballer, currently playing for Premier League club Newcastle United. He is a versatile central defender who can play at right back or, on rare occasions, at left back...
withdrew due to injury.
On the 12 March 2011, the Football Association of Ireland
Football Association of Ireland
The Football Association of Ireland is the governing body for the sport of association football in the Republic of Ireland. It should not to be confused with the Irish Football Association , which is the organising body for the sport in Northern Ireland.For the full history, statistics and records...
confirmed that they had contacted Stearman to play for the Republic of Ireland
Republic of Ireland national football team
The Republic of Ireland national football team represents Ireland in association football. It is run by the Football Association of Ireland and currently plays home fixtures at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, which opened in May 2010....
as he has an Irish grandparent
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
on his mother's side of the family. Irish sources say fellow team mate Kevin Doyle
Kevin Doyle
Kevin Edward Doyle is an Irish international footballer who plays as a striker for Premier League club Wolverhampton Wanderers....
initiated with the FAI, who followed that with a call to Stearman. If he did choose to play for Ireland it would take him four months to do so. He would have to obtain an Irish passport which would take a month to process, present his grandparents birth certificate to be ratified by the FAI to prove his qualification and finally he would have to change his citizenship through FIFA, which would take three months.