Steve Simonsen

Infobox Football biography
playername = Steve Simonsen


fullname = Steven Simonsen
height = height|ft=6|in=2
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1979|4|3
cityofbirth = South Shields
countryofbirth = England
currentclub = Stoke City
clubnumber = 1
position = Goalkeeper
youthyears =
youthclubs =
years = 1996–1998
1998–2004
2004–
clubs = Tranmere Rovers
Everton
Stoke City
caps(goals) = 035 (0)
030 (0)
158 (0)
nationalyears = 1999
nationalteam = England U21
nationalcaps(goals) = 004 (0)
pcupdate = 20:16, 5 September 2008 (UTC)
ntupdate = 20:16, 5 September 2008 (UTC)

Steven "Steve" Simonsen (born April 3, 1979 in South Shields, Tyne and Wear) is an English professional football goalkeeper currently playing for Stoke City.

Club career

Tranmere and Everton

Simonsen grew up a supporter of Sunderland and started his career at Tranmere Rovers in August 1996 as a trainee. By November 1996 Simonsen had already made his League debut for the club, ironically against the club he would later sign for, Stoke City. After just 42 league and cup appearances for their first team, he was bought by Everton for a record breaking £3.3 million in September 1998. At this point Simonsen was considered one of the most promising young goalkeepers in the country.

However, Simonsen struggled to make it into the Everton first team on a regular basis and in his five seasons at Everton, he was in the starting line-up just 35 times with another two substitute appearances. His Everton debut did not come until the 1999-2000 season, a League Cup tie against Oxford United where he made a less than impressive debut. Simonsen only featured again in the Everton side once during the 1999-2000 campaign. In July 2001 Simonsen was also rumoured to be involved in a transfer to Wigan Athletic, however the deal fell through.cite news |title=Simonsen set for Wigan switch |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/e/everton/1467328.stm |work=BBC Sport |publisher=British Broadcasting Corporation |date=2001-07-31 |accessdate=2007-08-03]

Simonsen did not get a chance to prove himself again until the 2001-2002 season, when he made 25 League starts for Everton and became a regular starter. However the appointment of manager David Moyes meant that Simonsen rarely got a chance to play for Everton again, making only three league starts during his last two seasons. Simonsen later rejected a one-year contract extension and was thus released by the club in May 2004.

toke City

He signed for Stoke City in July 2004 on a free transfer and has been the club's ever present first choice goalkeeper since, having made over 150 league appearances for the Potters. He was named as Stoke City player's player of the season in 2004-2005 and was rewarded with a new three-year contract until July 2008.

In the 2006-2007 season, Steve Simonsen became the record holder for most consecutive clean sheets at Stoke City (seven); these clean sheets consisted of four home matches and three away matches. The home matches were against: Coventry City, West Bromwich Albion, Cardiff City and Queens Park Rangers. The three away matches were against: Crystal Palace, Hull City and Coventry City again. Simonsen also achieved the same feat during his time at Tranmere Rovers.

Simonsen signed a new contract with Stoke on 31 July 2007, which will keep him at the club until June 2010. [cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/s/stoke_city/6924496.stm |title=Simonsen pens new Stoke contract |work=BBC Sport |publisher=British Broadcasting Corporation |accessdate=2007-07-31 |date=2007-07-31] On the opening day of the 2007-08 season, Simonsen helped Stoke to a 1–0 win over Cardiff City F.C. with a string of saves, including a penalty save from Steven MacLean. [cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_1/6931081.stm|title=Cardiff 0-1 Stoke |work=BBC Sport |publisher=British Broadcasting Corporation |date=2007-08-11 |accessdate=2007-08-23]

International career

Simonsen has appeared for the England Under 21s, winning 4 caps. He was once dubbed as a future England number 1.

External links

* [http://www.stokecityfc.com/page/ProfilesDetail/0,,10310~5678,00.html Steve Simonsen player profile] at stokecityfc.com
*soccerbase|id=10723|name=Steve Simonsen

References