Stewart Downing

Stewart Downing is an English footballer who plays for Liverpool and the England national team. Although he has played most of his career as a winger, he has also been deployed as a left-back. A graduate of the Middlesbrough Academy, his debut came on 24 April 2002 in a FA Premier League game away at Ipswich Town. In 2003, he was sent out on loan to Sunderland to gain experience. The 2004–05 season saw Downing make forty-nine appearances, scoring six goals, as well as providing numerous assists. During the 2009 Summer transfer window, Downing signed a four-year contract with Aston Villa for a fee of £10 million with an extra £2 million to be paid depending on appearances. Downing moved to Liverpool on 15 July 2011, for an undisclosed fee- around £20 million and made his debut in Liverpool\'s first game of the 2011–12 Premier League. Downing scored the winner in Liverpool\'s first competitive game of the 2012–13 season, a left foot shot in a Europa League match against Gomel. He also scored the winning and only goal against Anzhi Makhachkala at Anfield in the Europa League. With seven Under-21 caps to his credit, Downing made his England debut on 9 February 2005 in a home friendly against the Netherlands.