Carson: Scott Paul (Scott)

2002-2005 (Leeds Player Details)(Player Details)

Goalkeeper

Born Whitehaven, Cumbria: 03-09-1985

Debut v Middlesbrough (h) (substitute): 31-01-2004

6’3” 13st 7lb (2007)

Carson started his football career playing for local amateur side Cleator Moor Celtic football club. He joined the Leeds United Academy in July 2002 after being spotted by former Leeds defender Peter Hampton playing for Non-League Workington Reds in an F.A. Youth Cup tie. He was called up for his first England Under-Twenty-One International in October 2003, despite having only just turned eighteen and having not, at that time, played for the Leeds first team. Goalkeeper Carson first became known when enjoying something of a whirlwind couple of weeks early in the 2003-04 season as he burst onto the scene with Leeds. Just two weeks after being called into the Leeds sixteen for the first time he was a shock inclusion in the England Under-Twenty-One squad to play Turkey. Carson had already represented his country through the England youth ranks, but it came as a surprise that he was handed a place in the Under-Twenty-One side so soon, having only played a handful of reserve games. The stopper was called into first team action for the first time at the end of January when Paul Robinson was sent off at home to Middlesbrough. Carson's first task was to pick Michael Ricketts' penalty out of the back of his net. With Robinson suspended, Carson made his full debut on 21st February 2004, in the grudge match against Manchester United at Old Trafford. Carson was a revelation as relegation-threatened Leeds earned a surprise point. He also started the last game of the season at Chelsea, with Leeds already down. It looked as though Carson would be the first choice keeper in the Championship, but Leeds opted to bring in the experience of Neil Sullivan. The big clubs had been watching Carson for some time, and when the transfer window re-opened in January 2005 both Chelsea and Liverpool made bids for the keeper. He chose Liverpool due to the greater chance of getting first team action. Liverpool paid an undisclosed sum, believed to be £750,000 rising to £1million, and handed the player a four-and-a-half-year contract. Carson played just three games for Leeds, one of those being from the bench. Carson's big move to Liverpool from Leeds United failed to bring any tangible rewards in his early time at the club. He was restricted to just a handful of appearances and was third in the pecking order. However, Carson did see off the challenge of fellow England Under-Twenty-One International Chris Kirkland, who was farmed out on loan to West Bromwich Albion for the 2005-06 campaign. Carson made his Liverpool debut in a 0-1 loss at Newcastle United on 5th March 2005, as he was thrust into first team action at the end of the campaign when Dudek was injured. He made his European Cup debut on 5th April 2005, playing in the superb 2-1 home win over Juventus in the Champions League quarter-finals and gained a European Cup Winners' medal as a non-playing substitute in the final. In May 2005, Carson was named in the twenty-two-man England squad to play the USA and Columbia. The signing of Jose Reina for 2005-06 pushed him down the pecking order, but he remained a goalkeeper of great promise for the future. He was loaned to Sheffield Wednesday in March 2006 and made nine League appearances for them. He returned to Liverpool and signed a contract extension in July 2006 binding him to the club until 2011. In August 2006 he was loaned to Charlton Athletic for the whole season, establishing himself as the team’s goalkeeper despite stiff opposition. He won the Charlton Athletic Player of the Year award and was high in the pecking order for the England team as a result of his fine form. He played thirty-six League and two League Cup games while at the Valley. On 10th August 2007, Carson was again loaned out, this time to Aston Villa for a fee of £2 million, as Carson believed his international chances would be hampered by a year on the bench with Liverpool. On 10th November 2007 Carson revealed that Villa and Liverpool had negotiated a deal to make the loan move permanent, valuing the young keeper at between £8-10 million, which would make him the most expensive goalkeeper in Britain. He was included in the England squad but he did not play a match during the 2006 World Cup. Carson continued to be involved in both the senior and Under-Twenty-One England teams, and broke the record for the Under-Twenty-Ones when he played his twenty-eighth game. He made his full England debut in a friendly against Austria in November 2007, when he kept a clean sheet. In his competitive debut against Croatia later that month he conceded three goals as England were defeated and eliminated from Euro 2008, Carson being held particularly culpable for the first goal. After thirty-five League and one F.A, Cup appearances at Villa Park, Carson returned to Liverpool at the end of the 2007–08 season but in July 2008 joined West Bromwich Albion on a four year contract for a £3.25 million fee, rising to £3.75 million, with an option for the club to extend the contract by another year. He had only played four League games, one F.A. Cup, one League Cup and three European Cup games while at Anfield. Carson, who had played for five different clubs since making his debut for Leeds United in 2004, explained that he wanted to get settled at one club, saying “I've been like a nomad for three or four years. It'll be good to get some roots and hopefully settle. I can see myself here for four or five years, even longer.” He did remain at West Brom but did not reach his target as he left the club on 1st July 2011. He signed a three year contract with Turkish club Bursaspor for a fee of £2 million. He had made one hundred and ten League and eight F.A. Cup appearances for West Brom and had gained his third England Cap when he played in the second half of a friendly against Germany in Berlin in November 2008.