Warnock: Stephen

2012-2015 (Leeds Player Details) (Player Details)

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Born: Ormskirk, Lancashire: 12-12-1981

Debut: Wolverhampton Wanderers (a): 09-02-2013

5’10” 11st 12lb (2012)

In his childhood, he played for Rufford Colts and also St Bede's RC High School. Legendary left-back, Alan Kennedy, had a hand in bringing Warnock to Liverpool: "I remember Stephen being at one of my soccer schools and he really stood out as being a brilliant prospect. I got on the phone to Steve Heighway and Roy Evans and said you have got to take a look at this boy." Warnock overcame three leg breaks as made his way from the Liverpool academy into professional football! He showed great character and determination to survive these ordeals and make a name for himself. Academy director and former Liverpool star, Steve Heighway, witnessed Warnock's struggles: "We shared the pain and the agony he endured. Watching him go through six months of rehabilitation from a broken leg, then watch him break his leg immediately again and go through a further six months rehab and then get another slight break after that. I don't think people realise what he has achieved." Warnock is a versatile player who is equally adept at left back, and in left and central midfield. He is a tough customer which former Liverpool teammate, Danny Guthrie, can testify to. "Stevie Warnock is the hardest tackler. He's mean in the tackle, even in training." He joined the Liverpool youth academy and England Youth set up, with his first international cap in the England Under-Sixteens, he had loan spells at Bradford City for two months from 12th September 2002 and there he scored his first career goal against Sheffield Wednesday in the forty-fourth minute of the game at Hillsborough on 19th October 2002, the only goal he scored before returning to Anfield after twelve starts in the League. He went next to Coventry City on loan for the whole of the 2003-04 season and there he scored three League goals in forty-two starts and two games from the bench, together with two starts and one substitute appearance in the F.A. Cup and two starts in the League Cup. He won the 2003–04 Fans "Player of the Season" Award with Coventry City. He made his first team debut for Liverpool at Graz AK on 10th August 2004, when he came on as an eightieth minute substitute for Steven Gerrard in the first leg of a UEFA Champions League third qualifying round. He went on to play nineteen League games and thirty games in all in the season as Liverpool won the UEFA Champions League, European Super Cup, and were Runner-up in the FIFA Club World Cup. But 2004-05 was a heartbreaking season for Warnock. "On a personal level, the Carling Cup and Champions League finals stand out as particularly low points for me. I'd played in every round of the League Cup before the final, and missed out on a medal. Then when I wasn't in the squad for the European Cup final I'd have to say that was my lowest point of all. There weren't enough winners' medals for us all, so I didn't get one. I spent time over the summer getting over that." In his second season, 2005–06, he played primarily at left-back, in rotation with the Norwegian John Arne Riise making twenty League appearances and again had thirty games in total. He scored his only goal for Liverpool in the last minute against Fulham in a 5–1 home win on 15th March 2006. After making only six appearances in the first half of 2006-07 Rafa Benitez sold Warnock to Blackburn Rovers in the January 2007 transfer window. There had been media speculation of Blackburn Rover's captain Lucas Neill moving to Anfield in exchange for Warnock for more than a season, but when Neill joined West Ham United, Blackburn Rovers signed Warnock on 22nd January 2007 for a fee rumoured to be £1.5 million. While at Anfield he had scored one League goal in twenty-seven starts and thirteen games from the bench. He also made two starts and one substitute appearance in the F.A. Cup, seven starts and one game from the bench in the League Cup and ten starts and six games as a substitute in European Champions League. He made his Blackburn debut in the FA Cup Fourth Round in a 4–0 away victory over Luton Town on 27th January 2007. Four days later he played his first EPL match for Rovers against Chelsea. He was dismissed for the match after two cautions in the 2–1 victory over Sheffield United on 3rd February 2007. He scored his first goal for Blackburn in the 3–0 victory over Portsmouth on 25th February 2007. Despite having made relatively few first team appearances for Liverpool, Warnock had been called into the senior England squad for the first time on 29th August 2005, due to lack of cover in the squad at left back. He was again called into the squad by England coach Fabio Capello in May 2008 for the friendlies against the United States and Trinidad and Tobago. He made his England debut against the latter on 1st June 2008 coming on as a substitute for Wayne Bridge in the eighty-fourth minute. While at Ewood Park, he scored five goals in the League in eighty-five starts. He also started seven games and came on as a substitute in one F.A. Cup tie started three and came off the bench twice in the League Cup and scored once in eight starts in European competitions. He was also the club's 2008–09 "Player of the Season". On 26th August 2009, it was confirmed that Aston Villa were in talks with Blackburn Rovers over a possible move for Warnock to the Villa Park club. The next day it was confirmed that Warnock had signed a four-year contract with Villa and had been given the number Twenty-five shirt. He made his Villa debut at Birmingham City on 13th September 2009. He scored his first goal for Villa in the League Cup semi-final second leg victory over former club Blackburn Rovers on 20th January 2010, which ended 6–4 to Aston Villa. He won a League Cup Runner-up medal in 2010. Warnock received a call up to the international squad once more for a friendly against Egypt. On 11th May 2010, he was named in the thirty-man provisional squad for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. On 1st June 2010, he was named in the final Twenty-three-man selection by Manager Fabio Capello. Due to the widely accepted adeptness of Ashley Cole at left-back, Warnock did not feature in any of England's matches during their short-lived run in the World Cup which ended against Germany. However on 17th November 2010, he came on as a seventy-second minute substitue at Wembley as England were beaten 1-2 by France in a Friendly. He was given the number three shirt for the 2010-11 season and he started Villa's opening Barclays Premier League game of the new season against West Ham United and completed the full ninety minutes in a 3–0 victory at Villa Park and remained the Villa first choice left-back until 28th December 2010 and a 4-0 defeat by Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium. He then fell out of favour with Aston Villa manager Gerard Houllier and was forced to play in the reserve side. Warnock was widely expected to leave the club in the summer transfer window, with a number of teams reportedly interested in his signature. However, new boss Alex McLeish reinstated him as the first choice left-back and he went on to make thirty-five League appearances in the season. On 15th October 2011, Warnock scored his first Villa League goal in the sixty-fifth minute at Manchester City. He got his second in the sixty-fifth minute at home to Bolton Wanderers on 24th April 2012. In May 2012, former Scotland manager Craig Levein made an approach to Warnock to play for the Scottish national side. Warnock remains eligible for Scotland despite playing for England as his England caps have all come in friendly games. However another change of Manager at Villa Park, after Paul Lambert was appointed for the 2012-13 season, Warnock again found his chances limited and was made to train with the development squad. On 21st September 2012, Warnock joined Bolton Wanderers on a three-month loan deal. He wore the number fifteen shirt during his time at the club. He was on the bench a day later in their 2–1 win against Sheffield Wednesday and made his debut in their next match, starting at Left Back in Bolton's 1–0 defeat against Crystal Palace. In his second game, at home against Leeds United, Warnock gave away a penalty, which Luciano Becchio scored from, as the game finished 2–2. He started fifteen League games for the Trotters before returning to Villa on 23rd December 2012. On transfer deadline day 31st January 2013, Warnock signed a Two-and-a-half year contract with Leeds United. West Ham United Manager, Sam Allardyce, revealed that Warnock had turned down signing for the EPL side to join Leeds United as they had offered Warnock a longer contract. He made his Leeds United debut on 9th February 2013, playing the whole game in the club's 2–2 draw against Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineux. He scored his first goal from the penalty spot for Leeds on 2nd March 2013 in a 1-0 home win over Millwall. Warnock was named as captain in Brian McDermott's first game in charge on 13th April 2013 against Sheffield Wednesday. By the end of the 2012-13 season he had scored once in five League starts at Elland Road and by the end of the follwing season it had risen to two goals in forty-three starts in the League and one start in each of the F.A. Cup and League Cup. The 2014-15 season again saw Warnock as the regular Leeds left-back and once more he took on the mantle of captain from Jason Pearce at the end of November but he received a bad injury in the eighth minute of a 2-0 loss at Derby County on 30th December in what proved to be his final match for United. On 15th January 2015 it was announced that he had joined Derby County on an eighteen month contract with an option for a further year for an undisclosed fee. He made his debut for the Rams in a 1-2 home defeat by Reading in the F.A. Cup on 14th February 2015 and it proved an inauspicious event with Warnock being sent off after just thirty-nine minutes. He did not start a League game until Derby's 2-0 win at Wigan Athletic on 6th April 2015 but thereafter cemented his position as first choice left-back and finished the season having started six League games, with one from the bench and one start in the F.A. Cup.