Steve Sidwell

Steven James Sidwell (born 14 December 1982 in Wandsworth, London) is a professional football (soccer)er for Chelsea F.C. in the English Premier League.

Football career

Arsenal

Sidwell was part of the Arsenal F.C. youth team that won the FA Youth Cup in 2000 and 2001. He had successful loan spells with Brentford F.C. and Brighton & Hove Albion F.C., but couldn't break into the Arsenal first team.

Reading

Sidwell moved to Reading F.C. for an undisclosed fee on a four-and-a-half year deal in January 2003. In 2004, Four Four Two Magazine voted him the best player outside the Premier League.

A vital part of Reading's Football League Championship-winning 2005-06 in English football squad, in April 2006 Sidwell was named in the Championship Team of the Year by the Professional Footballers' Association, keeping the place he had been given the previous year.

In the summer of 2006, Sidwell rejected a contract extension, and it was rumoured that he might be sold to Everton F.C., Charlton Athletic F.C. or Manchester City F.C., as his contract was due to run out at the end of the 2006-07 in English football season. Reading decided to keep Sidwell for their inaugural season in the Premier League, and risk losing him without a transfer fee when his contract ran out.

Over the course of the 2006–07 season, he was linked with a number of high profile clubs. After the last game of the 2006–07 season, Reading manager Steve Coppell confirmed that Sidwell had left the club and knew who he had signed for, but refused to say.

Chelsea

Sidwell joined Chelsea on 1 July 2007 following the expiry of his contract with Reading. He has been given squad number 9 for the 2007-08 in English football season. Previous holders of this shirt number include Chris Sutton, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, Mateja Kezman, Hernan Crespo, and Khalid Boulahrouz.

In his first interview after joining Chelsea, Sidwell stated that he had not come to Chelsea to 'make up the numbers', and that he believed training and playing alongside top players like Michael Essien and Frank Lampard would only help him improve. He made his debut for Chelsea in a 2-1 win over Mexican side Club América in a friendly match in Stanford, California, during Chelsea's summer 2007 tour of the United States. He made his Premiership debut on 12 August 2007 in a 3-2 victory against Birmingham City F.C. when he replaced Florent Malouda in 83rd minute.

Honours

- FA Youth Cup: 2000, 2001
- Football League Championship (Level 2): 2006

Personal life

Sidwell married Krystell on 19 June 2005. Within days of returning from their honeymoon, Steve had a tattoo of the wedding vows he had written for Krystell placed on his back. Their son Harry was born in April 2006.