Scott Carson

Scott Paul Carson (born 3 September 1985 in Whitehaven, Cumbria) is an English professional Association football who plays for Premier League club West Bromwich Albion F.C. as a Goalkeeper (association football).

He joined the Leeds United F.C. football academy in 2002, making his full first-team debut for Leeds against Manchester United F.C. in February 2004. He made his first appearance for the England national under-21 football team in the same month and later set a record of 29 caps for the under-21 side.

In January 2005, he moved to Liverpool F.C. for a transfer fee of £750,000 and was called up for the England national football team summer tour to the United States later that year. He made nine appearances for Liverpool, including the UEFA Champions League quarter-final victory over Juventus F.C. in April 2005, before going on loan to Sheffield Wednesday F.C., Charlton Athletic F.C. and Aston Villa F.C. to gain experience.

Following the 2007 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship, Carson made his full debut for the England senior team against Austria national football team in November 2007. After his return to Liverpool from his loan spell at Aston Villa at the end of the 2007–08 season, he joined West Bromwich Albion for a £3.25 million fee in July 2008.

Club career

Leeds United

Carson grew up in Cleator Moor in Cumbria, where he attended Ehenside School. Although a promising rugby league player as a youth, he instead chose to concentrate on football, playing in goal for his school team from the age of "about 11 or 12". He quickly rose through the youth teams at local side Cleator Moor Celtic F.C. to play for the men's team when he was 15. He spent less than a year in the academy and half a season with the reserves before making his first-team debut in January 2004, coming on as a late substitute after Paul Robinson (goalkeeper) was sent off against Middlesbrough F.C.. Two weeks later, he made his full debut, starting against Manchester United F.C. in a 1–1 draw at Old Trafford (football), and made one further appearance in the 2003–04 in English football season against Chelsea F.C. in May 2004. and to help Carson develop and improve. Carson's contract was due to expire at the end of the 2004–05 in English football season but Leeds were keen to retain him and in December 2004 offered him a new long-term contract. However, he chose to join Liverpool, who paid Leeds a transfer fee of £750,000 for him, in January 2005. and made three consecutive appearances in April, including the home leg of the UEFA Champions League quarter-final victory over Juventus F.C.. Carson made only four appearances in the 2005–06 season, all in cup competitions, and in March 2006, was allowed to move to Sheffield Wednesday F.C., who had a goalkeeping crisis, on loan to gain more first team experience, and to him help challenge for a place in the England 2006 FIFA World Cup squad. He kept five clean sheets in nine games for Wednesday, whose assistant manager Kevin Summerfield hailed his contribution as a key factor in helping the club escape relegation. He returned to Liverpool at the end of the season and in July 2006, extended his contract with Liverpool until 2011.

In August 2006, Carson joined Charlton Athletic F.C. on loan for the 2006–07 in English football season, after Charlton failed in a bid for Norwich City F.C. goalkeeper Robert Green. Carson explained that “Liverpool want me to get some experience and then hopefully I can go back next season and be challenging Pepe Reina for the number one spot. There were a couple of Championship clubs interested but I need to be playing Premiership football because Robert Green, Ben Foster and Chris Kirkland are going to be playing week in, week out so I need to be performing.” He played in 36 of 38 Premier League games, missing only the two matches against Liverpool due to the terms of his loan deal. Although he was unable to prevent Charlton from being relegated at the end of 2006–07,

Carson returned to Liverpool at the end of the season and in June 2007, Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez confirmed that he would be part of the first-team squad for the 2007–08 in English football season, saying “He must fight with José Manuel Reina now for a starting place.” However, with Carson the second choice to Reina and the signing of Charles Itandje in August 2007, Carson was loaned out again, this time to Aston Villa F.C. at a cost to Villa of £2 million. Benitez said of the deal, “We do not want to sell him, we are very happy with Scott. But he needs to play to keep up his England place.” Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill preferred Carson to Thomas Sorensen and Stuart Taylor (footballer born 1980) and he played in all but three of Villa's 38 league matches, missing the two games against Liverpool as he was ineligible to play, and kept 11 clean sheets during the 2007–08 season. He received the first red card of his career when he fouled Carlos Tévez in Villa's 4–1 Premier League defeat to Manchester United F.C..

West Bromwich Albion

Carson returned to Liverpool at the end of the 2007–08 season but in July 2008 joined West Bromwich Albion F.C. 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. 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 made his debut in a 1–0 defeat to Arsenal F.C. in the opening game of the Premier League 2008–09 Premier League season.

International career

Carson was first called up to the England national under-21 football team squad in October 2003, a month after his 18th birthday, for the 2004 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship qualifier against Turkey national under-21 football team. At the time he was yet to make his competitive debut for Leeds United's first team, He was selected in the squad for the 2007 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship, where in the third game against Serbia national under-21 football team, he earned his 28th under-21 cap, eclipsing the record held by Gareth Barry and Jamie Carragher. His 29th and final cap came against the hosts, the Netherlands, in the semi-final, which finished level at 1–1 after extra-time. In the resultant Penalty shootout (association football), he saved one of the 16 penalties he faced and also scored one himself, but England lost 13–12. Carson has since been overtaken by James Milner as the England Under-21 team's most-capped player.

In May 2005, while still a member of the Under-21 side, Carson was called up to the England national football team senior team squad for the team's tour of the United States later that month. A year later, he came on as substitute for Robert Green, who had suffered a serious injury, in the England B national football team international friendly against Belarus national football team in May 2006. The injury to Green, who had been named in the England squad for the 2006 FIFA World Cup, led to Carson, who was on standby, being promoted to the England squad for the tournament, although he did not make any appearances. Carson continued to be selected for the England senior team squad, and in May 2007, made his second appearance for the England B team in a 3–1 win over Albania. Following the 2007 UEFA Under-21 Championships, he made his full England debut in a friendly against Austria national football team in November 2007 when he kept a clean sheet. A week later, he made his competitive debut in a crucial match against Croatia national football team, which England lost 3–2 and were eliminated from UEFA Euro 2008, with Carson being held particularly culpable for the first goal, when he failed to gather a speculative shot from 30 yards by Niko Kranjčar that dipped and bounced before him and which he could only parry into the net. England coach Steve McClaren was sacked the next day, as commentators criticised McClaren for selecting an inexperienced goalkeeper for the match.

New manager Fabio Capello named Carson in his first England squad for the friendly match against Switzerland national football team in February 2008, but the goalkeeper did not make the final squad for the match against France national football team the following month due to injury. After failing to make Capello's squads for the next five internationals, Carson was recalled to the England squad in October 2008 for the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification - UEFA Group 6 against Kazakhstan national football team and Belarus national football team.

Personal life

Carson married Amy Barton on 17 May 2008 in Egremont; the couple have a son, Hayden.

Honours

Liverpool

- 2004–05 UEFA Champions League
- 2005–06 European Super Cup

Personal

- 2006–07 Charlton Athletic Supporters' Club player of the year