Gary M. Stevens
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Gary Michael Stevens | ||
| Date of birth | 27 March 1963 | ||
| Place of birth | Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, England | ||
| Height | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) | ||
| Playing position | Right Back | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1982–1988 | Everton | 208 | (8) |
| 1988–1994 | Rangers | 187 | (8) |
| 1994–1998 | Tranmere Rovers | 126 | (2) |
| Total | 521 | (18) | |
| National team | |||
| 1985–1992 | England | 46 | (0) |
| 1990 | Scottish League XI | 1 | (0) |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. |
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Gary Michael Stevens (born 27 March 1963) is an English retired footballer who is best remembered playing in defence for a successful Everton side of the 1980s, as well as for the England national football team.
A hard-tackling right full back, Stevens advanced through Everton's youth ranks as manager Howard Kendall steadily built a new young side to rival their great foes Liverpool, who were winning trophies and dominating the English game while Everton had been without a domestic honour since 1970.
Stevens made his Everton debut in 1982 and settled into the senior game quickly during the second half of the 1981–82 season as Kendall's otherwise ageing side struggled to make an impact on their rivals and on the top flight in general during the first couple of years after Kendall's appointment in 1981. However, with a few astute signings and one or two more graduates from the ranks, Everton reached the FA Cup final in 1984, having already lost to their great rivals in the League Cup final earlier in the season.
Stevens played his part in Everton's opening goal at Wembley against Watford – his pace enabling him to reach a loose ball from a half-cleared cross first and set up Graeme Sharp for a clinical finish. Everton won 2–0.
The following year, Stevens was an integral part of the Everton team which chased a treble of League Championship, FA Cup and European Cup Winners Cup. The title was clinched but Everton were beaten by Manchester United (reduced to 10 men after Kevin Moran was sent off) in the FA Cup final. However, a glorious and eventful run in Europe ended in triumph for Everton and Stevens when the Cup Winners Cup was clinched, thanks to a 3–1 win over Rapid Vienna. The only downside of such a successful season was that the Heysel Stadium disaster and subsequent disqualification of all English clubs from European competition meant that Everton were disallowed from trying their luck in the European Cup the following year.
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