Michael Stewart (footballer)
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Michael James Stewart | ||
| Date of birth | 26 February 1981 | ||
| Place of birth | Edinburgh, Scotland | ||
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | ||
| Playing position | Midfielder | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Rangers | |||
| 1997–1998 | Manchester United | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1998–2005 | Manchester United | 8 | (0) |
| 2003–2004 | → Nottingham Forest (loan) | 13 | (0) |
| 2004–2005 | → Hearts (loan) | 17 | (0) |
| 2005–2007 | Hibernian | 54 | (2) |
| 2007–2010 | Hearts | 87 | (12) |
| 2010–2011 | Gençlerbirliği | 0 | (0) |
| 2011 | Charlton Athletic | 9 | (0) |
| Total | 180 | (14) | |
| National team | |||
| 2002–2008 | Scotland | 4 | (0) |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. |
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Michael James Stewart (born 26 February 1981) is a Scottish former footballer who played as a midfielder. He began his career with Manchester United and played for both Edinburgh derby rivals, Hearts and Hibernian. He also played for Nottingham Forest and Charlton Athletic during his career. Stewart was capped four times for the Scotland national football team.
As a young player, Stewart trained twice a week with Rangers while still at Craigmount High School.Manchester United signed Stewart as a professional in 1998. He made his senior debut for the club on 31 October 2000 against Watford. Later that season, it was agreed that Stewart and two other players (John O'Shea and Jimmy Davis) would be loaned to Belgian feeder club Royal Antwerp, but Stewart decided against the move, believing he would break into the first team more quickly by training with United. Initially, he filled in for a suspended Roy Keane. He struggled to hold down a first-team place, however, and had a disappointing loan spell at Nottingham Forest. His high-tempo style often included landing in trouble, regularly being booked or sent off.
In the summer of 2004, United manager Sir Alex Ferguson indicated Stewart had no future at the club and he was free to leave. Rangers initially showed interest, but after a two-week trial, he was sent back to Manchester. The cost of Stewart's contract with United was seen as a stumbling block to a transfer. A loan deal was reached with Stewart's boyhood favourites Hearts, with Stewart taking a substantial wage drop to facilitate the deal. Stewart failed to match expectations and at the end of a season disrupted by injury, Hearts allowed him to leave.
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