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Player Profile: Stephen Warnock

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Full Name: Stephen Warnock
Date of Birth: 12th December 1981, Ormskirk
Nationality: English
Position: Defender
Squad Number: 22
Internationals: Called up, but not yet capped at Full level for England
Signed: January 2007
Previous Clubs: Liverpool, Bradford City & Coventry City (Both loan from Liverpool)

Lancashire born Stephen Warnock is a product of the Liverpool youth academy, starting his career at Anfield in 1998.

As with so many youngsters Warnock found first team football with Liverpool hard to come by so in order to gain first team experience he was send out on loan to Bradford City in 2002 and Coventry City for the 2003-2004 season, being a virtual ever present for the Sky Blues.

After his successful loan with Coventry Warnock earned a Liverpool debut in the summer of 2004 in a European Champions League qualifying tie. This proved his breakthrough and he became very much part of the first team squad for the 2004-2005 season, impressing when he was given the chance in a left-midfield role in place of Harry Kewell.

The 2005-2006 season saw him switched to left-back and again he impressed, and even earned himself and call up to the senior England squad in August 2005. Despite being part of a few squads he hasn’t made his senior bow (up until the end of March 2007).

As the race to sign then Rovers defender Lucas Neill picked up pace a late swap deal towards the end of the summer of 2006, seeing Neill going to Anfield with Warnock coming to Ewood Park was mooted, but with Rovers also reported as wanting money as well nothing happened. Mark Hughes persevered in his efforts to win Warnock’s signature and after barely featuring in the first half of the 2006-2007 season and with Neill opting for West Ham United. Rovers finally got their man; Warnock arrived for £1.5 million during the January transfer window of 2007.

Warnock’s Rovers debut came against Luton Town in the FA Cup fourth round and he impressed, as he has done ever since. Warnock was shown a red card for two bookable offences on his home Premiership debut against Sheffield United early in February but recovered to score his first Rovers goal, starting and finishing a move against Portsmouth at Ewood on February 25th 2007.

With every game that passes Warnock seems to improve and seems to be the best left-back we have had for several years. Performances of the standard we have already seen and his full England debut will come, sooner rather than later, at least it should?

Blackburn Rovers appearances and goals up to the start of the 2006-2007 Season
League: 0
FA Cup: 0
League Cup: 0
Other (European etc.): 0
TOTAL: 0 – 0 goals

Warnock only signed in January 2007 so he has no previous Rovers data.


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Formerly Hughes Da Man (HDM)

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