About Steven Thompson (from Wikipedia)
Steven started his career at Dundee United in 1996 and made his début as a substitute in a league match against Hearts in 1997. By season 1998–1999, he had become a regular in the Dundee United team and in October 2002 began talks on a new contract, insisting a week later they were "going well". Amidst speculation that Rangers were interested in signing Thompson, talks resumed in mid-November, only for the move to Rangers to all but be confirmed before the end of the month.
On Boxing Day 2002, Thompson moved to Rangers for £200,000 with Billy Dodds having returned to Tannadice twenty-four hours earlier. Thompson scored on his debut in the 3–1 win over Dundee but only scored one more goal all season.
After suffering knee ligament damage in September 2003, Thompson missed most of the season, returning in March and scoring six goals in the remaining matches. Thompson played in the majority of matches the following season and despite having played in nearly every match of 2005–06 by the end of December, Thompson was allowed to move to Cardiff City for a fee of £250,000 in January 2006.
During his first year at Ninian Park he was a regular first team member and spent the year forming a partnership with fellow striker Michael Chopra. He played a total of 45 games in both league and cup competitions during his first year but only managed to find the net 6 times. Thompson was transfer listed in the summer of 2007 due to his inability to score goals consistently at Championship level but a bizarre injury prevented him from leaving the club. Thompson was on holiday in the U.S. when he fell off a banana boat, being towed behind another boat, which caused him to sustain a groin injury that required surgery. He returned from the injury on 15 September where he came off the bench to grab a late equaliser in a league match against Plymouth Argyle and continued to progress making his first start for Cardiff in five months in November. However despite his increasing form he was not formally taken off the transfer list and attracted interest from Scottish Premier League side Aberdeen.
During November and the beginning of December Thompson was first choice striker for the Bluebirds and normally lined up alongside Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink in the squad and he found the net three times during this period, against Hull City, Colchester United and Blackpool. After these matches Thompson held an interview with Scottish newspaper The Herald in which he claimed that manager Dave Jones had made him a scapegoat for Cardiff's failure to reach the play-offs the previous year. During the interview he also revealed that he and Jones rarely speak to each other anymore after he was placed on the transfer list.[13] A day later on 15 December he was sent off in a derby match against Bristol City after a foul on Bristol goalkeeper Adriano Basso by referee Uriah Rennie, who was heavily criticised by Dave Jones for his handling of the game. The club appealed against the three-match ban handed out but the appeal was rejected and he sat out the matches against Sheffield United, Watford and Preston North End.
On 14 January Cardiff manager Dave Jones revealed that the club had received two offers from another Football League Championship club but they had been turned down. During the second half of the season, Thompson played a large part in the sides efforts as, alongside Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, he was the clubs only recognised striker fit at the time. He played in 5 of Cardiff's 6 matches, including the final, on their way to the FA Cup final before losing 1–0 to Portsmouth.
At the start of the 2008–09 season, the final season of his contract at the club, he again found himself pushed down the pecking order by the arrival of new strikers, this time being Ross McCormack and Jay Bothroyd, but with Bothroyd short of match fitness, and Thompson having enjoyed a fruitful pre-season, he was given a starting place on the opening day of the season against Southampton, finding the net during a 2–1 win.
On 1 September 2008, after spending over a year on the transfer list at Cardiff, he signed for Burnley on a two year deal linking up with manager Owen Coyle again, during Coyle's time at Dundee United Thompson used to clean his football boots.[16] He made his Burnley debut on 13 September against Nottingham Forest and went on to make over 40 appearances for the side during the season scoring a career high total of 11 goals, including a 20-yard volley on 12 May in the 2–0 win over Reading in the second leg of the Championship play-off semi-final. His form led manager Owen Coyle to label him "the best free transfer of the season".
Thompson scored his first Premier League goal for Burnley in a 2–1 defeat by Wolverhampton Wanderers on 13 March 2010.
On 1 June 2011, Thompson signed a two-year contract with his boyhood heroes, St Mirren.
On Boxing Day 2002, Thompson moved to Rangers for £200,000 with Billy Dodds having returned to Tannadice twenty-four hours earlier. Thompson scored on his debut in the 3–1 win over Dundee but only scored one more goal all season.
After suffering knee ligament damage in September 2003, Thompson missed most of the season, returning in March and scoring six goals in the remaining matches. Thompson played in the majority of matches the following season and despite having played in nearly every match of 2005–06 by the end of December, Thompson was allowed to move to Cardiff City for a fee of £250,000 in January 2006.
During his first year at Ninian Park he was a regular first team member and spent the year forming a partnership with fellow striker Michael Chopra. He played a total of 45 games in both league and cup competitions during his first year but only managed to find the net 6 times. Thompson was transfer listed in the summer of 2007 due to his inability to score goals consistently at Championship level but a bizarre injury prevented him from leaving the club. Thompson was on holiday in the U.S. when he fell off a banana boat, being towed behind another boat, which caused him to sustain a groin injury that required surgery. He returned from the injury on 15 September where he came off the bench to grab a late equaliser in a league match against Plymouth Argyle and continued to progress making his first start for Cardiff in five months in November. However despite his increasing form he was not formally taken off the transfer list and attracted interest from Scottish Premier League side Aberdeen.
During November and the beginning of December Thompson was first choice striker for the Bluebirds and normally lined up alongside Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink in the squad and he found the net three times during this period, against Hull City, Colchester United and Blackpool. After these matches Thompson held an interview with Scottish newspaper The Herald in which he claimed that manager Dave Jones had made him a scapegoat for Cardiff's failure to reach the play-offs the previous year. During the interview he also revealed that he and Jones rarely speak to each other anymore after he was placed on the transfer list.[13] A day later on 15 December he was sent off in a derby match against Bristol City after a foul on Bristol goalkeeper Adriano Basso by referee Uriah Rennie, who was heavily criticised by Dave Jones for his handling of the game. The club appealed against the three-match ban handed out but the appeal was rejected and he sat out the matches against Sheffield United, Watford and Preston North End.
On 14 January Cardiff manager Dave Jones revealed that the club had received two offers from another Football League Championship club but they had been turned down. During the second half of the season, Thompson played a large part in the sides efforts as, alongside Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, he was the clubs only recognised striker fit at the time. He played in 5 of Cardiff's 6 matches, including the final, on their way to the FA Cup final before losing 1–0 to Portsmouth.
At the start of the 2008–09 season, the final season of his contract at the club, he again found himself pushed down the pecking order by the arrival of new strikers, this time being Ross McCormack and Jay Bothroyd, but with Bothroyd short of match fitness, and Thompson having enjoyed a fruitful pre-season, he was given a starting place on the opening day of the season against Southampton, finding the net during a 2–1 win.
On 1 September 2008, after spending over a year on the transfer list at Cardiff, he signed for Burnley on a two year deal linking up with manager Owen Coyle again, during Coyle's time at Dundee United Thompson used to clean his football boots.[16] He made his Burnley debut on 13 September against Nottingham Forest and went on to make over 40 appearances for the side during the season scoring a career high total of 11 goals, including a 20-yard volley on 12 May in the 2–0 win over Reading in the second leg of the Championship play-off semi-final. His form led manager Owen Coyle to label him "the best free transfer of the season".
Thompson scored his first Premier League goal for Burnley in a 2–1 defeat by Wolverhampton Wanderers on 13 March 2010.
On 1 June 2011, Thompson signed a two-year contract with his boyhood heroes, St Mirren.