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Birthdate:
24.04.1976
Birthplace: Limerick, Ireland
Other clubs: Welling, Birmingham, Notts County, Fulham, Espanyol, Portsmouth
Bought from: Fulham
Signed for LFC: £3500000 01.07.2003
International debut: 26.04.2000 vs. Greece
International caps: 53/2 - 10.09.2008
Liverpool debut:
17.08.2003
Last appearance: 11.05.2008
Debut goal: 11.09.2004
Last goal: 11.09.2004
Contract expiry: 31.08.2008
LFC league games/goals: 145 / 1
Total LFC games/goals: 217 / 1
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Player Notes:
Finnan was bought to Fulham by Kevin Keegan from Notts County in November 1998 for 600,000 pounds. He has since gone from strength to strength and was voted Player of the year at Fulham in 2002 and received most votes from his fellow professionals in the right back position in Premiership's best XI 2001/2002. He excelled in the World Cup with Ireland and it was time to take one step forward. After 208 games and 7 goals with Fulham he joined Houllier's army.
Finnan struggled in his first season, but under Benítez he improved considerably and made the right back position his own and proved to be a model of consistency. Until the start of the 2007-08 season Steve's right-back position in Liverpool's team had not been seriously threatened; and that is borne out by the facts that show he played in 99 of the club's 114 Premier League matches between August 2004 and May 2007. In 2007-08 though it was different as he figured in only 35 of Liverpool's 59 competitive matches, although he did take his total of appearances past the 200 mark. Benítez often used Arbeloa and Aurelio as his full-back pairing and that is why Steve missed out more than in previous seasons even though when he did play he was still a reliable and consistent performer. Towards the end of January, 2008 Finnan announced his retirement from international football after being 'capped' for the 50th time by the Republic or Ireland. Giovanni Trappatoni managed to bring him back to the Ireland set-up and he played his return game on 20th of August 2008 against Norway.
The Irishman signed for Spanish La liga side Espanyol on the last day of the August transfer window in the 2008-9 season. Although he had signed a two-year contract, the Spanish club agreed to release him after just a single season with the Barcelona club; and on the 28th of July 2009 he returned to English football with Portsmouth, signing a one-year deal after which at the age of 34 he would have an option to stay for a further year.
Steve played 21 times for Portsmouth in the Premier League in 2009-10, taking his total of League appearances for five English clubs up to the 450 mark. Pompey had a disastrous League season and comfortably finished in last place, a position they would still have occupied even without a 9-point penalty for going into administration. The club's salvation came in the F.A. cup when Finnan unexpectedly found himself playing in an F.A. cup final at Wembley four years after representing Liverpool at the same stage of the competition in Cardiff against West Ham United. Steve's London experience of the final was not as happy as it had been in the Welsh capital, Chelsea winning by one goal to nil. |
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