Stephen Bywater

Stephen Bywater

Bywater playing for Derby County in 2007
Personal information
Full name Stephen Michael Bywater
Date of birth (1981-06-07) 7 June 1981
Place of birth Oldham, England
Height 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in)
Playing position Goalkeeper
Club information
Current team
 Burton Albion
Number 13
Youth career
1997–1998 Rochdale
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1997–1998 Rochdale 0 (0)
1998–2006 West Ham United 59 (0)
1999 → Wycombe Wanderers (loan) 2 (0)
1999–2000 → Hull City (loan) 4 (0)
2001 → Wolverhampton Wanderers (loan) 0 (0)
2002 → Cardiff City (loan) 0 (0)
2005 → Coventry City (loan) 14 (0)
2006 → Derby County (loan) 2 (0)
2006–2011 Derby County 148 (0)
2008 → Ipswich Town (loan) 17 (0)
2011 → Cardiff City (loan) 8 (0)
2011 → Sheffield Wednesday (loan) 12 (0)
2012–2013 Sheffield Wednesday 20 (0)
2013–2015 Millwall 7 (0)
2014–2015 → Gillingham (loan) 13 (0)
2015 Doncaster Rovers 21 (0)
2015–2016 Kerala Blasters 12 (0)
2016– Burton Albion 0 (0)
National team
2001–2003 England U21 6 (0)

* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 00:50, 19 January 2016 (UTC).


Stephen Michael Bywater, (born 7 June 1981) is an English professional football player who plays as a goalkeeper for Burton Albion.

He has made appearances for thirteen clubs, most notably for Derby County, where he made over 150 appearances and won the 2007 Championship play-off Final and for West Ham United, where he spent eight seasons, made over 60 appearances and won the 2005 Championship play-off Final. He is also a former England Under-21 international. Bywater has worn the number 43 shirt in memory of his mentor and coach, Les Sealey, who died aged 43 in 2001. He believes Sealey is guiding his way in football.[1]

Club career

West Ham United

Born in Oldham, Greater Manchester, Bywater attended the Blue Coat School, Oldham as a boy starting his career in August 1997 with Rochdale. His only first team appearance was against Carlisle United in an Autoglass Trophy game which Rochdale lost 6–1. He was brought to West Ham as a 16-year-old by Harry Redknapp in February 1998 for £250,000, rising to £1.75 million depending on performances and achievements. He graduated through the youth set-up and featured in West Ham's 1999 FA Youth Cup winning team along with Joe Cole and Michael Carrick.[2]

He spent the next two seasons learning from former Manchester United, Luton Town, Aston Villa and Coventry City goalkeeper Les Sealey and sitting in the pecking order behind Craig Forrest, Bernard Lama and Shaka Hislop. With first team opportunities limited, Bywater joined Wycombe Wanderers on loan in September 1999, making two appearances, and then went to Hull City on loan in November 1999, making four appearances.[3] A broken leg for Shaka Hislop meant a debut for Bywater at the age of 19 against Bradford City in February 2000, in a game that saw Bradford score four times but which West Ham eventually won 5–4.[4] Bywater also appeared in the final three games of the 1999–00 season, against Arsenal, Sunderland and Leeds United and made a single appearance in the following season against Bradford in February 2001.[3]

Wolves signed Bywater on loan in July 2001 to ease a goalkeeping crisis[5] but he returned to West Ham the following month having not made an appearance for Wolves other than on the bench in the opening game of the season against Portsmouth.[6] His chances to move up the pecking order were limited with the club signing David James in July 2001 and the retention of Shaka Hislop as James was injured on international duty in August 2001,[7] and he did not make a single appearance for West Ham in the 2001–02 season nor in the 2002–03 season.[3] He joined Cardiff City on a one-month loan at the end of March 2002 but made no appearance there.[3]

Eventually, after the club was relegated in 2002–03 and David James moved to Manchester City in January 2004,[8] Bywater became a regular starter in the first-team, making 23 appearances as West Ham reached the First Division play-off final, where they were beaten 1–0 by Crystal Palace.[3][9] He signed a three-year contract extension in June 2004, saying "I am very pleased to have signed on for another three years at West Ham. We were very unlucky last year and I am sure that we will start next season with a squad capable of challenging for promotion again. The club have invested a lot in my career and the manager showed great faith in me last season. I am determined to repay everyone at the club by helping the team back into the Premiership."[10]

He soon had to share the role of the club's primary keeper with Jimmy Walker who was brought in from Walsall in June 2004 to provide competition for Bywater.[11] Bywater made 39 league and cup appearances in the 2004–05 season for West Ham as the club were promoted to the Premiership,[3] and appeared in the play-off final at the Millennium Stadium in May 2005, coming on as a late substitute for the injured Jimmy Walker in the 1–0 victory over Preston North End.[12]

The signing of Roy Carroll in June 2005[13] and the re-signing of Shaka Hislop on a one-year contract in July 2005[14] once again limited Bywater's first-team opportunities and he joined Coventry City in August 2005, on loan until the end of the year,[15] where he made 14 appearances.[3] An injury to Carroll however led to Bywater being recalled from Coventry in October 2005.[16] He made a single appearance for West Ham in the remainder of the 2005–06 season, against West Bromwich Albion in November 2005.[3]

Derby County

Bywater joined Derby County in August 2006 on an initial emergency loan deal for two weeks and signed a permanent three-year deal two weeks later for a fee of £225,000.[3][17] Before the 2008–09 season, he wore the number 43 shirt at Derby as a tribute to his mentor and former goalkeeping coach Les Sealey, who died at the age of 43 in 2001, saying, "Les looked after me most of the time. He took me to training every day, coached me and advised me on life. I know he is watching over me and that he wants me to do well, so that was for him."[18] Bywater made 43 league and cup appearances in the 2006–07 season[3] as Derby reached the Championship play-off final, where they beat West Bromwich Albion 1–0 to secure a place in the Premier League.[19]

In June 2007, Bywater reiterated his desire to play for England and his hopes to be noticed in the 2007–08 season, saying "I grew up with a few of the lads like Paul Robinson, Rob Green and Chris Kirkland and they are good but I don't think they are anything special. I do believe if I play well and have a good season, I will be up there in contention. I am confident but not cocky."[20] After a first half of the season that saw Derby County rooted to the foot of the Premier League, Bywater joined Ipswich Town on loan in January 2008 for the rest of the season.[21] Jim Magilton, manager of Ipswich Town, described him as, "...a young, ambitious keeper who knows what is needed to win promotion from this division."[21] He made his debut for Ipswich Town against Sheffield Wednesday in February 2008 and made 17 appearances in the remainder of the 2007–08 season as Ipswich finished below the play-off places.[22] Following Derby's relegation at the end of the 2007/08 season, Bywater almost returned to the Premier League with a move to Tottenham Hotspur.[23] However, when the deal fell through, Bywater remained with The Rams and, after initially playing as second fiddle to Roy Carroll for the start of the 2008–09 season, Bywater regained and retained his place in the team after Carroll was sent off against Norwich City. His form was good enough that he held the number 1 position for the rest of the season and he signed a new 3-year contract with Derby on 13 January 2009.[24] He made his 100th appearance for the club away to Blackpool on 8 August 2009, keeping a clean sheet.[25] In December 2009, after keeping two successive clean sheets, manager Nigel Clough praised Bywater's performances in the two games: "Stephen has been exemplary. He is fully fit and approaching the peak of his career. He has a good temperament, which is probably a factor of his age. He works hard in training and, like all goalkeepers, he is a bit daft."[26] An injury sustained away to Reading in March 2010 saw Bywater ruled out for two games which brought to an end a run of 71 consecutive league appearances in the Derby goal. He returned and put in Championship Team of the Week performance as Derby drew 0–0 at Sheffield Wednesday. After Derby secured survival with a 1–1 draw with Crystal Palace, Bywater sat out the last two games of the season to rest a sprained rib joint.[27] He returned to the first team in the 2010–11 season and made his 150th appearance for the club in a 2–0 defeat at Hull City. Bywater played every minute of Derby's opening 11 games of the season, keeping two clean sheets, before a wrist injury sustained in training during the October international break ruled him out for a month.[28] He returned to the first team in November 2011, which coincided with a dreadful run of form which saw Derby drop from 4th to 18th in 3 months. Bywater then sustained an injury in a 1–0 defeat to Hull City on 22 February 2011, ruling him out for several weeks.[29]

On 4 March 2011, Bywater joined Cardiff City on loan until the end of the season.[30] He made his debut the following day in a 2–0 loss to Ipswich Town.[31] Following Cardiff's playoff semi final defeat to Reading, in which a Bywater error cost Cardiff an important goal, Bywater returned to Derby. His future at The Rams was cast into serious doubt when he was not given a squad number ahead of the 2011–12 season and this was confirmed when Derby's goalkeeping coach Martin Taylor revealed "He's not in the squad at all. Nothing against Stephen because he's worked really hard but he doesn't figure in our plans. At his age he just needs to play games and get in the shop window."[32] On 31 December 2011, Bywaters's contract was terminated by mutual consent.[33]

Sheffield Wednesday

On 20 September 2011, Bywater joined Sheffield Wednesday on loan for 3 months due to an injury picked up by first choice 'keeper Nicky Weaver.[34] Bywater's loan spell proved to be very successful, with Wednesday losing just 1 of his 12 games and keeping six clean sheets, moving boss Gary Megson to state his intention to make Bywater's move permanent,[35] with Derby manager Nigel Clough confirming talks with Wednesday over a potential transfer.[36] On 30 December 2011, it was reported that Bywater was to join Wednesday on a permanent transfer when the January transfer window opened.[37] On 31 December 2011, Bywater signed for Wednesday on a permanent transfer, with a contract until the end of the 2011–2012 season, the move went ahead on 1 January 2012.[38] After this permanent move, he was initially second choice behind Nicky Weaver before taking over as first choice in a 3–1 win against Scunthorpe United on 24 January 2012. Bywater played in all the remaining games of the season, keeping 14 clean sheets in 34 appearances.[39][40] Wednesday secured promotion to the Championship by coming runners up in League One, narrowly finishing ahead of local rivals Sheffield United.[39][40]

Bywater then entered contract talks with the club,[41] with a new one-year contract signed on 27 June 2012,[42] upon signing this new contract Bywater praised manager David Jones and called Wednesday "the biggest club out of the Premiership and that is a fact".[42] Bywater's goalkeeping competition for 2012–13 season consisted of Arron Jameson, Chris Kirkland and Nicky Weaver.[42]

Millwall

In June 2013 Bywater signed a two-year contract with Millwall, becoming manager, Steve Lomas' first signing for the club.[43] He made his Millwall debut on 6 August 2013 in the first round of the League Cup in a 2-1 home win against AFC Wimbledon.[44] Bywater played in Millwall's next three league games, against Ipswich Town, Huddersfield Town and Sheffield Wednesday and a 2-1 defeat by Nottingham Forest in the second round of the League Cup.[45] Regular goalkeeper, David Forde resumed in the goalkeeper position for Millwall until January 2014. On 18 January 2014 Bywater replaced Forde at half-time in a 1-0 home win against Ipswich Town, a match which saw new Millwall manager, Ian Holloway's first win a manager of the club.[46]

On 15 August 2014, he joined Gillingham on loan until 3 January as cover for the injured Stuart Nelson.[47] Bywater was released by Millwall on 14 January 2015 when his contract with them was cancelled. He had not appeared for Millwall since February 2014.[48]

Doncaster Rovers

In January 2015 Bywater signed a six-month contract with League One side Doncaster Rovers.[49] He made his first appearance for Doncaster against Barnsley on 17 January in a 1–0 win.[50] He was released by the club at the end of the 2014–15 season.[51]

Kerala Blasters

In August 2015 Bywater signed with Indian Super League side Kerala Blasters.[52]

International career

Bywater made his England U19 debut during 1999 and rotated in the role with both Paul Robinson and Chris Kirkland. He later progressed to the U21 team with the same group of players though by that time both Kirkland and Robinson had become established league players. Injuries had limited his opportunities with both a broken finger and later on a fractured wrist holding up his development and limiting his opportunities. He made six appearances for the U21 team.[53]

Bywater was tipped to be called up for the England squad after Derby's promotion to the Premier League in 2006–07,[54] but he wasn't picked.

Honours

West Ham United

Derby County

Sheffield Wednesday

Career statistics

As of match played 29 November 2015[55]
Club Season League FA Cup League Cup Other[A] Total
AppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Rochdale 1997–98 0000001010
West Ham United 1997–98 0000000000
1998–99 0000000000
Wycombe Wanderers (loan) 1999–2000 2000000020
Hull City (loan) 1999–2000 4000000040
West Ham United 1999–2000 4000000040
2000–01 1000000010
Wolverhampton Wanderers (loan) 2001–02 0000000000
Cardiff City (loan) 2001–02 0000000000
West Ham United 2001–02 0000000000
2002–03 0000000000
2003–04 170300030230
2004–05 360200010390
Coventry City (loan) 2005–06 140000000140
West Ham United 2005–06 1000000010
Derby County (loan) 2006–07 2000000020
Derby County 2006–07 350300030410
2007–08 180001000190
Ipswich Town (loan) 2007–08 170000000170
Derby County 2008–09 310300000340
2009–10 420401000470
2010–11 220101000240
Cardiff City (loan) 2010–11 80000020100
Derby County 2011–12 0000000000
Sheffeld Wednesday (loan) 2011–12 120000000120
Sheffeld Wednesday 2011–12 200200000220
2012–13 0020200040
Millwall 2013–14 7000200090
Gillingham (loan) 2014–15 130001000140
Doncaster Rovers 2014–15 210000000210
Kerala Blasters 2015 120---120
Career Total 3390200801003770
A. ^ The "Other" column constitutes appearances and goals (including those as a substitute) in the Football League Trophy and the play-offs.

Personal life

Bywater has reiterated on several occasions his intention to move into mixed martial arts and cage fighting when his playing career ends, saying "I have told my agent that one day I am going to take it up! He laughs at me – but I'm serious."[56]

He has also been involved in several controversies. In an October 2007 interview with Clare Tomlinson on Sky Sports' Goals on Sunday programme he spelt out the word "cunt" whilst live on air as part of an anecdote.[57]

In September 2010, Bywater stirred more controversy in regards of a provocative art installation in the player's garden in Sutton on the Hill, Derbyshire. The installation – a horse box with mattresses and a sex doll strapped to it with graffiti sprayed on the side – brought complaints from neighbours, who described the piece as "very ugly" and an "eyesore".[58] Bywater, who claimed that art was his latest hobby and the installation was his masterpiece, issued a statement via Derby County stating "I would like to apologise to any supporters and local residents in Derbyshire who have been offended. It was and is still my view that my actions were made as a private citizen and in no way linked to Derby County Football Club. However, now it has been brought into the public domain, I acknowledge that this does not reflect well on me as a professional or the Club in general. I apologise again if my actions have in anyway damaged my reputation or the reputation of the Club."[59] He eventually auctioned the piece, announcing the eBay sale via his Twitter page, saying all the proceeds would be donated to the Teen Pride charity.[60]

References

  1. ↑ "Les treated me like his son, recalls Owls star Bywater". Yorkshire Post. 28 January 2012. Retrieved 22 January 2015.
  2. ↑ Barber, David (1 January 2006). "The class of '99". The Football Association. Retrieved 12 August 2007.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "Stephen Bywater". Soccerbase. Racing Post. Retrieved 12 August 2007.
  4. ↑ "Flair and farce in equal measures". BBC Sport. 29 June 2000. Retrieved 12 August 2007.
  5. ↑ "Wolves turn to Bywater". BBC Sport. 14 July 2001. Retrieved 6 July 2007.
  6. ↑ "Wolves 2–2 Portsmouth". BBC Sport. 11 August 2001. Retrieved 12 August 2007.
  7. ↑ "England duo face fitness wait". BBC Sport. 16 August 2001. Retrieved 12 August 2007.
  8. ↑ "James seals Man City deal". BBC Sport. 14 January 2004. Retrieved 12 August 2007.
  9. 1 2 "Crystal Palace 1–0 West Ham". BBC Sport. 29 May 2004. Retrieved 12 August 2007.
  10. ↑ "Bywater nets new deal". BBC Sport. 23 June 2004. Retrieved 12 August 2007.
  11. ↑ "Walker sad to leave Walsall". BBC Sport. 12 June 2004. Retrieved 12 August 2007.
  12. 1 2 "West Ham 1–0 Preston". BBC Sport. 30 May 2005. Retrieved 12 August 2007.
  13. ↑ "Carroll completes West Ham move". BBC Sport. 15 June 2005. Retrieved 12 August 2007.
  14. ↑ "Keeper Hislop signs for West Ham". BBC Sport. 29 July 2005. Retrieved 12 August 2007.
  15. ↑ "Bywater seals Coventry loan move". BBC Sport. 3 August 2005. Retrieved 12 August 2007.
  16. ↑ "Hammers recall Bywater from loan". BBC Sport. 20 October 2005. Retrieved 12 August 2007.
  17. ↑ "Derby capture goalkeeper Bywater". BBC Sport. 12 August 2005. Retrieved 12 August 2007.
  18. ↑ Bevan, Chris (27 February 2007). "Bywater eyes top-flight return". BBC Sport. Retrieved 7 July 2007.
  19. 1 2 Fletcher, Paul (28 May 2007). "Derby 1–0 West Brom". BBC Sport. Retrieved 12 August 2007.
  20. ↑ "Friday's gossip column". BBC Sport. 1 June 2007. Retrieved 1 June 2007.
  21. 1 2 "Bywater and Colgan join Ipswich". BBC Sport. 31 January 2008. Retrieved 11 May 2008.
  22. ↑ "Games played by Stephen Bywater in 2007/2008". Soccerbase. Racing Post. Retrieved 11 May 2008.
  23. ↑ "Bywater Close to Spurs Deal". football.co.uk. Retrieved 31 July 2008.
  24. ↑ "Bywater signs new Rams contract". BBC. 12 February 2009. Retrieved 2009-01-13.
  25. ↑ "RAMS TEAM NEWS EXCLUSIVE". Derby County F.C. Archived from the original on 20 August 2009. Retrieved 17 August 2009.
  26. ↑ "Derby boss Nigel Clough hails keeper Stephen Bywater". BBC Sport. 15 December 2009. Retrieved 15 December 2009.
  27. ↑ "Bywater to sit out final games". Derby County F.C. 20 April 2010. Archived from the original on 23 April 2010.
  28. ↑ "Clough on quest to bring in a loan keeper". thisisderbyshire. 12 October 2010.
  29. ↑ "Frank: I wanted to come back to help out". thisisderbyshire.co.uk. 25 February 2011.
  30. ↑ "Stephen Bywater and Jason Brown in Cardiff City loan". BBC Sport. 4 March 2011.
  31. ↑ "Cardiff 0–2 Ipswich". BBC Sport. 5 March 2011.
  32. ↑ "Goalkeeper Stephen Bywater 'not in Derby County plans'". BBC Sport. 21 September 2011.
  33. ↑ "http://www.dcfc.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10270~2562147,00.html". Derby County F.C. 31 December 2011. Archived from the original on 9 January 2012. External link in |title= (help)
  34. ↑ "Sheffield Wednesday net Derby's Stephen Bywater on loan". BBC Sport. 20 September 2011.
  35. ↑ "Sheffield Wednesday want to sign loan trio". BBC Sport. 12 December 2011.
  36. ↑ "Talks ongoing for Derby duo Bywater and Pearson". BBC Sport. 15 December 2011.
  37. ↑ "Bywater set to make switch to Owls as soon as window opens". thisisderbyshire.co.uk. 30 December 2011.
  38. ↑ "Owls seal Bywater deal". Sheffield Wednesday F.C. 31 December 2011.
  39. 1 2 3 "Stephen Bywater happy with Sheffield Wednesday position". BBC Sport. 3 May 2012. Retrieved 3 October 2014.
  40. 1 2 3 "Sheffield Wed 2 - 0 Wycombe". BBC Sport. 5 May 2012. Retrieved 3 October 2014.
  41. ↑ "Owls trio to sign new deals". thestar.co.uk. 18 June 2012.
  42. 1 2 3 "Bywater pens new deal". Sheffield Wednesday F.C. 27 June 2012.
  43. ↑ "Keeper competition". www.millwallfc.co.uk. Retrieved 2013-06-24.
  44. ↑ "Millwall 2-1 Wimbledon". BBC Sport. 6 August 2013. Retrieved 30 January 2014.
  45. ↑ "Stephen Bywater — Season 2013-14". www.soccerbase.com. Retrieved 30 January 2014.
  46. ↑ "Millwall 1-0 Ipswich Town". BBC Sport. Retrieved 30 January 2014.
  47. ↑ "Stephen Bywater: Gillingham sign Millwall goalkeeper on loan". BBC Sport. 15 August 2014. Retrieved 16 August 2014.
  48. ↑ "Stephen Bywater: Millwall cancel goalkeeper's contract". BBC Sport. Retrieved 15 January 2015.
  49. ↑ "Stephen Bywater signs— Season 2014-15". www.doncasterroversfc.com. Retrieved 16 January 2015.
  50. ↑ "Full time: Doncaster Rovers 1 Barnsley 0". The Star. Retrieved 20 January 2015.
  51. ↑ "Doncaster Rovers: Furman, Wabara and Bywater released by Rovers". Yorkshire Post. Retrieved 27 May 2015.
  52. ↑ "Indian Super League 2015: Ex-West Ham goalkeeper Stephen Bywater happy to be with Kerala Blasters". http://www.ibtimes.co.in/. ibtimes. 18 September 2015. Retrieved 8 October 2015. External link in |website= (help)
  53. ↑ "England U21 Caps, 1976–present". Football Association. Retrieved 12 August 2007.
  54. ↑ Fletcher, Paul (23 August 2007). "England's goalkeeper options". BBC News. Retrieved 24 May 2010.
  55. ↑ "Stephen Bywater". Soccerbase. Retrieved 22 January 2015.
  56. ↑ "Rams Keeper is Cage fight fan". TheFootballLeague.co.uk. Retrieved 18 December 2008.
  57. ↑ "Foul Play: Seven Deadly Sins of Football". The Guardian. 21 May 2009. Retrieved 22 January 2015.
  58. ↑ "Rams star's garden art is attacked as an `eyesore' by neighbours". The Derby Telegraph. 22 September 2010. Retrieved 22 January 2015.
  59. ↑ "Stephen Bywater Statement". Derby County F.C. Archived from the original on 24 September 2010. Retrieved 22 September 2010.
  60. ↑ "Derby goalkeeper puts 'toilet artwork' on eBay". BBC News. 25 September 2010. Retrieved 25 September 2010.
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