36 Facts About Stephen Gleeson

Stephen Michael Gleeson was born on 3 August 1988 and is an Irish professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Southern League Premier Division Central club Hitchin Town.

Stephen Gleeson rarely played first-team football for them, but spent time on loan to lower-league clubs Stockport County, Hereford United and Milton Keynes Dons, before signing a three-year contract with the latter club in 2009.

Stephen Gleeson spent three and a half seasons at Birmingham, making more than 100 appearances in the Championship.

Stephen Gleeson has since played for Ipswich Town, Aberdeen, Solihull Moors and Hemel Hempstead Town.

At international level, Stephen Gleeson was capped twice for the Republic of Ireland in 2007, and was not capped again for nearly ten years.

Stephen Gleeson represented his country at under-age levels, and made 16 appearances for the under-21 team.

Stephen Gleeson was born in Dublin, an only child, and raised in Crumlin, in the south of the city.

Stephen Gleeson played for nearby Lourdes Celtic before moving on to Cherry Orchard.

Stephen Gleeson helped Wolves' youth team reach the semifinal of that season's FA Youth Cup, but was sent off in extra time in the second leg, and Wolves lost on penalties to Southampton.

Stephen Gleeson said afterwards that he "just closed [his] eyes and hoped for the best".

Stephen Gleeson came close to creating a goal for his side when his long ball forward was deflected past Albion's goalkeeper by a defender, who managed to recover in time to clear it off the line.

Stephen Gleeson captained the reserves, but made no more appearances for the first team before joining League Two club Hereford United on 21 February 2008 on a month's loan.

Stephen Gleeson played in six of Stockport's remaining seven regular-season league matches as they finished fourth, and faced Wycombe Wanderers in the play-off semi-final.

Stephen Gleeson missed only four of Stockport's thirty matches during the loan spell: one while on international duty with the Ireland under-21 team and three while suspended after being sent off for an off-the-ball incident.

Stephen Gleeson returned to his parent club, and signed a one-year extension to his contract.

Stephen Gleeson had played under Roberto di Matteo's management while on loan at MK Dons, and despite Di Matteo's departure for West Bromwich Albion and replacement by Paul Ince, he signed a three-year contract with the club on 1 July 2009.

Stephen Gleeson was used in various midfield positions, including wide on the right, which was not to his taste, and at the base of a diamond, and was encouraged to break up play as well as perform his more accustomed creative role.

Stephen Gleeson was booked twice more before his season ended early when he damaged medial knee ligaments.

Stephen Gleeson injured his back in his second appearance and was out of action for three months.

Stephen Gleeson scored twice, the first a "wonder goal" from 30 yards against Leyton Orient in January 2011 that won the club's Goal of the Season award.

The club's website highlighted his central midfield partnership with Darren Potter, a new signing with whom Stephen Gleeson had played for Wolves' reserves and in international football, as integral to the team's good start to the season, and the pair helped MK Dons come close to eliminating Premier League Queens Park Rangers in the third round of the FA Cup.

Stephen Gleeson played in 39 of the 46 League One matches and scored 5 league goals as the team were rarely out of the play-off positions, but indiscipline remained an issue.

Stephen Gleeson was in tears afterwards, and Robinson said that the criticism he had received during the season for an apparent attitude problem was misplaced.

On 2 December 2012, Stephen Gleeson produced another goal from distance to open the scoring in MK Dons' first meeting with AFC Wimbledon.

Stephen Gleeson made his debut in the starting eleven for the opening-day defeat at Middlesbrough, but failed to establish himself in the team: of the twelve league matches under Lee Clark's management, he started five and came on as a substitute in five as Birmingham dropped towards the relegation places.

Stephen Gleeson was sent off for retaliation in February 2016 as Birmingham beat Brentford, and new loan signing Robert Tesche of Nottingham Forest took his place alongside Davis.

Stephen Gleeson continued as first choice in a two-man midfield, generally partnering new signing Maikel Kieftenbeld, and according to the Birmingham Mail, was "arguably Blues' most important player, knitting together defence and attack and adding goals to his game".

Stephen Gleeson was linked with moves to other Championship clubs, including Leeds United, Reading and Sheffield Wednesday, during the close season, and his pre-season was disrupted by an infected toe, but he still began the new campaign in the starting eleven.

Stephen Gleeson left Birmingham on a free transfer on 19 January 2018, and signed until the end of the season for another Championship club, Ipswich Town, under the management of Mick McCarthy who had given him his debut at Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Stephen Gleeson signed a two-year contract with Scottish Premiership club Aberdeen in June 2018.

Stephen Gleeson made 21 league appearances before leaving the club when his contract expired at the end of the season.

Stephen Gleeson was capped at under-15 and under-16 level, before making his debut for the Republic of Ireland under-17 team in 2004.

Stephen Gleeson started one match and played as a substitute in the other two; Ireland lost all three.

Stephen Gleeson was vice-captain of the under-19 team as they reached the same stage of the 2007 competition, but withdrew from the qualifiers because of club commitments with Wolves in the Championship play-offs.

Stephen Gleeson was the youngest of eleven uncapped players included by Steve Staunton in the Ireland squad for a two-match visit to the United States in May 2007.

Stephen Gleeson had previously expressed disappointment at his omission even when 40-man squads were named for Ireland matches, but in March 2016 manager Martin O'Neill selected him in the squad for friendlies against Switzerland and Slovakia.