Name: Stuart Holden
Born: Aug. 1, 1985, in Aberdeen, Scotland
Position: Midfielder
Pro club: Bolton Wanders
Spare a thought for Stuart Holden, Bolton Wanderers’ American midfielder who has suffered one injury setback after another during his young career. Holden initially injured his right knee against Manchester United on March 19, 2011 – United defender Jonny Evans opened a nasty gash on Holden’s knee that required 26 stitches and sidelined him for six months. He returned for Bolton that September after undergoing surgery but then had a second operation a few days later and was ruled out for the rest of the season. Holden finally returned for Bolton, who had been relegated to the English Championship, in January 2013 but was sent out on loan to Sheffield Wednesday. His career appeared to be back on track, as he was recalled by the U.S. national team. But during Sunday’s CONCACAF Gold Cup final against Panama, Holden’s run of back luck continued when he sprained his right knee midway through the first half. The U.S. went on to win 1-0, but Holden was subsequently diagnosed with a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee.
For all that know me + have supported me, I hope u know I will always prevail no matter what the outcome. Fingers crossed. Let's celebrate!
— Stuart Holden (@stuholden) July 28, 2013
He’s special because
Don’t let his injury problems fool you. Holden is a classy midfielder who possesses an elegant touch on the ball. Noted for his ability to link play between the defence and the attack, Holden is also known for his deftness on set pieces and for delivering dangerous crosses.
Club career
Born in Scotland, Holden played soccer for the Aberdeen FC School of Excellence until age 10 when he his family moved to Texas. After playing two years at Clemson University, Stuart signed with English club Sunderland in March 2005. But injuries prevented him playing a single game for the Black Cats, and he returned home to the U.S. in January 2006 when he signed with the Houston Dynamo. Holden quickly established himself as one of the best midfielders in Major League Soccer, and helped the Dynamo win back-to-back MLS Cups in 2006 and 2007. He joined Bolton in January 2010. At first he received little playing time, but became a regular starter for Wanderers during the 2010-11 campaign.
International career
Although born in Scotland, Holden played for the U.S. at youth level, including for the under-23 team at the 2008 Beijing Olympics – he scored in the U.S.’s opening match in a 1–0 victory against Japan. He graduated to the senior team the following year at the CONCACAF Gold Cup and scored in his debut in a 4-0 win over Grenada. He netted an injury-time equalizer against Haiti seven days later, and was selected to the Gold Cup All-Tournament Team. He was a part of the U.S. team that competed at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa (he made one appearance as a substitute) and scored his third goal at national team level earlier this month at the Gold Cup in a 6-1 win over Belize.
His most famous moment
Holden scored into the top right corner of the net in the Houston Dynamo’s penalty shootout victory over the New England Revolution in the 2006 MLS Cup final. His 30-yard strike against Haiti at the 2009 Gold Cup was pretty special, too.
Here’s an interesting fact
Despite missing the final two months of the 2010-11 Premiership season, Holden was voted the 2011 Bolton Wanderers Player of the Year.
He said it
“Obviously, I wish (past injuries) never happened, but it’s something that has happened and you deal with it and you get on with it. I look at it in the sense that I’m unfortunate but then I look at it in another way that I’m constantly being challenged and I tend to react well to challenges.”
What they’re saying about him
“He’s a good friend and he’s the soul of this (U.S. national) team … We’re bummed out for him.” — Landon Donovan.
Gold cup champions USA USA USA !!! pic.twitter.com/gXgxYNtqzn
— Stuart Holden (@stuholden) July 28, 2013