About Steve Sidwell
Steven James Sidwell (born 14 December 1982) is an English former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. Sidwell was a product of the Arsenal academy, and after winning two FA Youth Cups, he had constructive loan spells at Brentford and Brighton & Hove Albion, but never broke into the Arsenal first team. He came to prominence in the Championship with Reading after a January 2003 move to the Royals and spent 4+1⁄2 years with the club, helping them to earn promotion to the Premier League for the first time ever in 2005–06. He joined Chelsea on a free transfer for the 2007–08 season, however opportunities were limited at Stamford Bridge, as he competed with players such as Frank Lampard, Michael Ballack, Claude Makélélé, and Michael Essien for playing time in central midfield. He moved to Aston Villa in July 2008 for a fee of £5 million. In his 2+1⁄2-year stay at Villa Park he played 64 times, scoring four goals. Sidwell then spent 3+1⁄2 years at Fulham, making 115 appearances scoring 17 goals. His time at Craven Cottage ended after the club was relegated from the Premier League in 2013–14, and he subsequently joined Stoke City in June 2014 on a free transfer. He made only 13 Premier League appearances for the club, and finished his career with a two year spell at Brighton & Hove Albion, initially on loan, retiring in 2018.
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