Steve Sidwell Biography | Steve Sidwell News

Arsenal
Sidwell was born in Wandsworth, London. He was part of the Arsenal youth team that won the FA Youth Cup in 2000 and 2001. One of his team mates during these years was James Harper, who he would go on to play with at Reading. He had successful loan spells with Brentford and Brighton, but was unable to break into the Arsenal first team.

Reading
Sidwell moved to Reading for an undisclosed fee on a four-and-a-half year deal in January 2003. He was supposed to join Charlton Athletic[citation needed] but decided to go to Reading.

In 2004, Four Four Two Magazine voted him the best player outside the Premier League.

A vital part of Reading's Championship-winning 2005–06 squad, in April 2006 Sidwell was named in the Championship Team of the Year by the Professional Footballers' Association, keeping the place he had been given the previous year.

In the summer of 2006, Sidwell rejected a contract extension,and it was rumoured that he might be sold to Everton, Charlton Athletic or Manchester City, as his contract was due to run out at the end of the 2006–07 season. Reading decided to keep Sidwell for their inaugural season in the Premier League, and risk losing him without a transfer fee when his contract ran out.

Over the course of the season, he was linked with a number of high profile clubs. After the last game of the season, Reading manager Steve Coppell confirmed that Sidwell had left the club and knew who he had signed for, but refused to say.

Chelsea
Sidwell joined Chelsea on 1 July 2007 on a free transfer from Reading, and was given squad number 9 for the 2007–08 season. In his first interview after joining Chelsea, Sidwell stated that he had not come to Chelsea to 'make up the numbers', and that he believed training and playing alongside top players like Michael Essien and Frank Lampard would only help him improve.

He made his debut for Chelsea in a 2–1 win over Mexican side Club América in a friendly match in Stanford, California, during Chelsea's summer 2007 tour of the United States. His Premiership debut for Chelsea came on 12 August 2007 in a 3–2 victory against Birmingham City when he replaced Florent Malouda in the 83rd minute, and he scored his only goal for the club on 26 September 2007, in a 4-0 win away to Hull City in the third round of the Football League Cup.

At the end of the 2007–08 season, Sidwell became linked to several Premier League clubs, including Everton, Aston Villa and Middlesbrough.

 Aston Villa
On 10 July 2008, Sidwell signed a three-year deal with Aston Villa for an undisclosed fee, believed to be in the region of £5,000,000. He made his debut for the club in a pre-season game against FC Zürich, playing the first 45 minutes, in a match which Villa lost 2-1. On 19 July 2008, Sidwell scored an own goal for Odense in the UEFA Intertoto Cup 2008 in a 2-2 draw at Fionia Park.

Arsenal
Sidwell was born in Wandsworth, London. He was part of the Arsenal youth team that won the FA Youth Cup in 2000 and 2001. One of his team mates during these years was James Harper, who he would go on to play with at Reading. He had successful loan spells with Brentford and Brighton, but was unable to break into the Arsenal first team.

Reading
Sidwell moved to Reading for an undisclosed fee on a four-and-a-half year deal in January 2003. He was supposed to join Charlton Athletic[citation needed] but decided to go to Reading.

In 2004, Four Four Two Magazine voted him the best player outside the Premier League.

A vital part of Reading's Championship-winning 2005–06 squad, in April 2006 Sidwell was named in the Championship Team of the Year by the Professional Footballers' Association, keeping the place he had been given the previous year.

In the summer of 2006, Sidwell rejected a contract extension,and it was rumoured that he might be sold to Everton, Charlton Athletic or Manchester City, as his contract was due to run out at the end of the 2006–07 season. Reading decided to keep Sidwell for their inaugural season in the Premier League, and risk losing him without a transfer fee when his contract ran out.

Over the course of the season, he was linked with a number of high profile clubs. After the last game of the season, Reading manager Steve Coppell confirmed that Sidwell had left the club and knew who he had signed for, but refused to say.

Chelsea
Sidwell joined Chelsea on 1 July 2007 on a free transfer from Reading, and was given squad number 9 for the 2007–08 season. In his first interview after joining Chelsea, Sidwell stated that he had not come to Chelsea to 'make up the numbers', and that he believed training and playing alongside top players like Michael Essien and Frank Lampard would only help him improve.

He made his debut for Chelsea in a 2–1 win over Mexican side Club América in a friendly match in Stanford, California, during Chelsea's summer 2007 tour of the United States. His Premiership debut for Chelsea came on 12 August 2007 in a 3–2 victory against Birmingham City when he replaced Florent Malouda in the 83rd minute, and he scored his only goal for the club on 26 September 2007, in a 4-0 win away to Hull City in the third round of the Football League Cup.

At the end of the 2007–08 season, Sidwell became linked to several Premier League clubs, including Everton, Aston Villa and Middlesbrough.

 Aston Villa
On 10 July 2008, Sidwell signed a three-year deal with Aston Villa for an undisclosed fee, believed to be in the region of £5,000,000. He made his debut for the club in a pre-season game against FC Zürich, playing the first 45 minutes, in a match which Villa lost 2-1. On 19 July 2008, Sidwell scored an own goal for Odense in the UEFA Intertoto Cup 2008 in a 2-2 draw at Fionia Park.

Sidwell married Krystell on 19 June 2005. Within days of returning from their honeymoon, Steve had a tattoo of the wedding vows he had written for Krystell placed on his back.  Their son Harry was born in April 2006.

His brother, Lee Sidwell, is an amateur footballer. He played for AFC Wimbledon during the 2002–03 campaign, their inaugural season in the Combined Counties Football League Division One, and also won the award for Player of the Year during that season. He left the club in September 2004 to join Whyteleafe.

Sidwell married Krystell on 19 June 2005. Within days of returning from their honeymoon, Steve had a tattoo of the wedding vows he had written for Krystell placed on his back.  Their son Harry was born in April 2006.

His brother, Lee Sidwell, is an amateur footballer. He played for AFC Wimbledon during the 2002–03 campaign, their inaugural season in the Combined Counties Football League Division One, and also won the award for Player of the Year during that season. He left the club in September 2004 to join Whyteleafe.