Stephen John Finnan, popularly known as Steve Finnan, is a footballer who was born on April 24, 1976. He lived in the Janesboro area of Limerick City, Ireland, but relocated very early in life to Chelmsford, England.
Steve Finnan played for the Republic of Ireland Under-21 team and was promoted to the Irish starting XI in 2000 against Greece, as a substitute for the injured Stephen Carr. In the qualifying match of the 2002 Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) World Cup, he provided the cross to Jason McAteer to score the only goal that helped the team win a crucial game against the Netherlands in September 2001. He was selected to play in all four matches that Ireland participated in during the 2002 World Cup, as well as in the qualifying matches of the 2006 World Cup. Steve Finnan announced his retirement from international football on January 22, 2008, after making 50 appearances for the Republic of Ireland.
Steve Finnan started his career in football with the Youth Team of Wimbledon. He moved on to the non-league club, Welling United, in 1993 and then turned professional in 1995 when he began playing for Birmingham City. In 1996, he was loaned to Notts County, which went on to take him permanently. In the 1997-98 season, Steve Finnan helped the club win the Third Division Football League. His performance attracted the attention of reputed teams, but it was Fulham that paid £600,000 to take him in November 1998. He helped his team win the Second and First Division Football League in 1999 and 2001, as well as the UEFA Intertoto Cup in 2002. Steve Finnan was voted into the Professional Footballer’s Association (PFA) team of the year by fellow professionals in 2001-2002. He was with Fulham till 2003, before moving on to Liverpool for a fee of £3.5 million. He represented his club in the finals of Carling Club against Chelsea and was part of the team when it won the 2005 UEFA Champions League against A.C.Milan. His team added another trophy to its collection with its FA Cup win. Steve Finnan also participated in the 2007 UEFA Champions League final as a substitute for Alvaro Arbeloa. In July 2007, he signed a new three year contract with Liverpool.
Steve Finnan shares the distinction of scoring in the five top divisions of English football with Jimmy Willis, an English football veteran. His consistent performance has earned him many votes in a poll on the Liverpool official website. Steve Finnan also holds the distinction of being the only player who has appeared in the World Cup, Champions League, Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) Cup, and every English football league from the Football Association (FA) Premier League to the Football Conference.
Steve Finnan is a fan of several former Liverpool players and enjoys playing golf and listening to different types of artists, including Coldplay, during his spare time.
