:Stephen Carson

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Stephen Carson

| image =

| caption =

| full_name = Stephen Carson{{Hugman|3165|accessdate=26 March 2017}}

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1980|10|6|df=y}}

| birth_place = Ballymoney, Northern Ireland

| height =

| position = Winger

| youthyears1 =

| youthclubs1 =

| years1 = 1999–2001

| years2 = 2001–2003

| years3 = 2003–2004

| years4 = 2004

| years5 = 2004–2011

| years6 = 2011–2013

| years7 = 2013–2014

| clubs1 = Rangers

| clubs2 = Dundee United

| clubs3 = Barnsley

| clubs4 = Hartlepool United

| clubs5 = Coleraine

| clubs6 = Glentoran

| clubs7 = Coleraine

| caps1 = 2

| goals1 = 0

| caps2 = 20

| goals2 = 0

| caps3 = 11

| goals3 = 1

| caps4 = 3

| goals4 = 0

| caps5 = 280

| goals5 = 62

| caps6 = 51

| goals6 = 7

| caps7 = 20

| goals7 = 3

| nationalyears1 = 2000–2001

| nationalyears2 = 2009

| nationalteam1 = Northern Ireland U21

| nationalteam2 = Northern Ireland

| nationalcaps1 = 2

| nationalgoals1 = 0

| nationalcaps2 = 1

| nationalgoals2 = 0

}}

Stephen Carson (born 6 October 1980) is a Northern Irish former professional footballer who played as a winger. He is now director of coaching at FC Westchester.

Career

Carson started his senior career in the Scottish Premier League with Rangers. After only a handful of first team appearances, he moved to Dundee United in August 2001 for a transfer fee of £150,000,{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/scotland/1476308.stm|title=Carson moves to Dundee United|date=6 August 2001|work=BBC Sport|accessdate=4 March 2009}} but he struggled to command a regular place in the team. After leaving United in 2003, Carson had brief spells with Barnsley and Hartlepool United prior to his return to Northern Ireland to join the club he supported as a boy, Coleraine. Stephen Carson is also Youth development officer at Coleraine.

In May 2008, he received his first call-up to the Northern Ireland squad for the friendly against Italy on 6 June. He won his first international cap with a start in against the Azzurri in Pisa.

In July 2009 it was reported on the BBC Sport website that Carson was in talks with A-League side Newcastle United Jets FC about a possible transfer.{{cite news| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/irish/8157317.stm | work=BBC News | title=Carson poised for Australian move | date=18 July 2009 | accessdate=24 May 2010}} Carson went on a trial in Australia but the transfer did not take place.

Carson revealed on 11 April 2011, that he would be leaving Coleraine to join Glentoran at the end of the 2010–2011 season.{{cite news| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/13110620.stm | work=BBC News | title=Glentoran confirm Carson signing | date=17 April 2011}} He would later go on to win the Irish League Cup with the side in 2012 and the Irish Cup a year later.

After two seasons in total, however, Carson returned to his boyhood favourites, Coleraine FC, where he resumed the position of winger. He retired in January 2014 to take up a coaching role in New York with Everton FC Westchester.

Career statistics

rowspan="2"\|Club !rowspan="2"\|Season !colspan="2"\|League !colspan="2"\|National cup !colspan="2"\|League cup !colspan="2"\|Other !colspan="2"\|Total
class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" \|+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
rowspan="3"\|Rangers \|1999–00 \|0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	1	0
2000–01 \|2	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	3	0
Total !2	0	1	0	1	0	0	0	4	0
rowspan="3"\|Dundee United \|2001–02 \|13	0	4	0	1	0	0	0	18	0
2002–03 \|7	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	7	0
Total !20	0	4	0	1	0	0	0	25	0
Barnsley \|2003–04 \|11	1	4	0	0	0	2	0	17	1
Hartlepool \|2003–04 \|3	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	3	0
colspan="2"\|Career total !36	1	9	0	2	0	2	0	49	1