Darren Stewart (soccer)

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Darren Stewart

| fullname = Darren Stewart

| image =

| birth_date = {{birth date|df=yes|1966|05|17}}

| birth_place = Newcastle, Australia

| death_date = {{death date and age|df=yes|2018|10|18|1966|05|17}}

| death_place = Singapore

| height =

| currentclub =

| position = Defender

| youthyears1 =

| youthclubs1 = Toronto

| youthclubs2 = Awaba

| youthclubs3 = Newcastle KB United

| years1 = 1982–1986

| clubs1 = Newcastle Rosebud

| caps1 = 16

| goals1 = 5

| years2 = 1986–1992

| clubs2 = APIA Leichhardt

| caps2 = 120

| goals2 = 6

| years3 = 1992–1993

| clubs3 = Newcastle Breakers

| caps3 = 23

| goals3 = 4

| years4 = 1993–1998

| clubs4 = Johor FA

| caps4 = 244

| goals4 = 38

| years5 = 1993–1994

| clubs5 = → Newcastle Breakers (loan)

| caps5 = 11

| goals5 = 0

| years6 = 1995–1996

| clubs6 = → Newcastle Breakers (loan)

| caps6 = 9

| goals6 = 1

| years7 = 1998–2001

| clubs7 = Balestier Central

| caps7 = 33

| goals7 = 7

| totalcaps = 456

| totalgoals = 61

| nationalyears1 = 1992

| nationalteam1 = Australia

| nationalcaps1 = 3

| nationalgoals1 = 0

| manageryears1 = 2003–2004

| managerclubs1 = Balestier Khalsa (youth)

| manageryears2 = 2004–2005

| managerclubs2 = Geylang International (youth)

| manageryears3 = 2005–2006

| managerclubs3 = Geylang International (assistant)

| manageryears4 = 2008–2011

| managerclubs4 = Gombak United

| manageryears5 = 2012–2013

| managerclubs5 = Balestier Khalsa

| manageryears6 = 2014–2015

| managerclubs6 = Woodlands Wellington

| manageryears7 = 2016–2018

| managerclubs7 = Maldives

}}

Darren Stewart (17 May 1966 – 18 October 2018) was an Australian soccer player who played in the Australian, Malaysian and Singaporean national leagues before becoming a coach active in Singapore and managing the Maldives. He represented Australia three times in 1992.

Playing career

=Club career=

A defender, Stewart was a former notable player for APIA Leichhardt, Newcastle Breakers and Johor FA where he captained and won the Malaysia FA Cup in 1998.{{cite web|url=http://www.ozfootball.net/ark/Players/STE.html|title=Stefanutto to Storey|publisher=OzFootball|work=Aussie Footballers}}{{Cite news |last=Cockerill |first=Michael |date=1999-03-23 |title=Socceroo with a foot in two cultures - and a leaning to the East |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-sydney-morning-herald-socceroo-with/149242914/ |access-date=2024-06-13 |work=The Sydney Morning Herald |pages=41}}

He moved to Singapore in 1999, where he played for Balestier Central FC from 1999 to 2002.{{Cite news |last=Chin |first=Dan Guen |date=4 December 1998 |title=Stewart moves across to Balestier |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/266417071 |access-date=2024-06-13 |work=New Strait Times |pages=40 |id={{ProQuest|266417071}} |language=en}} In 2002, he retired from playing football.

=International career=

Stewart was an Australia national football team player from 1991 to 1993.

Coaching career

He was the assistant manager for Balestier Khalsa's Prime League team in 2003 and assistant manager for the Geylang United team in 2004–2005.

He lived in Singapore where he coached and managed the Elias Park Football Club and was a coach for Little League Pte Ltd.

Stewart was named as head coach for Gombak United at the start of the 2009 S.League season. He joined the club as a technical analyst in late 2008.

In January 2012, Stewart was confirmed as Balestier Khalsa's head coach for the season 2012 S.League campaign. His time at Balestier were successful, as he guided the club to win the 2013 Singapore League Cup and 6th and 4th placings in the 2012 and 2013 league seasons respectively, the best positions by the club since merging from Balestier Central and Clementi Khalsa. However his contract was not renewed at the end of 2013.{{Cite news|author=Sazali Abdul Aziz|date=16 November 2013 |title=Darren Stewart cut loose by Balestier |url=https://www.asiaone.com/darren-stewart-cut-loose-balestier |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220120030414/https://www.asiaone.com/darren-stewart-cut-loose-balestier |archive-date=20 January 2022 |website=AsiaOne}} Stewart was then contracted to Woodlands Wellington at the start of 2014.{{Cite web |url=http://www.woodlandswellingtonfc.com/2014/01/news-1-sample.html |title=Woodlands Wellington FC: News: Darren Stewart New Rams Coach |access-date=2 August 2014 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20140806065509/http://www.woodlandswellingtonfc.com/2014/01/news-1-sample.html |archive-date=6 August 2014 |url-status=dead }} Initially Stewart were successful, with 5-game unbeaten streak in the league and interest from hometown club Newcastle United Jets to be their head coach, which Stewart turns down to stay with the Singapore club.{{Cite web |date=3 April 2014 |author=Ahmad Khan|title=Woodlands' Darren Stewart on Newcastle Jets shortlist |url=http://www.goal.com/en-sg/news/3880/singapore/2014/04/03/4726061/woodlands-darren-stewart-on-newcastle-jets-shortlist |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140607002619/http://www.goal.com/en-sg/news/3880/singapore/2014/04/03/4726061/woodlands-darren-stewart-on-newcastle-jets-shortlist |archive-date=7 June 2014 |access-date=2024-06-13 |website=Goal.com}}{{Cite news |last=Gardiner |first=James |date=9 April 2014 |title=Darren Stewart ruled out of Jets coaching job |url=https://www.newcastleherald.com.au/story/2206696/darren-stewart-ruled-out-of-jets-coaching-job/ |access-date=2024-06-13 |work=Newcastle Herald |pages=46}} But after a string of poor results, culminating in a 7–1 thrashing at the hands of Albirex Niigata (S) in June, Stewart resigned from his position at the club.{{Cite web|date=2014-06-18|title=S.League: Stewart out, Salim back with Rams|url=https://www.asiaone.com/sleague-stewart-out-salim-back-rams|access-date=2022-02-23|website=AsiaOne|language=en}}

In July 2016, Stewart was appointed head coach of the Maldives national team.[http://www.the-afc.com/maldives-republic-asian-cup-2019/maldives-name-darren-stewart-as-head-coach Maldives name Darren Stewart as head coach], Asian Football Confederation, 27 July 2016, Retrieved 3 August 2016

Death and legacy

Stewart died in Singapore on 18 October 2018 at the age of 52.{{Cite web|url=https://www.foxsports.com.au/football/former-socceroo-and-nsl-player-darren-stewart-dead-at-52/news-story/40d9a7bfa6e948b2fd2a8501b26cc5f6|title=Darren Stewart: former Socceroo and NSL player dies {{!}} Fox Sports|website=www.foxsports.com.au|date=19 October 2018|language=en-AU|access-date=2018-10-19}} In 2020, the Darren Stewart Cup, an annual tournament involving teams that Stewart represented was started.{{Cite news |last=Gardiner |first=James |date=8 February 2024 |title=Darren Stewart Cup more than a game of football |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/2923008581 |access-date=2024-06-13 |work=Newcastle Herald |pages=45 |id={{ProQuest|2923008581}} |language=en}}