Kenny Dalglish secured the capture of England international winger Stewart Downing from Aston Villa in July 2011.
Downing is a traditional wide man who is capable of playing on both the left and right flank.
He was spotted by Middlesbrough as a schoolboy and made his first-team debut for the club on April 24, 2002 in a Premier League match at Ipswich Town.
He went on to make 206 appearances for his hometown club and played a major part in helping them reach the UEFA Cup final in May 2006, which Steve McClaren's side eventually lost 4-0 to Sevilla.
Along the route to the final Downing produced fantastic displays against Lazio and the incredible comeback against Steaua Bucharest when he had a hand in all four Middlesbrough goals as Boro came back from 3-0 down to win 4-3 on aggregate.
His performances for Boro continued to attract interest and an international call-up was a due reward for his consistency.
He made his England debut on March 9, 2005, during a friendly against Holland at Villa Park when he appeared as a second-half replacement for Shaun Wright-Phillips.
Downing was strongly linked with a move to Anfield during the summer of 2008 but Rafael Benitez instead signed Albert Riera.
He left the Riverside Stadium for a new challenge at Aston Villa during the summer of 2009 and enjoyed a two-year spell which saw him make 75 appearances and score eight goals.
He claimed nine Barclays Premier League assists for Villa last season, more than any Liverpool player.
Away from the pitch Downing has been involved in several charitable and community projects.
He supports the nationwide 'No Messin' campaign along with freestyler Colin Nell and boxer Amir Khan, warning youngsters against playing on the railway lines.
He held a charity dinner with special guest boxer Ricky Hatton to raise funds for the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne in February 2008. The hospital had cared for Vicky, Stewart's sister, who died of leukaemia in 1993 at the age of four. |
England
