Stephen McManus, born on 10 September 1982, is a retired Scottish footballer who spent the majority of his career as a sturdy central defender. Standing at 6ft 2in and weighing 12st 12lb, McManus was a formidable presence on the pitch.
McManus started his professional career at Celtic in 1998. His early career was rather unexceptional, making only seven appearances in his first two seasons (2003 - 2004, 2004 - 2005). However, he came into his own in the 2005-2006 season, making 36 appearances and scoring seven goals. His following seasons were more consistent, clocking in 31, 37, 31 and eight appearances respectively from seasons 2006 - 2010. He also managed to find the back of the net a total of 10 times in these four seasons.
In January 2010, McManus was loaned to Middlesbrough and subsequently transferred for a fee of around £1.5m in July 2010. His stint with Middlesbrough was interrupted by loan spells with Bristol City twice. He made over 65 appearances for the English side between seasons 2009 - 2012, scoring two goals.
His time at Bristol City was brief, but he suitably contributed with a total of 17 appearances and a goal across two loan terms in the season of 2011 - 2012 and 2012 - 2013.
The latter half of his career saw him transfer to Motherwell in 2013. McManus put on a solid performance, seeing out his career with consistent playing time. Between seasons 2013 - 2017, he racked up a commendable 135 appearances and scored five goals.
All considered, Stephen McManus displayed steadfast consistency throughout a career filled with transitions and tumultuous loan spells. The Scottish born defender left a mark in the annals of every club he ever represented.
