Stephen Michael Gleeson (born 3 August 1988) is an Irish professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for club Hitchin Town.
Gleeson played youth football in his native Dublin before coming to England at the age of 15 to join Wolverhampton Wanderers. He rarely played first-team football for them, but spent time on loan to lower-league clubs Stockport County (three separate spells), Hereford United and Milton Keynes Dons, before signing a three-year contract with the latter club in 2009. After five years, during which time he made more than 200 appearances in all competitions, Gleeson moved on to Birmingham City. He spent three and a half seasons at Birmingham, making more than 100 appearances in the Championship. He has since played for Ipswich Town, Aberdeen, Solihull Moors and Hemel Hempstead Town.
At international level, Gleeson was capped twice for the Republic of Ireland in 2007, and was not capped again for nearly ten years. He also represented his country at under-age levels, and made 16 appearances for the under-21 team.
Club career
Early life and club career Gleeson was born in Dublin, an only child, and raised in Crumlin, in the south of the city. As a youngster he admired Roy Keane, and tried to model his game on that of Steven Gerrard. He played for nearby Lourdes Celtic before moving on to Cherry Orchard. In the 2002–03 season, he scored a winning goal against a title rival to win the 14 Premier League, and scored with an "excellent volley" as Cherry Orchard won the SFAI under-15 Evans Cup the following year. Recommended to Wolverhampton Wanderers by their Irish scout, Willie Byrne, Gleeson came to England as a 15-year-old for a trial, and joined their academy.
He made his reserve-team debut on 24 August 2004 as a late substitute in their first home fixture of the season – three weeks after his 16th birthday – and by October 2004, he was starting. He helped Wolves' youth team reach the semifinal of that season's FA Youth Cup, but was sent off in extra time in the second leg, and Wolves lost on penalties to Southampton. He continued to appear regularly for the reserves. In 2005–06, he scored 4 goals from 16 reserve-team appearances, and at the beginning of May 2006, he signed his first professional contract, of three years. Describing him as a playmaker with "good pace [who] gets forward, with an eye for goal", academy manager Chris Evans said that Gleeson had trained with the first team "from time to time" and had impressed manager Glenn Hoddle.
First steps in senior football Gleeson was given a first-team squad number for 2006–07, through by the time the season began, Hoddle had resigned and been replaced by Mick McCarthy. Gleeson joined League Two club Stockport County on a month's loan in November, with the aim of gaining experience and returning to Wolves to fight for a first-team place. An unused substitute in County's next match, Gleeson made his senior debut on 11 November in a 2–1 victory at Exeter City in the FA Cup, and his first appearance in the Football League came the following weekend in the starting eleven for a 1–1 draw away to Chester City. The loan was extended for a second month, and on 9 December, he scored his first senior goal, a header from Adam Proudlock's cross to complete a 5–2 win against Darlington. He said afterwards that he "just closed [his] eyes and hoped for the best". He thought his second goal had come a few days later, when his last-minute shot off the crossbar appeared to cross the line before bouncing out for Liam Dickinson to seal a 2–0 win against Notts County.
His loan was again extended, and by the time it expired he had made 17 appearances, scored again, with a tap-in as Stockport beat Wycombe Wanderers 2–0, and his manager was "sad to see him go, [but] also excited for him because he is going to have a great future in the game. He leaves as a better player with more self-confidence and one who deserves to play at a higher level." The supporters designated his final appearance, against Hereford United, "Stephen Gleeson Day".
McCarthy recalled Gleeson to Wolves to be part of the first-team squad, and he returned "bursting with confidence and desperate for a first team chance", only to find a winning team and strong competition for a place in midfield. He made the first-team bench for the first time on 3 March, and made his Wolves debut on 9 April, as a late substitute in a 3–1 defeat of Hull City. He made two more brief league appearances, and played for half an hour in the second leg of the play-off semi-final, which Wolves lost 4–2 on aggregate. He came close to creating a goal for his side when his long ball forward was deflected past Albion's goalkeeper by a defender, who managed to recover in time to clear it off the line.
More loan moves After Gleeson's pre-season was disrupted by injury, he damaged a hip in the League Cup in late August, and a month later, he was allowed home leave to recover from concussion and a loss of feeling in the leg sustained in collision with the opposing goalkeeper in a reserve match. He captained the reserves, but made no more appearances for the first team before joining League Two club Hereford United on 21 February 2008 on a month's loan. Starting in central midfield against local rivals Shrewsbury Town, the Hereford Times reported that he "struggled to come to terms with the pace of the game during the first half but showed his quality in the second period", a performance that earned him a place in the League Two Team of the Week. In his second match, he should have done better with a shooting chance, and after the third, a defeat to promotion rivals Stockport, manager Graham Turner made several changes; Gleeson lost his place to first-team regular Toumani Diagouraga who returned after injury. Because Hereford had more loanees than the five permitted in the matchday squad, Gleeson was not always involved, but he did come back into the side as a second-half substitute on 22 March. Although Turner wanted to retain his services, he returned to Wolves and promptly rejoined Stockport until the end of the season, subject to a 24-hour recall clause.
Gleeson played in six of Stockport's remaining seven regular-season league matches as they finished fourth, and faced Wycombe Wanderers in the play-off semi-final. In the first leg, at Wycombe's Adams Park ground, Stockport were a goal behind when half-time substitute Gleeson "sent an effort from 25 yards out spiralling past goalkeeper Frank Fielding with eight minutes remaining"; the Daily Telegraph reporter termed it a "blistering" volley and a "piledriver". The goal was later voted Stockport's Goal of 2008 by fans. Early in the second leg, the danger from his "ridiculous" headed back-pass was only averted by his goalkeeper's agility, as Stockport went on to win the match 1–0. He started in the final, in which Stockport beat Rochdale 3–2 to win promotion to League One.
His association with Stockport continued the following season as he spent the first half of the campaign on loan with the club. Gleeson accused Wolves of "a bit of a bullying tactic" in trying to make him sign a contract extension before allowing him to move he resisted, saying there was no hurry, and he would not sign unless the terms were acceptable and was fined two weeks' wages for criticising the club. Stockport manager Gannon claimed the player had been so upset by the matter that he had considered giving up the game. He missed only four of Stockport's thirty matches during the loan spell: one while on international duty with the Ireland under-21 team and three while suspended after being sent off for an off-the-ball incident. He scored three goalseach time with a powerful shot from at least and when his loan spell ended, the team were fifth in the division.
Gleeson returned to his parent club, and signed a one-year extension to his contract. Injuries and suspensions among the Wolves players prevented his going out on loan until late March, when he joined League One club Milton Keynes Dons for the remainder of the season. He provided two assists for Mark Wright as MK Dons won 2–0 at Southend United, and generally impressed "with his all-action performances and slick passing" in four consecutive wins, but on his fifth appearance, suffered ankle ligament damage that kept him out of their ultimately unsuccessful play-off campaign.
Milton Keynes Dons: the first three seasons Following Wolves' promotion to the Premier League, Gleeson was made available for transfer. He had played under Roberto di Matteo's management while on loan at MK Dons, and despite Di Matteo's departure for West Bromwich Albion and replacement by Paul Ince, he signed a three-year contract with the club on 1 July 2009. the fee, officially undisclosed, was described as nominal. He was used in various midfield positions, including wide on the right, which was not to his taste, and at the base of a diamond, and was encouraged to break up play as well as perform his more accustomed creative role. After a 1–0 win against Wycombe Wanderers in September, Ince said that Gleeson "set the tempo for the game in the first minute with a great tackle and we just pushed on from there." MK Dons had begun the season as possible promotion contenders, but a strong start gave way to a slide into midtable, in which indiscipline was a factor. By mid-February, the team had received 100 yellow cards, far more than any other; Gleeson was a major contributor with 10, which earned him a two-match suspension. He was booked twice more before his season ended early when he damaged medial knee ligaments.
Gleeson's knee recovered in time for pre-season training, and he began the 2010–11 season in the unaccustomed position of right back, to which new manager Karl Robinson thought him well suited. He injured his back in his second appearance and was out of action for three months. When he did return, in his more usual position of central midfield, he "[showed] all his customary composure and quality in possession" in a friendly match, and went on to play in every competitive fixture until the final one of the regular season, for which, with a play-off place secure, Robinson selected a young team. He scored twice, the first a "wonder goal" from against Leyton Orient in January 2011 that won the club's Goal of the Season award. In the first leg of the play-off semi-final, MK Dons took a 3–1 lead, but with ten minutes left, Gleeson was sent off for bringing down Mark Little and a penalty was awarded and converted. The sending-off was rescinded on appeal, but Peterborough United won the second leg 2–0, qualifying for the final 4–3 on aggregate, and Gleeson and teammate Keanu Marsh-Brown came to blows in frustration. In June, Peterborough's reported £600,000 offer for Gleeson was rejected.