As Stephen Craigan celebrates his big 5-0 birthday today, we look at some of his best moments playing for Northern Ireland…
Having made a dozen appearances for his country across the Under-16, U17 and U18 levels, Stephen Craigan made his senior international debut against Finland in a friendly in February 2003.
He entered the fray from the substitutes’ bench and played 24 minutes at Windsor Park as the Finns won the game 1-0.
However, he did not have to wait long to make his first senior start. It came the following month away to Armenia in a Euro qualifier. That game also ended in a 1-0 defeat.
The central defender won his one and only ‘B’ international cap in 2003, too, playing 45 minutes against Scotland B in May of that year (away, 2-1 defeat).
Craigan, who would go on to earn 54 senior caps for his country, played the full 90 minutes in September 2005 as Northern Ireland famously beat England in a 2006 World Cup qualifier at Windsor Park. David Healy scored the only goal of the game.
A year later he also played the full 90 as Northern Ireland faced star-studded Spain in a Euro 2008 qualifier in Belfast. Healy was once again the goalscoring hero, netting a hat-trick in a famous 3-2 win.
Although the defender scored goals at underage level, against Switzerland (U16), Israel (U17) and Faroe Islands (U18), he never managed to find the net at senior international level.
The Newtownards-born player captained his country on five occasions. He was skipper as he earned his 50th cap in a Euro qualifier against Slovenia in September 2010 – and he led the team to a 1-0 victory in Belfast.
At youth level Craigan played for Comber Boys in his home town of Comber as well as Bloomfield and St Andrew’s before joining Bangor in 1993 at the age of 16.
He did not play for Bangor’s first team, however it was from Clandeboye Park that he made the switch to Scottish top flight side Motherwell.
The defender was initially loaned out to Scottish non-league side Blantyre Victoria for the 1994-95 season.
He returned to Fir Park the following season, making his debut in September 1995. In his first spell with the Scottish top flight club he played 34 games.
However, he was released by Motherwell in July 2000 and immediately signed for Partick Thistle, who were then in the Scottish Second Division. He helped them to the Division Two title in 2000-01 and then to the First Division title the following season. He made 122 appearances for Partick, scoring once.
Craigan returned to Motherwell in June 2003 and spent the remainder of his playing career at the North Lanarkshire club, making 347 appearances and scoring seven goals.
The defender’s final appearance for Northern Ireland came in March 2011 at Windsor Park. He played the full 90 minutes in a Euro qualifier against Slovenia.
On concluding his playing career he took up coaching. He was involved with the Northern Ireland U19 squad before taking charge of Motherwell’s Under-20s – and he also had a spell as caretaker manager of Motherwell’s first team at one stage. These days Stephen is a first team coach with Aberdeen.
In addition to that Craigan has been a football pundit on radio and television for well over a decade, giving his views on Scottish football and international football.
Happy Birthday Stephen!
Image: Stephen Craigan acknowledges the fans as he makes his last appearance for Northern Ireland against Slovenia in March 2011.
