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Stewart Downing made his name in English football at Middlesbrough before embarking on fresh challenges with Aston Villa, Liverpool and West Ham, but in 2015 they re-signed the winger in a £7 million deal.
The tricky wing-wizard never quite managed to reach the heights which many expected of him when he burst onto the scene as a youngster, but he has enjoyed a decent career in English football.
That Downing has been capped 35-times by the England national side proves he was in the international frame for a large part of his career, but his failure to score a single goal in that time is telling.
An unsuccessful spell at Liverpool forced him to take a step down in class at West Ham before he re-joined Boro and, despite his disappointing dip in form for both the aforementioned sides, his return was met with delight by the supporters.
Here’s what some of the Boro fans had to say upon his return to the north east…
Downing returns and Woody signs a new deal….. What a day for the @Boro family! #UTB
— Matthew Cooke (@MattyCooke93) July 17, 2015
My birthday and Boro just signed Downing, Stuani and got Woody to sign for another year, life doesn’t get better
— Harry Almond (@Harry_Almond) July 17, 2015
Stewart Downing has matured into a rare beast: a magic man who also sets the tone in the centre of the park. An inspirational signing.
— Si's Insights (@sis_insights) July 17, 2015
Waking up to pictures of Stewart Downing in a Boro top. It's what dreams are made of. It really is in the blood!
— we are boro (@weareboro) July 17, 2015
Boro signing Tomas Kalas and Stewart Downing? surely biggest promotion candidates this season
— Michael. (@michael_h1990) July 17, 2015
Boro signing Tomas Kalas and Stewart Downing? surely biggest promotion candidates this season
— Michael. (@michael_h1990) July 17, 2015
Boro signing Tomas Kalas and Stewart Downing? surely biggest promotion candidates this season
— Michael. (@michael_h1990) July 17, 2015
Boro signing Tomas Kalas and Stewart Downing? surely biggest promotion candidates this season
— Michael. (@michael_h1990) July 17, 2015
And the glowing response to his arrival was vindicated on his first season back at the club, with a return of three goals and five assists helping Boro on their way to promotion.
What the statistics cannot reveal is the impact Downing made in the final-third with his creativity and direct style of dribbling, and perhaps the statistics don’t quite illuminate the full extent of his quality.
Even at 34-years-old, Downing continues to start the majority of games on the right-side of Boro’s midfield, but in the event Tony Pulis masterminds a successful promotion bid it seems unlikely that he will manage to retain a starting berth in the top-flight.
Boro fans – thoughts on Downing? Let us know below!
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