Darren Stewart (soccer) explained

Darren Stewart
Fullname:Darren Stewart
Birth Date:1966 5, df=yes
Birth Place:Newcastle, Australia
Death Place:Singapore
Position:Defender
Youthclubs1:Toronto
Youthclubs2:Awaba
Youthclubs3:Newcastle KB United
Years1:1982–1986
Clubs1:Newcastle Rosebud
Caps1:16
Goals1:5
Years2:1986–1992
Clubs2:APIA Leichhardt
Caps2:120
Goals2:6
Years3:1992–1993
Clubs3:Newcastle Breakers
Caps3:23
Goals3:4
Years4:1993–1998
Clubs4:Johor FA
Caps4:244
Goals4:38
Years5:1993–1994
Clubs5:Newcastle Breakers (loan)
Caps5:11
Goals5:0
Years6:1995–1996
Clubs6:Newcastle Breakers (loan)
Caps6:9
Goals6:1
Years7:1998–2001
Clubs7:Balestier Central
Caps7:33
Goals7:7
Totalcaps:456
Totalgoals:61
Nationalyears1:1992
Nationalteam1:Australia
Nationalcaps1:3
Nationalgoals1:0
Manageryears1:2003–2004
Managerclubs1:Balestier Khalsa (Youth)
Manageryears2:2004–2005
Managerclubs2:Geylang International FC (Youth)
Manageryears3:2005–2006
Managerclubs3:Geylang International FC (assistant coach)
Manageryears4:2008–2011
Managerclubs4:Gombak United
Manageryears5:2012–2013
Managerclubs5:Balestier Khalsa
Manageryears6:2014–2015
Managerclubs6:Woodlands Wellington
Manageryears7:2016–2018
Managerclubs7:Maldives

Darren Stewart (17 May 1966 – 18 October 2018) was an Australian soccer player who played in the Australian, Malaysian and Singaporean national leagues before becoming a coach active in Singapore and managing the Maldives. He represented Australia three times in 1992.

Playing career

Club career

A defender, Stewart was a former notable player for APIA Leichhardt, Newcastle Breakers and Johor FA where he captained and won the Malaysia FA Cup in 1998.[1] [2]

He moved to Singapore in 1999, where he played for Balestier Central FC from 1999 to 2002.[3] In 2002, he retired from playing football.

International career

Stewart was an Australia national football team player from 1991 to 1993.

Coaching career

He was the assistant manager for Balestier Khalsa FC's Prime League team in 2003 and assistant manager for the Geylang United FC team in 2004–2005.

He lived in Singapore where he coached and managed the Elias Park Football Club and was a coach for Little League Pte Ltd.

Stewart was named as head coach for Gombak United FC at the start of the 2009 S.League season. He joined the club as a technical analyst in late 2008.

In January 2012, Stewart was confirmed as Balestier Khalsa's head coach for the season 2012 S.League campaign. His time at Balestier were successful, as he guided the club to win the 2013 Singapore League Cup and 6th and 4th placings in the 2012 and 2013 league seasons respectively, the best positions by the club since merging from Balestier Central and Clementi Khalsa. However his contract was not renewed at the end of 2013.[4] Stewart was then contracted to Woodlands Wellington F.C. at the start of 2014.[5] Initially Stewart were successful, with 5-game unbeaten streak in the league and interest from hometown club Newcastle United Jets F.C. to be their head coach, which Stewart turns down to stay with the Singapore club.[6] [7] But after a string of poor results, culminating in a 7–1 thrashing at the hands of Albirex Niigata Singapore in June, Stewart resigned from his position at the club.[8]

In July 2016, Stewart was appointed head coach of the Maldives national team.[9]

Death and legacy

Stewart died in Singapore on 18 October 2018 at the age of 52.[10] In 2020, the Darren Stewart Cup, an annual tournament involving teams that Stewart represented was started.[11]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Stefanutto to Storey. OzFootball. Aussie Footballers.
  2. News: Cockerill . Michael . 1999-03-23 . Socceroo with a foot in two cultures - and a leaning to the East . 2024-06-13 . The Sydney Morning Herald . 41.
  3. News: Chin . Dan Guen . 4 December 1998 . Stewart moves across to Balestier . 2024-06-13 . New Strait Times . 40 . en.
  4. News: Sazali Abdul Aziz. 16 November 2013 . Darren Stewart cut loose by Balestier . https://web.archive.org/web/20220120030414/https://www.asiaone.com/darren-stewart-cut-loose-balestier . 20 January 2022 . AsiaOne.
  5. Web site: Woodlands Wellington FC: News: Darren Stewart New Rams Coach . 2 August 2014 . https://archive.today/20140806065509/http://www.woodlandswellingtonfc.com/2014/01/news-1-sample.html . 6 August 2014 . dead .
  6. Web site: 3 April 2014 . Ahmad Khan. Woodlands' Darren Stewart on Newcastle Jets shortlist . https://web.archive.org/web/20140607002619/http://www.goal.com/en-sg/news/3880/singapore/2014/04/03/4726061/woodlands-darren-stewart-on-newcastle-jets-shortlist . 7 June 2014 . 2024-06-13 . Goal.com.
  7. News: Gardiner . James . 9 April 2014 . Darren Stewart ruled out of Jets coaching job . 2024-06-13 . Newcastle Herald . 46.
  8. Web site: 2014-06-18. S.League: Stewart out, Salim back with Rams. 2022-02-23. AsiaOne. en.
  9. http://www.the-afc.com/maldives-republic-asian-cup-2019/maldives-name-darren-stewart-as-head-coach Maldives name Darren Stewart as head coach
  10. Web site: Darren Stewart: former Socceroo and NSL player dies Fox Sports. www.foxsports.com.au. 19 October 2018. en-AU. 2018-10-19.
  11. News: Gardiner . James . 8 February 2024 . Darren Stewart Cup more than a game of football . 2024-06-13 . Newcastle Herald . 45 . en.