Sheffield Wednesday vs Bolton Wanderers: Played for Both Clubs - Stuart Holden

Ahead of tonight's game at Hillsborough, we take a look at the career of Bolton Wanderers and Sheffield Wednesday player, Stuart Holden.

Stuart Holden was born in Cults, Aberdeenshire, on 1st August 1985. At the age of 10, Holden and his family moved to Houston, Texas.

DID YOU KNOW? Before a career in football beckoned, Holden was a 'professional gamer', playing the game Counter Strike competitively.

After playing football for his high school team, Holden graduated and went on to attend Clemson University, in the state of South Carolina.

Congrats @StanfordMSoccer - well deserved. I'll leave you with this gem #babyface pic.twitter.com/Wr13f0Vo3P

— Stuart Holden (@stuholden) December 13, 2015

After two years playing for Clemson's 'soccer' team, the Clemson Tigers, Holden signed a deal with Premier League side Sunderland in 2005.

Holden's didn't have the greatest experience in the North East. In March 2005, during a night out in Newcastle, Holden was attacked outside a bar, leaving him with a fractured eye socket. After spending two months on the sidelines, Holden returned to training, he suffered an ankle injury, ruling him out for the rest of the season.

Holden was released by Sunderland after six months.

Stuart Holden then returned to Houston, signing a contract for the MLS side Houston Dynamo. He made his MLS debut on May 27th, 2006, and scored his first professional goal on July 22nd, 2006, in a 1–1 home draw against New England. He appeared thirteen times in the 2006 regular season and twice as a substitute in Houston's run to the MLS Cup 2006 championship.

In 2008, Holden was awarded with the US Soccer Humanitarian of the Year award. In July 2008, Holden was named to the US squad competing in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. On August 7 he scored in the USA's opening match, a 1–0 victory against Japan. Following the 2009 MLS season, Holden came to England on a trial basis with then Premier League side Burnley. Owen Coyle, then Burnley manager, made the move across Lancashire to join Bolton Wanderers, and subsequently, Holden followed suit.

In total for Houston Dynamo, Holden played 88 games, scoring 15 goals.

Holden made his Bolton Wanderers debut in February 2010 against Tottenham Hotspur in the FA Cup, then three days later made his Premier Legaue debut in a 1-0 win against Wolverhampton Wanderers. Holden then went on international duty with the USA, where Nigel de Jong (the bastard) broke Holden's leg. Holden made one more appearance for Bolton in the 2009/2010 season against Birmingham City, before being called up the USA World Cup team.

The 2010/2011 season was Holden's most successful for Bolton. He appeared 30 times in all competitions, and was an integral part of the squad that reached the Semi-Finals of the FA Cup. Whilst Holden was in the team, Bolton were consistently in the top half of the Premier League, earning plaudits for the style of play. Bolton also recorded big victories against Spurs and Newcastle United, beating them 4-2 and 5-1 respectively.

Holden also scored a beautiful late winner against Blackburn Rovers, coming only seconds after Rovers had equalised.

In March 2011, Bolton played Manchester United at Old Trafford. Holden went challenged for the ball with Jonny Evans (the f****** c***). Evans' studs caught Holden in the left knee, leaving a gash that required twenty six stitches and a fracture of the femur near the knee joint, which ruled him out for a minimum of six months. Despite missing the final two months of the season, Holden was still voted the 2011 Bolton Wanderers Player of the Year. Without Holden, Bolton finished the season in 14th position.

Holden returned in September 2011 in a 2-0 League Cup victory over Aston Villa. Holden then needed further surgery, which unfortunately ruled him out for another six months. Bolton were relegated in 2012, and after the departure of club legend Jussi Jaaskelainen, Holden inherited the Finns number 22.

Holden returned in the 2012/2013 season, making four appearances for Bolton before leaving to join tonight's opponents, Sheffield Wednesday, on loan. During his loan spell at Hillsborough, Holden played four times.

Fully recovered from injury, Holden was called up the USA team for the 2013 Gold Cup, his first call up for over two and a half years. After making it to the final unscathed, Holden was stretchered off, and it was revealed he had suffered a torn ACL.

Holden failed to come back from injury, after suffering further injury in a Bolton reserve game in March 2014. In total for Bolton, Holden played 38 games, scoring 2 goals.

Focusing on rehabilitation, Holden returned to the USA, where he has a forged a career as a football pundit for Fox Sports.

Stuart Holden also got married to model Karalyn West in June of last year.