Ex Sunderland striker Marcus Stewart decided to call it today on his football playing days earlier this month, calling time on an eventful career.
Stewart first came to light playing for Ipswich Town helping to fire the club in to promotion from the Division one, he took the premier league by storm the following season finishing the second highest scorer in the league. Although the next season wasn’t such a great story as Ipswich struggled and ultimately ended up being relegated back to the Championship.
He was then picked up by then premier league team Sunderland and boss Peter Reid, along with striking flop Tore Andre Flo, but with such expectations from the team, Sunderland suffered one of their worst ever seasons and consequently where relegated.
Sunderland sold off several players that summer to make up for the cost of going down a division, but Marcus stayed with the Black Cats. That season in the championship was better than their season in the premiership, as they finished third, Stewart now being Sunderland’s main striker, only to be beat by Crystal Place in the play offs. Sunderland also managed to get to the Semi-Final of the FA cup that season, against Millwall but to be beaten by the London club.
Sunderland came back wiser and stronger in 2004-05 winning the Championship, Marcus scored 16 goals that season, but this would be his end of his Sunderland career. Announcing that he was too old for Premiership football and requested a transfer to the lower league, Sunderland reluctantly accepted, he was later signed by his home town club Bristol City. He then went on to play for Preston North End on loan, Yeovil Town on loan who then signed him, the following season 2008-09 he went to Exeter City in which he now has hung his boots up with.
Thank you for playing your part in Sunderland AFC’s history.