1. Overview
Steven Norman Howey (born 26 October 1971) is an English former professional footballer, coach, and sports radio presenter. Primarily a centre back, he is best known for his ten-year tenure at Newcastle United, where he helped the club win the Football League First Division title and achieve promotion to the Premier League, later finishing as runner-up in both the Premier League and FA Cup. Howey also had notable spells with Manchester City, contributing to their immediate return to the Premier League after relegation. He earned four caps for the England national team and was part of the UEFA Euro 1996 squad. Following his playing career, Howey transitioned into coaching, managing Crook Town and holding various coaching roles, and pursued a career in sports media, presenting for BBC Radio Newcastle and appearing on television. In December 2024, Howey publicly disclosed that he was suffering from cognitive decline, which medical tests attributed to the impact of heading footballs throughout his career, leading him to join a legal action against football authorities.
2. Early life and career beginnings
Steven Howey's early life and the initial stages of his professional football career laid the foundation for his future contributions to the sport.
2.1. Birth and childhood
Steven Norman Howey was born on 26 October 1971, in Sunderland, England. He stands at 73 in (185 cm) tall and weighs 165 lb (75 kg).
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2.2. Early professional career
Howey began his professional journey by signing a contract with Newcastle United on 11 December 1989. Initially, he played as a striker for the youth and reserve teams. However, Ossie Ardiles identified his potential in defense and orchestrated his transition from an attacking role to a centre back position, a move that proved pivotal for his career.
3. Club career
Steven Howey's professional football career spanned several prominent clubs, where he achieved significant milestones and made notable contributions.
3.1. Newcastle United
Howey was a crucial component of Kevin Keegan's Newcastle United side that triumphed in the Football League First Division during the 1992-93 season, securing their promotion to the Premier League. Following their promotion, Howey consistently served as a first-choice centre back, although his tenure was frequently interrupted by injuries. During his time at Newcastle, the club achieved Premier League runner-up status twice, in the 1995-96 and 1996-97 seasons. They also finished as FA Cup runner-up in both 1997-98 and 1998-99. Howey remains a beloved figure among Newcastle supporters, recognized as part of a successful cohort of players who emerged from Newcastle's youth academy, including Steve Watson, Robbie Elliott, and Lee Clark.
3.2. Manchester City
In August 2000, Howey transferred to newly promoted Manchester City for a fee of 2.00 M GBP. His debut for the club, a 4-0 defeat to Charlton Athletic, set a challenging tone for a season that ultimately saw Manchester City relegated. Despite the setback, Howey remained with the team the following season and played a key role in their immediate return to the Premier League, as they claimed the First Division championship. In his final season with Manchester City, he contributed to the team achieving a top-half finish and securing comfortable survival in the Premier League. Across his three seasons with Manchester City, Howey scored 11 goals. A notable moment during his time at the club was scoring a late equalizer against fierce rivals Manchester United at Old Trafford, a match also remembered for the notorious clash between Roy Keane and Alfie Haaland.
3.3. Later career
In June 2003, Howey joined newly promoted Leicester City for an undisclosed fee, making 13 appearances for the Foxes. On 28 January 2004, he moved to Bolton Wanderers, where he played only three matches before being released.
On 26 August 2004, Howey signed with New England Revolution in Major League Soccer as a "Senior International" player under coach Steve Nicol. He made his debut two days later in a 0-0 draw against D.C. United and started the subsequent two matches. However, he made no further appearances for the club and was waived on 26 November 2004. In March 2005, Howey signed a short-term contract with Hartlepool United, where his final appearance marked the culmination of his sixteen-year professional playing career.
4. International career
Steven Howey earned four caps for the England national team, starting in all four of his international appearances. His debut occurred in November 1994, during a 1-0 victory against Nigeria at Wembley Stadium. He subsequently featured in draws against Colombia and Portugal in 1995. Howey's final international appearance came in March 1996, in a 1-0 win over Bulgaria.
He was selected for the England squad participating in Euro 96. While he was an unused substitute in the opening match against Switzerland, an injury prevented him from being fit enough to be included on the team sheet for the subsequent four matches of the tournament. Following Euro 96, Howey was never again called up to the full England squad.
5. Post-playing career
After concluding his professional playing career, Steven Howey transitioned into various roles, including managerial and coaching positions, and a significant career in media.
5.1. Managerial and coaching career
Howey had a brief and unsuccessful spell as manager of non-league club Crook Town, taking charge in September 2006 but resigning just two months later in November due to a series of poor results. Following this, he served as a youth team coach at Middlesbrough. He later made a playing return with Bishop Auckland in the National League, where he also served in a coaching capacity. In 2007, Howey became a coach at the East Durham College Football Development Centre, and by 2010, he was promoted to head coach.
5.2. Media career
Beyond his footballing and coaching endeavors, Howey established a career in sports media. He has worked as a presenter for Total Sport and BBC Radio Newcastle, where he co-presented Total Sport alongside Marco Gabbiadini and Simon Pryde. Additionally, Howey featured prominently in both seasons of the ITV show Harry's Heroes in 2019 and 2020. The program depicted former football manager Harry Redknapp's efforts to help a squad of former England international footballers regain their fitness and health for a match against a team of Germany legends.
6. Personal life and health issues
Steven Howey's personal life includes family connections within the football world. His older brother, Lee Howey, also became a professional footballer, notably playing for Sunderland, a rival club to Newcastle United.
In December 2024, at the age of 53, Howey made a significant public disclosure regarding his health. Medical tests had confirmed that his brain was undergoing cognitive decline, a condition he publicly attributed to the repeated impact of heading footballs during his extensive playing career. Howey was one of four former Premier League-era footballers who initiated legal action against sporting authorities concerning the long-term neurological consequences of head injuries in football. The family of deceased former player and manager Joe Kinnear was also part of this legal action. Howey's public stance underscores the increasing awareness and concern about the potential links between football and neurodegenerative diseases, highlighting critical issues regarding athlete welfare and long-term health in professional sports.
7. Honours
Howey achieved several significant honors throughout his professional playing career.
- Newcastle United**
- Football League First Division: 1992-93
- FA Cup runner-up: 1997-98
- Manchester City**
- Football League First Division: 2001-02
8. Career statistics
The following table provides a comprehensive overview of Steven Howey's club career statistics, including appearances and goals.
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Newcastle United | 1988-89 | First Division | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 1 | 0 | |
| 1989-90 | Second Division | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 0 | 0 | ||
| 1990-91 | Second Division | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 11 | 0 | ||
| 1991-92 | Second Division | 21 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 1 | - | 26 | 2 | ||
| 1992-93 | First Division | 41 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 53 | 2 | |
| 1993-94 | Premier League | 14 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 17 | 0 | ||
| 1994-95 | Premier League | 30 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 41 | 1 | |
| 1995-96 | Premier League | 28 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | - | 33 | 1 | ||
| 1996-97 | Premier League | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 1 | |
| 1997-98 | Premier League | 14 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 23 | 0 | |
| 1998-99 | Premier League | 14 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 0 | |
| 1999-2000 | Premier League | 9 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | |
| Total | 191 | 6 | 23 | 0 | 17 | 1 | 11 | 0 | 242 | 7 | ||
| Manchester City | 2000-01 | Premier League | 36 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | - | 39 | 6 | |
| 2001-02 | First Division | 34 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | - | 38 | 3 | ||
| 2002-03 | Premier League | 24 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | - | 26 | 2 | ||
| Total | 94 | 11 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 0 | - | 103 | 11 | |||
| Leicester City | 2003-04 | Premier League | 13 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | - | 15 | 1 | |
| Bolton Wanderers (loan) | 2003-04 | Premier League | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 3 | 0 | |
| New England Revolution | 2004 | Major League Soccer | 3 | 0 | ? | ? | - | ? | ? | ? | ? | |
| Hartlepool United | 2004-05 | League One | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Career total | 305 | 18 | 26 | 0 | 25 | 1 | 11 | 0 | 367 | 19 | ||
Notes for "Other" column:
- In the 1992-93 season for Newcastle United, the 4 appearances refer to the Anglo-Italian Cup.
- For the 1994-95 and 1996-97 seasons at Newcastle United, the appearances refer to the UEFA Cup.
- For the 1997-98 season at Newcastle United, the appearances refer to the UEFA Champions League.
- For the 1998-99 season at Newcastle United, the 0 appearances refer to the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup.
- For the 2004-05 season at Hartlepool United, the 0 appearances refer to the EFL Trophy.