GIFTED left-sided player who has made a huge impression Stewart possesses a sweet left foot capable of unlocking defences at any level.

Made his long-awaited Boro debut in the 1-0 Premiership defeat at Ipswich Town in April 2002 and almost crowned a Man of the Match display with a late equaliser. Three days later he was handed his Riverside debut, replacing Benito Carbone at half-time in a 2-0 defeat against Chelsea.

He established himself as a vital part of the Boro first team squad, regularly weighing in with vital goals. After one memorable performance, against Lazio in the 2004/05 UEFA Cup, legendary Portuguese defender Fernando Couto described Downing as a "sensational find". 

Born in Middlesbrough's Pallister Park, he has been with the club since school and is one of the brightest graduates of the Academy.

He made his England debut against Holland in 2005 but suffered a serious knee injury while on a US tour with the international squad in the summer of that year.

However, he returned to action later in the season and produced a stunning performance in Boro's amazing Mission Impossible II comeback against Steaua Bucharest at the Riverside as he was involved in all four goals in a masterclass of wing play.

That display helped him earn an England recall for the 2006 World Cup in Germany where he made two appearances as a substitute.

The 2006-7 season saw Stewart make a further nine appearances for the national team.

He has been selected by three successive England bosses in Sven Goran-Eriksson, Steve McClaren and Fabio Capello, and he is closing in on Wilf Mannion's all-time record for England appearances while with Boro.

No Boro player made more appearances in the 2008-09 season than Stewart, but a foot injury suffered in the final home game against Aston Villa prematurely ended his Premier League campaign.

The team sheet pinned up for the final game at West Ham was missing the name of Stewart Downing for the first time in two years.

He failed to score during the 2008-09 season, but supplied 362 crosses, just behind Aston Villa's Ahsley Young, who provided the most in the Barclays Premier League with 377.

Chairman Steve Gibson revealed early in summer in 2009 that he had an agreement with Downing that if a big club came in for him he wouldn't stand in his way following Boro's relegation to the Coca-Cola Championship.