It was not long ago that Stuart Holden was believed to be a new ambassador of the United States to the English Premier League when he was purchased by Bolton Wanderers in 2010. However, since returning to England he has fallen victim to injury after injury, and despite his latest happening this past weekend on international duty for the United States, his career in England has seemed doomed since the start of his professional days in 2005.
Fresh out of a year of playing for Clemson University, Holden signed a deal with Sunderland in early 2005. His excitement over the deal was swiftly crushed when he was attacked outside of a local Wearside pub by Newcastle United fans in March of that year. The then 19-year-old suffered a fractured left eye socket which kept him out of training until May and was a grim welcome to the rivalry of the Northeast.
Shortly thereafter he was released and returned to the United States and was signed by the Houston Dynamo in 2006 at the height of their power in Major League Soccer. For the next four seasons 2006-09, Holden imposed himself as one of the best young talents in the league and was part of two MLS Cup Championships in 2006 and 2007 and was on the 2009 MLS Best XI team.
Having proven himself worthy of a potential return to what many believe is the most elite top flight in the world, Holden joined Bolton Wanderers in January of 2010. He would go on to help the club to a seventh place finish and the FA Cup semi-finals in 2010-11 making 30 appearances and scoring twice.
Unfortunately it was at the height of his career’s anticipation of prominence that disaster struck and his poor fate with injury in England came to call yet again. Holden entered a tackle against Manchester United defender Johnny Evans at Old Trafford and to the horror of many, Evans’ studs caught Holden in the right knee tearing a gash that would require nearly thirty stitches to repair and caused major trauma to the America’s anterior cruciate ligament.
A six month lay over saw him return to action in the fall of 2011 only to see another eight months of operations and treatments needed to repair further cartilage damage in his knee and would see him miss the entirety of 2011-12 but for his one match.
With the club relegated to the Championship, Holden again was schedule to make a return to the first team and started his first match in 16 months in early 2013 before being loaned to Sheffield Wednesday for the purpose of extending his match fitness.
Having fought his way back to health and promising form, a call to represent the United States in the 2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup was a dream return for the now 27-year-old. He made four appearances for the USMNT in their run to the final and scored once in the team’s 6-1 thrashing of Belize in the opening group stage.
However, shortly after the opening whistle of the final that would see the midfielder earn his first piece of international silverware, Holden was hit with yet another ACL injury and is facing another prolonged absence from the game.
It is an unfortunate way to see someone that has so much talent and has fought so hard to get back to where he has go out. The support of the entire fan base of the USMNT and Bolton Wanderers goes out to Holden in his latest moment of need and hope the best for him. Since learning of his latest set back Holden himself has refused to give up and tweeted this to all of his followers, "I will rise again! Big love and thx to all the Bolton Wanderers and US soccer supporters, we will conquer once more. Lets do this #noholdenback."
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