David Thompson (footballer, born 1977)

Born in Birkenhead, Merseyside, Thompson's Liverpool debut came on 19 August 1996, as an 87th-minute substitute in a 2–0 victory against Arsenal. He only played one more game before being loaned to Swindon Town for two and a half months in November 1997. His good form at Swindon led him to be selected more frequently for Liverpool, these performances paying off as he scored the winning goal against Crystal Palace later in the season. His 1997–98 and 1998–99 seasons were steady, and the 1999–00 season would see him back into the team on a regular basis.

In the summer of 2000 he moved to Coventry City, his first game a 3–1 defeat to Middlesbrough in which he was sent off in the 71st minute. Coventry were relegated during the 2000–01 season, and he sought a move back to the Premiership. However, he stayed at Coventry throughout the 2001–02 season.

In August 2002 Blackburn Rovers signed Thompson for £1.5 million. His rise in division as well as form gave him international recognition, as Sven-Göran Eriksson named him in the England squads against Slovakia and Macedonia.,[1] though ultimately he was never capped for the senior side.

Thompson became prone to injury, a cartilage problem and further surgery in 2003–04 led him to suffer a breakdown in form. His recovery was aided by visits to the Bayern Munich doctor Hans-Wilhelm Müller-Wohlfahrt.[2]

Injuries and subsequent failure to return to form meant that Blackburn allowed him to leave on a free transfer to Wigan Athletic on 19 January 2006. After just ten appearances Wigan, too, released him in May 2006. On 28 July, he signed for Portsmouth on a one-year contract.

He voiced his unhappiness at not featuring more in the Portsmouth first team, and Bolton Wanderers signed him just two hours before the transfer window shut on 31 January 2007 on a short-term deal. Thompson made his debut for Bolton as a substitute in the 2–1 victory against Fulham on 11 February, and subsequently made his first start for the club against his former employer Wigan Athletic on 7 April. He played six more matches for the rest of the 2006–07 season before being released by Bolton in May 2007.

In November 2007 he started a trial with Sheffield United.[3]

On 28 November 2007, he announced his retirement as a result of the chronic cartilage problem in his knee – an injury that first appeared whilst at Blackburn.