Stephen Paul Bushell (born 28 December 1972) is an English former
footballer
A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby le ...
who played as a
midfielder
A midfielder is an outfield position in association football.
Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in that case known as defensive midfielders. As central midfielders often go across boundarie ...
.
Career
Born in
Manchester
Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The t ...
, Greater Manchester, Bushell began his career at
York City
York City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of York, North Yorkshire, England. As of the 2022–23 season, the team compete in the National League, at the fifth tier of the English football league sys ...
as a trainee in their
youth system
In sporting terminology, a youth system (or youth academy) is a youth investment program within a particular team or league, which develops and nurtures young talent in farm teams, with the vision of using them in the first team in the future if ...
in the summer of 1989 and signed his first professional contract in February 1991. He spent seven years with the club, making 175 appearances and scoring 10 goals. In 1998, he joined
Nigel Worthington
Nigel Worthington (born 4 November 1961) is a Northern Irish former professional footballer who was most recently the manager of York City.
He played a defender and a midfielder, playing his club football for Ballymena United, Notts County, ...
's
Blackpool
Blackpool is a seaside resort in Lancashire, England. Located on the North West England, northwest coast of England, it is the main settlement within the Borough of Blackpool, borough also called Blackpool. The town is by the Irish Sea, betw ...
. In three years at the club, Bushell made 78 appearances and scored six goals. Bushell was released in May 2001.
After a decade in the professional game, Bushell made the step down to non-league in 2001 when he joined
Stalybridge Celtic
Stalybridge Celtic Football Club is an English football club based in Stalybridge, Greater Manchester. They are currently members of the and play at Bower Fold. The team traditionally plays in a blue and white strip.
In 1921 Stalybridge Celtic ...
. His stay at the club was short; he made just eighteen appearances in less than a year with Celtic.
Bushell joined
Halifax Town
FC Halifax Town is a professional association football club based in Halifax, West Yorkshire, England. They currently compete in and play at the Shay. They replaced Halifax Town A.F.C., which went into administration in the 2007–08 season. ...
later in 2001, and he spent five years with them. He went on loan to
Altrincham
Altrincham ( , locally ) is a market town in Trafford, Greater Manchester, England, south of the River Mersey. It is southwest of Manchester city centre, southwest of Sale and east of Warrington. At the 2011 Census, it had a population o ...
in late 2005, and was recalled by Halifax in January 2006. He moved there permanently in July 2006.
Bushell agreed to stay with Altrincham in May 2007 following their relegation to the
Conference North
The National League North, formerly Conference North, is a division of the National League in England, immediately below the National League division. Along with the National League South, it is at the second level of the National League Sy ...
, but left a month later, despite the club being reprieved from relegation. He returned to Halifax Town on 18 June. He joined
Hyde United
Hyde United Football Club is a semi-professional football club in Hyde, Greater Manchester, England. Formed in 1919, they were renamed Hyde F.C. between 2010 and 2015 as part of a sponsorship deal with Manchester City. Bushell signed for
Bradford Park Avenue
Bradford (Park Avenue) Association Football Club is an association football club based in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. The team compete in , at the sixth tier of the English football league system. The name derived from their former hom ...
on a one-month contract in October and he made his debut in a 3–2 victory over
Matlock Town
Matlock Town Football Club is a association football, football club based in Matlock, Derbyshire, Matlock, Derbyshire, England. Nicknamed 'the Gladiators', they are currently members of the and play at Causeway Lane.
History
The club was esta ...