Steve Jennings (footballer)

Steven John Jennings (born 28 October 1984) is an English former professional footballer who played as a central midfielder in the English Football League, Scottish Premier League and in English non-league football.

He turned professional at Tranmere Rovers in October 2002 and made his first team debut 12 months later. He remained with Tranmere for six seasons, also playing on loan at Hereford United in the latter half of the 2006–07 season. He signed with Scottish Premier League club Motherwell in July 2009. He spent three seasons in Scotland, featuring on the losing side in the 2011 final of the Scottish Cup and Tranmere Rovers, before joining Port Vale in July 2014. He returned to Tranmere on loan later in the year before joining the club permanently in January 2015. He switched to Southport in June 2017, and was loaned out to Warrington Town in November 2017. He joined Barrow in August 2018, before returning to Warrington Town the following year.

Career

Tranmere Rovers

Jennings was taken out of the Everton Academy by his father and instead joined the Tranmere Rovers Centre of Excellence in 1998. He was a key part of the Rovers youth team that reached the FA Youth Cup semi-finals in 2003. He signed a three-and-a-half-year professional contract with the club in October 2002. He made his first team debut on 18 October 2003, coming on as a last minute substitute for Iain Hume in a 2–1 win over Oldham Athletic at Prenton Park. He made his first start on 13 December, in a 2–2 draw at Chesterfield. He played a total of four Second Division games during the 2003–04 campaign, and featured in 11 League One games during the 2004–05 season.

Jennings established himself in the Rovers first team under Brian Little's stewardship in the 2005–06 campaign, featuring 43 times and scoring two goals. He scored his first senior goal on 18 October in a 2–1 League Trophy victory over Lincoln City. He scored his first league goal 11 days later, in a 2–0 victory at Doncaster Rovers. He signed a new two-year contract in April 2006. Having been limited to only five appearances in the first half of the 2006–07 season under new boss Ronnie Moore, Jennings joined Graham Turner's Hereford United on loan in January 2007. He impressed at Edgar Street, which led to his loan being extended to the end of the 2006–07 season, and he played a total of 11 League Two games for the "Bulls".

Jennings re-established his place at Tranmere during the 2007–08 season, appearing in all but five league matches, usually partnering Paul McLaren in the centre of midfield. He had an excellent season, winning praise for his high work rate and willingness to make challenges. He won the Players' Young Player of the Season award at the end of the season. He was voted Tranmere Player's Player of the Year at the end of the 2008–09 season after missing only two league games due to suspension.

Motherwell

In July 2009, he became Jim Gannon's first signing as Motherwell manager when he joined the club on a one-year deal. He made his Scottish Premier League debut for the "Steelmen" at Fir Park on 22 August, in a 3–1 win over Kilmarnock. He scored his first goal for Motherwell in a 3–1 loss to St Johnstone on 26 December. He signed a new one-year contract in May 2010, leaving manager Craig Brown to say that the deal was a "massive boost" for the club and that "he's an excellent midfield player who has been at the heart of everything we did in the second half of the season".

The Association of British Bookmakers investigated "suspicious betting patterns" on a red card being shown to Jennings for dissent during a game in December 2010. Jennings was arrested, along with eight other men, on suspicion of conspiracy to defraud in October 2011. A week later, his club confirmed that he would continue to be available for first-team selection. Merseyside Police advised Jennings in April 2012 that their inquiries had ceased and that no further action would be taken. His solicitor said that Jennings felt vindicated in believing that there had been no criminal activity. After the police ended their investigation, Motherwell manager Stuart McCall criticised unnamed Scottish football officials who had suggested that Jennings should have been suspended while under suspicion.

He made 43 appearances in the 2010–11 campaign, including the Scottish Cup