Stuart Holden
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Stuart Alistair Holden (born August 1, 1985) is an American former professional
soccer Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...
player 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 ...
, and is currently a lead TV game analyst for
Fox Sports Fox Sports is the brand name for a number of sports channels, broadcast divisions, programming, and other media around the world. The ''Fox Sports'' name has since been used for other sports media assets. These assets are held mainly by the Fo ...
. Holden is part of the ownership group for Spanish La Liga soccer club,
RCD Mallorca Real Club Deportivo Mallorca, S.A.D. (, ca, Reial Club Deportiu Mallorca , ''Royal Sporting Club Mallorca''), commonly known as Real Mallorca or just Mallorca is a Spanish professional football club based in Palma on the island of Majorca in ...
. Holden represented the United States at under-20, under-23 and
senior Senior (shortened as Sr.) means "the elder" in Latin and is often used as a suffix for the elder of two or more people in the same family with the same given name, usually a parent or grandparent. It may also refer to: * Senior (name), a surname ...
levels. He made his senior debut in July 2009 against
Grenada Grenada ( ; Grenadian Creole French: ) is an island country in the West Indies in the Caribbean Sea at the southern end of the Grenadines island chain. Grenada consists of the island of Grenada itself, two smaller islands, Carriacou and Pe ...
and scored his first goal during that game. He was part of the United States squad at the
2008 Summer Olympics The 2008 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXIX Olympiad () and also known as Beijing 2008 (), were an international multisport event held from 8 to 24 August 2008, in Beijing, China. A total of 10,942 athletes from 204 Na ...
,
2009 File:2009 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The vertical stabilizer of Air France Flight 447 is pulled out from the Atlantic Ocean; Barack Obama becomes the first African American to become President of the United States; 2009 Iran ...
and
2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup The 2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup was the 12th CONCACAF Gold Cup competition and the 22nd CONCACAF regional championship overall in CONCACAF's fifty years of existence. The United States was the host nation. The competition began on 7 July 2013 at the ...
and
2010 FIFA World Cup , image = 2010 FIFA World Cup.svg , size = 200px , caption = ''Ke Nako. (Tswana and Sotho for "It's time") Celebrate Africa's Humanity'It's time. Celebrate Africa's Humanity'' (English)''Dis tyd. Vier Afrika se mensd ...
. Since his debut, Holden has gained 25
caps Caps are flat headgear. Caps or CAPS may also refer to: Science and technology Computing * CESG Assisted Products Service, provided by the U.K. Government Communications Headquarters * Composite Application Platform Suite, by Java Caps, a Java ...
and scored three goals. Following severe and recurring knee problems, Holden announced his retirement from professional soccer on February 3, 2016. After retiring, Holden made a quick transition into TV, working as a game analyst and host for
Fox Sports Fox Sports is the brand name for a number of sports channels, broadcast divisions, programming, and other media around the world. The ''Fox Sports'' name has since been used for other sports media assets. These assets are held mainly by the Fo ...
. He has worked as the lead color commentator on the network's marquee soccer properties including
Major League Soccer Major League Soccer (MLS) is a men's professional soccer league sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation, which represents the sport's highest level in the United States. The league comprises 29 teams—26 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada ...
, U.S. Men's National Team World Cup Qualifiers, and most notably, the
2018 FIFA World Cup The 2018 FIFA World Cup was the 21st FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial world championship for men's national Association football, football teams organized by FIFA. It took place in Russia from 14 June to 15 July 2018, after the country was awa ...
in Russia.


Early life

Holden was born in
Cults, Aberdeen Cults ( ) is a suburb on the western edge of Aberdeen, Scotland. It lies on the banks of the River Dee and marks the eastern boundary of Royal Deeside. Cults, known for its historic granite housing, sits approximately six miles from the coast ...
and grew up in
Sugar Land, Texas Sugar Land is the largest city in Fort Bend County, Texas, United States, located in the southwestern part of the metropolitan area. Located about southwest of downtown Houston, Sugar Land is a populous suburban municipality centered around th ...
after moving there with his family at age 10. His father worked for
Chevron Corporation Chevron Corporation is an American multinational energy corporation. The second-largest direct descendant of Standard Oil, and originally known as the Standard Oil Company of California (shortened to Socal or CalSo), it is headquartered in S ...
in its
human resources Human resources (HR) is the set of people who make up the workforce of an organization, business sector, industry, or economy. A narrower concept is human capital, the knowledge and skills which the individuals command. Similar terms include m ...
department. He played high school soccer in Houston for
Awty International School Founded in 1956,The Awty International School is a private school located in Spring Branch, western Houston, Texas, United States. Awty allows its students to receive the International Baccalaureate or the French Baccalauréat, and is the only sc ...
. He graduated from Awty in 2003 and attended April 22, 2008 opening ceremony of the Awty athletic complex.Baird, Annette
Awty International opens new $7 million sports complex
" ''
Houston Chronicle The ''Houston Chronicle'' is the largest daily newspaper in Houston, Texas, United States. , it is the third-largest newspaper by Sunday circulation in the United States, behind only ''The New York Times'' and the ''Los Angeles Times''. With it ...
''. May 19, 2008. Retrieved on May 17, 2014.
He played soccer for
Clemson University Clemson University () is a public land-grant research university in Clemson, South Carolina. Founded in 1889, Clemson is the second-largest university in the student population in South Carolina. For the fall 2019 semester, the university enro ...
and also played
Counter-Strike ''Counter-Strike'' (''CS'') is a series of multiplayer tactical first-person shooter video games in which teams of terrorists battle to perpetrate an act of terror (bombing, hostage-taking, assassination) while counter-terrorists try to preven ...
professionally before his
MLS Major League Soccer (MLS) is a men's professional soccer league sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation, which represents the sport's highest level in the United States. The league comprises 29 teams—26 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada ...
career.


Playing career


Sunderland

After playing two seasons of
college soccer College soccer is played by teams composed of soccer players who are enrolled in colleges and universities. It is very prominent in United States, Japan, South Korea, Canada, and as well as in South Africa and the Philippines. The United Kingd ...
at
Clemson University Clemson University () is a public land-grant research university in Clemson, South Carolina. Founded in 1889, Clemson is the second-largest university in the student population in South Carolina. For the fall 2019 semester, the university enro ...
, Holden signed with English club
Sunderland Sunderland () is a port city in Tyne and Wear, England. It is the City of Sunderland's administrative centre and in the Historic counties of England, historic county of County of Durham, Durham. The city is from Newcastle-upon-Tyne and is on t ...
in early 2005. On March 12, Holden was attacked outside a
bar Bar or BAR may refer to: Food and drink * Bar (establishment), selling alcoholic beverages * Candy bar * Chocolate bar Science and technology * Bar (river morphology), a deposit of sediment * Bar (tropical cyclone), a layer of cloud * Bar (u ...
in
Newcastle Newcastle usually refers to: *Newcastle upon Tyne, a city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England *Newcastle-under-Lyme, a town in Staffordshire, England *Newcastle, New South Wales, a metropolitan area in Australia, named after Newcastle ...
because he was a Sunderland player, leaving him with a fractured left
eye socket In anatomy, the orbit is the cavity or socket of the skull in which the eye and its appendages are situated. "Orbit" can refer to the bony socket, or it can also be used to imply the contents. In the adult human, the volume of the orbit is , of ...
, which prevented him from training with the club for two months. When Holden resumed training, he suffered an ankle injury that ruled him out for the rest of the season. Holden was released after his six-month stay having never played for Sunderland's first team.


Houston Dynamo

Holden returned to the United States to play in
Major League Soccer Major League Soccer (MLS) is a men's professional soccer league sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation, which represents the sport's highest level in the United States. The league comprises 29 teams—26 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada ...
with the
Houston Dynamo Houston Dynamo FC (formerly officially, but still commonly, called the Houston Dynamo) is an American professional soccer club based in Houston. The Dynamo compete in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Western Conference. Establi ...
for the 2006 season. He made his MLS debut on May 27, 2006, and scored his first professional goal on July 22, 2006, in a 1–1 home draw against
New England New England is a region comprising six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York to the west and by the Canadian provinces ...
. He appeared thirteen times in the 2006 regular season and twice as a substitute in Houston's run to the
MLS Cup 2006 MLS Cup 2006 was the 11th edition of the MLS Cup, the championship match of Major League Soccer (MLS), and took place on November 12, 2006. It was contested between the New England Revolution and the Houston Dynamo to decide the champion of ...
championship. In the championship
penalty shootout The penalty shootout is a method of determining a winner in sports matches that would have otherwise been drawn or tied. The rules for penalty shootouts vary between sports and even different competitions; however, the usual form is similar to pen ...
, Holden took the Dynamo's second shot and scored to the top right corner. Holden's playing time increased in the 2007 season. He mostly started on the left wing when teammate Brad Davis went down with injury. In July, Holden scored goals on consecutive Thursday night games and added three assists in league play and another in SuperLiga play, as of July 25. In Holden's final season with the
Houston Dynamo Houston Dynamo FC (formerly officially, but still commonly, called the Houston Dynamo) is an American professional soccer club based in Houston. The Dynamo compete in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Western Conference. Establi ...
, he finished the season with over 30 games played, 6 goals and 4 assists. He was named to Major League Soccer All-Star team and MLS Best XI and received the U.S. Soccer Humanitarian of the Year award.


Bolton Wanderers

Having spent several weeks training in England following the end of the
2009 Major League Soccer season The 2009 Major League Soccer season was the 14th season of Major League Soccer. The season began on March 19 and ended with MLS Cup 2009 on November 22 at Qwest Field in Seattle. Expansion team Seattle Sounders FC debuted as the league's 15th ...
, Holden officially joined
Premier League The Premier League (legal name: The Football Association Premier League Limited) is the highest level of the men's English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Foo ...
side
Bolton Wanderers Bolton Wanderers Football Club () is a professional football club based in Horwich, Bolton, Greater Manchester, England, which competes in . The club played at Burnden Park for 102 years from 1895 after moving from their original home at Pike's ...
on January 25, 2010. He made his debut on February 24, 2010, in a 4–0 defeat against
Tottenham Hotspur Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, commonly referred to as Tottenham () or Spurs, is a professional association football, football club based in Tottenham, London, England. It competes in the Premier League, the top flight of English footba ...
in the
FA Cup The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic English football. First played during the 1871–72 season, it is the oldest national football competi ...
, starting and playing the full ninety minutes. He made his first league appearance on February 27, 2010, playing the full 90 minutes in a 1–0 victory over
Wolverhampton Wanderers Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club (), commonly known as Wolves, is a professional football club based in Wolverhampton, England, which compete in the . The club has played at Molineux Stadium since moving from Dudley Road in 1889. The club's ...
. On September 30, 2010, he signed a new contract at Bolton, which would keep him at the club until 2013. He scored his first goal for Bolton away to Wolverhampton Wanderers on November 13, 2010. In the 2010–11 season, Holden helped Bolton reach seventh place in the Premier League and to the
FA Cup Semi-finals The FA Cup semi-finals are played to determine which teams will contest the FA Cup Final. They are the penultimate phase of the FA Cup, the oldest Association football, football tournament in the world. Location The semi-finals have always be ...
. However, his season was cut short on March 19 after he suffered a severe knee injury against
Manchester United 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 City of Salford, Salford to ...
at
Old Trafford Old Trafford () is a football stadium in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, England, and the home of Manchester United. With a capacity of 74,310 it is the largest club football stadium (and second-largest football stadium overall after Wemb ...
when going into a tackle with
Jonny Evans Jonathan Grant Evans (born 3 January 1988) is a Northern Irish professional footballer who plays as a defender for club Leicester City and the Northern Ireland national team. Evans started his career at Manchester United and progressed th ...
. Evans' studs caught Holden in the left knee, leaving a gash that required twenty six stitches and a fracture of the
femur The femur (; ), or thigh bone, is the proximal bone of the hindlimb in tetrapod vertebrates. The head of the femur articulates with the acetabulum in the pelvic bone forming the hip joint, while the distal part of the femur articulates with ...
near the knee joint, which ruled him out for a minimum of six months. Despite missing the final two months of the season, Holden was still voted the 2011 Bolton Wanderers Player of the Year. Without Holden, Bolton tailspun and finished the season in fourteenth position. On September 20, 2011, after six months out, Holden started and played the full ninety minutes against
Aston Villa Aston Villa Football Club is a professional football club based in Aston, Birmingham, England. The club competes in the , the top tier of the English football league system. Founded in 1874, they have played at their home ground, Villa Park ...
in the third round of the
League Cup In several sports, most prominently association football, a league cup or secondary cup generally signifies a cup competition for which entry is restricted only to teams in a particular league. The first national association football tournament t ...
, but was then initially ruled out for a further six weeks as the club brought forward a routine follow up procedure. However, the procedure revealed cartilage damage, meaning Holden would be out for a further six months, missing the rest of the season. Later on in the season, Bolton Wanderers were relegated to the
Championship In sport, a championship is a competition in which the aim is to decide which individual or team is the champion. Championship systems Various forms of competition can be referred to by the term championship. Title match system In this system ...
after 11 years in the Premier League. On June 22, 2012, Holden announced via his Twitter account that he was due to switch to the number 22 shirt after it had been vacated by
Jussi Jääskeläinen Jussi Albert Jääskeläinen (; born 19 April 1975) is a Finnish football coach and retired footballer who played as a goalkeeper. During his career, Jääskeläinen most notably represented Bolton Wanderers from 1997 until 2012, making 530 app ...
. This was confirmed by the club when they released their squad numbers on July 5. After playing in a reserve match in early January 2013, Holden made his return to Bolton's first team on 15 January 16 months after his last appearance, coming on as a late substitute in their 2–0
FA Cup The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic English football. First played during the 1871–72 season, it is the oldest national football competi ...
replay win against his former club
Sunderland Sunderland () is a port city in Tyne and Wear, England. It is the City of Sunderland's administrative centre and in the Historic counties of England, historic county of County of Durham, Durham. The city is from Newcastle-upon-Tyne and is on t ...
. His return to action saw Holden receive another call-up to the US Men's National team for World Cup Qualifying and the Gold Cup. However, after making 8 more appearances, it was confirmed that Holden had torn his
anterior cruciate ligament The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is one of a pair of cruciate ligaments (the other being the posterior cruciate ligament) in the human knee. The two ligaments are also called "cruciform" ligaments, as they are arranged in a crossed formation ...
in his right leg while playing for the
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
in the
CONCACAF Gold Cup The CONCACAF Gold Cup ( es, Copa de Oro de la CONCACAF, french: Coupe D'or CONCACAF) is the main association football competition of the men's national football teams governed by CONCACAF, determining the continental champion of North Ameri ...
final against
Panama Panama ( , ; es, link=no, Panamá ), officially the Republic of Panama ( es, República de Panamá), is a transcontinental country spanning the southern part of North America and the northern part of South America. It is bordered by Cos ...
on June 29, 2013. In devastating news for Bolton Wanderers fans, it meant Holden would miss the majority of the 2013–14 season. After another comeback attempt, Holden returned to action in March 2014 in a reserve match vs Everton. In his first match back, his return from injury only lasted 23 minutes. It was later announced that Holden had re-injured the right knee and torn his anterior cruciate ligament for a 2nd time. It required another surgery which would set him back for another six to nine months. Holden was promised a new contract for the 2014–15 season in February 2014. Instead however, whilst he returned to the club for the 2014–15, it was on non-contract terms. Bolton did officially register him as a player for the reserves, though.


Loan to Sheffield Wednesday

Holden joined fellow Championship Team
Sheffield Wednesday Sheffield Wednesday Football Club is a professional association football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. The team competes in League One, the third tier of the English football league system. Formed in 1867 as an offshoot of ...
on a months loan on March 28, 2013, mainly for match fitness after a series of injuries, and also to replace
Sheffield Wednesday Sheffield Wednesday Football Club is a professional association football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. The team competes in League One, the third tier of the English football league system. Formed in 1867 as an offshoot of ...
's injured right midfielder
Michail Antonio Michail Gregory Antonio (born 28 March 1990) is a professional footballer who plays as a forward for club West Ham United. Born in England, he represents the Jamaica national team. Antonio began his career at non-League club Tooting & Mit ...
. and he made his debut two days later in the local derby at home to
Barnsley Barnsley () is a market town in South Yorkshire, England. As the main settlement of the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley and the fourth largest settlement in South Yorkshire. In Barnsley, the population was 96,888 while the wider Borough has ...
. Holden played four times for Wednesday during his loan spell.


International career

Holden was capped 11 times as a United States youth international at the U-20 level, scoring two goals, the first being on July 18, 2004, in a 2–2 home draw against Denmark U-20 in the 2004 Milk Cup in Northern Ireland. and the other on June 24, 2004, in a 1–2 defeat against Brazil U-20 in the Busan Four Nations International Youth Tournament. Early in 2007, Holden was called in to the U.S. U-23 squad for a camp in California and in December for a camp and trip to China to play matches against the China U-23 team. In July 2008, Holden was named to the U.S. squad competing in the
2008 Beijing Olympics The 2008 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXIX Olympiad () and also known as Beijing 2008 (), were an international multisport event held from 8 to 24 August 2008, in Beijing, China. A total of 10,942 athletes from 204 Nat ...
. On August 7, he scored in the U.S.'s opening match, a 1–0 victory against Japan. In December 2008 Holden was called into a camp set to begin in January 2009 preceding a friendly against Sweden on January 24. He sustained a hip injury prior to the friendly and was forced to withdraw from camp. Gold Cup Holden was named to the
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
Gold Cup squad on June 25, 2009, as nearly all of the senior regulars were rested following the
Confederations Cup The FIFA Confederations Cup was an international association football tournament for men's national teams, held every four years by FIFA. It was contested by the holders of each of the six continental championships (AFC, CAF, CONCACAF, CONMEBOL, ...
. Holden scored a goal for the U.S. in his national team debut against
Grenada Grenada ( ; Grenadian Creole French: ) is an island country in the West Indies in the Caribbean Sea at the southern end of the Grenadines island chain. Grenada consists of the island of Grenada itself, two smaller islands, Carriacou and Pe ...
on July 4, 2009. On July 11, 2009, Holden scored his second international goal against
Haiti Haiti (; ht, Ayiti ; French: ), officially the Republic of Haiti (); ) and formerly known as Hayti, is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean Sea, east of Cuba and Jamaica, and ...
with a thirty-yard strike that tied the game in the ninety-second minute, and assisted the U.S.'s first goal in that match, which was scored by
Davy Arnaud Davy Arnaud (; born June 22, 1980) is an American soccer coach and former player. During his professional career, he played for Sporting Kansas City, Montreal Impact, and D.C. United, and served on the coaching staff of D.C. United and Houst ...
. Holden added two more assists in the 2–0 semi-final win against
Honduras Honduras, officially the Republic of Honduras, is a country in Central America. The republic of Honduras is bordered to the west by Guatemala, to the southwest by El Salvador, to the southeast by Nicaragua, to the south by the Pacific Oce ...
. Stuart was selected to the Gold Cup All-Tournament Team. World Cup During a friendly match on March 3, 2010,
Nigel de Jong Nigel de Jong (born 30 November 1984) is a Dutch former professional footballer who played as a defensive midfielder. He is currently the technical director of the KNVB, the national Dutch soccer federation. he has also worked as an English lang ...
broke Holden's leg, causing him to miss six weeks of soccer just months before the FIFA World Cup. After an intensive rehab, Holden proved his fitness by making it back on the field for Bolton Wanderer's final home match of the season. On May 26, 2010, it was announced that Holden would be part of the 23-man roster for the U.S. National Team which played in the
2010 World Cup , image = 2010 FIFA World Cup.svg , size = 200px , caption = ''Ke Nako. (Tswana and Sotho for "It's time") Celebrate Africa's Humanity'It's time. Celebrate Africa's Humanity'' (English)''Dis tyd. Vier Afrika se mensd ...
in South Africa and he played as a substitute in the opening 1–1 draw with
England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
. He was part of the United States team that won their group ahead of England, Algeria and Slovenia. After two-and-a-half years without a national team appearance due to injuries, Holden was called up by Jurgen Klinsmann. In May 2013, he made his return, coming on as a substitute during the United States' important match vs Panama in 2014 World Cup Qualifying. Later that summer, he was named to the
2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup The 2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup was the 12th CONCACAF Gold Cup competition and the 22nd CONCACAF regional championship overall in CONCACAF's fifty years of existence. The United States was the host nation. The competition began on 7 July 2013 at the ...
squad that eventually went on to win the tournament. He appeared in 5 Gold Cup matches and scored in the opening match vs Belize. In the final vs Panama, Holden started the match, but was forced off through injury in the 23rd minute. It was later announced that he had torn his anterior cruciate ligament in the right knee and would require surgery, effectively ending his career with the national team.


Broadcasting career

Upon retiring from professional soccer, Holden pursued a career in TV and has become a voice of soccer in North America. He worked as an analyst for
ESPN ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). The ...
and
NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an Television in the United States, American English-language Commercial broadcasting, commercial television network, broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Enterta ...
in 2014, before signing exclusively with Fox Sports 1 in 2016. Holden has also done work as a host, where he recently debuted a new series with
Steve Nash Stephen John Nash (born 7 February 1974) is a Canadian professional basketball coach and former player who most recently served as head coach of the Brooklyn Nets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played 18 seasons in the NBA, ...
called 'Speak Responsibly'. Fox Sports Holden first started working with Fox Sports in 2014, working on all of their marquee soccer properties (UEFA Champions League, MLS, FIFA, FA Cup, Europa League). He made a sharp rise in the TV business and within two years has established himself as Fox's lead color commentator across multiple soccer properties. On April 25, 2018,
Fox Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush''). Twelve sp ...
announced that he will be their lead color commentator for the
2018 FIFA World Cup The 2018 FIFA World Cup was the 21st FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial world championship for men's national Association football, football teams organized by FIFA. It took place in Russia from 14 June to 15 July 2018, after the country was awa ...
in Russia. He partnered in the booth with John Strong, and the pair traveled throughout Russia calling the tournament's biggest games, including the 2018 World Cup Final on July 15, 2018, featuring Croatia and France. The duo continue to call games as Fox's #1 broadcast team for MLS, USMNT, and
2022 FIFA World Cup The 2022 FIFA World Cup is an international association football, football tournament contested by the men's national teams of FIFA's member associations. The 22nd FIFA World Cup is taking place in Qatar from 20 November to 18 December 2022 ...
matches. B/R Football and Turner Sports Ahead of the 2018–2019 season of the
UEFA Champions League The UEFA Champions League (abbreviated as UCL, or sometimes, UEFA CL) is an annual club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and contested by top-division European clubs, deciding the competit ...
Holden was signed by Turner Sports and B/R Football to be one of their lead studio analysts alongside Tim Howard,
Kate Abdo Kate Abdo (; born 8 September 1981, Manchester, England) is an English sports broadcaster who currently hosts UEFA Champions League coverage for CBS Sports and Fox Sports' FIFA World Cup Tonight. Throughout her career she has worked internation ...
and
Steve Nash Stephen John Nash (born 7 February 1974) is a Canadian professional basketball coach and former player who most recently served as head coach of the Brooklyn Nets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played 18 seasons in the NBA, ...
. Turner opted out of their three-year broadcast deal early in 2020.


Club ownership

On January 4, 2016, it was announced that an American Group of investors, led by Robert Sarver, purchased a controlling stake in
RCD Mallorca Real Club Deportivo Mallorca, S.A.D. (, ca, Reial Club Deportiu Mallorca , ''Royal Sporting Club Mallorca''), commonly known as Real Mallorca or just Mallorca is a Spanish professional football club based in Palma on the island of Majorca in ...
for $21 million. The ownership group included basketball icon,
Steve Nash Stephen John Nash (born 7 February 1974) is a Canadian professional basketball coach and former player who most recently served as head coach of the Brooklyn Nets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played 18 seasons in the NBA, ...
, and Stuart Holden. Holden and Nash's journey as owners of the club has been well documented in their video podcas
2 Dads United
in which they discuss their roles and influence on the club. In 2018,
RCD Mallorca Real Club Deportivo Mallorca, S.A.D. (, ca, Reial Club Deportiu Mallorca , ''Royal Sporting Club Mallorca''), commonly known as Real Mallorca or just Mallorca is a Spanish professional football club based in Palma on the island of Majorca in ...
wer
promoted to the 2nd division in Spain
In 2019,
RCD Mallorca Real Club Deportivo Mallorca, S.A.D. (, ca, Reial Club Deportiu Mallorca , ''Royal Sporting Club Mallorca''), commonly known as Real Mallorca or just Mallorca is a Spanish professional football club based in Palma on the island of Majorca in ...
were promoted to Spain's top division, La Liga. Holden and Nash are heavily involved on the soccer side and frequently visit their club on the island of
Mallorca Mallorca, or Majorca, is the largest island in the Balearic Islands, which are part of Spain and located in the Mediterranean. The capital of the island, Palma, is also the capital of the autonomous community of the Balearic Islands. The Bal ...
.


Style of play

Holden was a versatile, linking midfielder who, due to his ambidexterity, could play in the left, right, or center of the midfield. Holden was particularly noted for his adeptness at taking
set pieces "Set Pieces" is the first EP release by Canadian indie band Braids A braid (also referred to as a plait) is a complex structure or pattern formed by interlacing two or more strands of flexible material such as textile yarns, wire, or hair. ...
and delivering crosses, being compared to
David Beckham David Robert Joseph Beckham (; born 2 May 1975) is an English former professional footballer, the current president and co-owner of Inter Miami CF and co-owner of Salford City. Known for his range of passing, crossing ability and bending fr ...
.


Personal life

Holden was born in Scotland and moved to the United States at the age of ten. His father lost a six-year battle with cancer in early 2009. His mother and sister still live in Houston. He has been an American citizen since 2006. Every game, Holden wears a Livestrong bracelet that belonged to his father, taping over it for its protection. Holden's brother,
Euan Holden Euan Holden (born 2 February 1988) is a Scottish Americans, Scottish-American former professional association football, soccer player who played as a Defender (association football), defender or midfielder. He currently plays for USL League Two c ...
, was also a professional soccer player who last played for
League Two The English Football League Two (often referred to as League Two for short or Sky Bet League Two for sponsorship purposes, and known as the Football League Two from 2004 until 2016) is the third and lowest division of the English Football Lea ...
club
Bury Bury may refer to: *The burial of human remains *-bury, a suffix in English placenames Places England * Bury, Cambridgeshire, a village * Bury, Greater Manchester, a town, historically in Lancashire ** Bury (UK Parliament constituency) (1832–19 ...
. Euan was a viral sensation in 2018 when he became "#PlaneBae" – he had a blossoming romance that was filmed by a couple passengers on a plane. Holden said he was "upstaged" by his brother while he was covering the biggest tournament of his broadcasting career Having lived in and spent the majority of his childhood growing up in Scotland, Holden spoke with a Scottish accent up until the age of around 10, when, having emigrated to the U.S. with his family, he developed a pronounced Houstonian accent with which he still speaks to this day, despite having returned to live and work in the UK. He became engaged to model Karalyn West in March 2014 and the two got married in June 2015. Holden and his wife Karalyn announced the birth of their first child in February 2016. They currently reside in Los Angeles.


Career statistics


Club


International


Honors


Club

;Houston Dynamo *
MLS Cup The MLS Cup is the annual championship game of Major League Soccer (MLS) and the culmination of the MLS Cup Playoffs. The game is held in November and pits the winner of the Eastern Conference Final against the winner of the Western Conference ...
**Winners:
2006 File:2006 Events Collage V1.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2006 Winter Olympics open in Turin; Twitter is founded and launched by Jack Dorsey; The Nintendo Wii is released; Montenegro 2006 Montenegrin independence referendum, votes to declare ...
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2007 File:2007 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Steve Jobs unveils Apple's first iPhone; TAM Airlines Flight 3054 overruns a runway and crashes into a gas station, killing almost 200 people; Former Pakistani Prime Minister of Pakistan, Pr ...
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Supporters' Shield The Supporters' Shield is an annual award given to the Major League Soccer team with the best regular season record, as determined by the MLS points system. The Supporters' Shield has been annually awarded at the MLS Supporters' Summit since 19 ...
**Runners-up: 2008 * Western Conference **Winners (Playoff): 2006, 2007 **Winners (Regular Season): 2008


International

*
CONCACAF Gold Cup The CONCACAF Gold Cup ( es, Copa de Oro de la CONCACAF, french: Coupe D'or CONCACAF) is the main association football competition of the men's national football teams governed by CONCACAF, determining the continental champion of North Ameri ...
**Winners:
2013 File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fact ...
**Runners-up:
2009 File:2009 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The vertical stabilizer of Air France Flight 447 is pulled out from the Atlantic Ocean; Barack Obama becomes the first African American to become President of the United States; 2009 Iran ...
** All-Tournament Team:
2009 File:2009 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The vertical stabilizer of Air France Flight 447 is pulled out from the Atlantic Ocean; Barack Obama becomes the first African American to become President of the United States; 2009 Iran ...


See also

*
List of United States men's international soccer players born outside the United States This is a list about the American players who represented the United States men's national soccer team naturalized and born abroad. Many of this players immigrated from all over the world, from continents like Europe (especially British countries) ...


References


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Holden, Stuart 1985 births Living people American expatriate soccer players American expatriate sportspeople in the United Kingdom American soccer players Bolton Wanderers F.C. players Clemson Tigers men's soccer players Clemson University alumni English Football League players Footballers at the 2008 Summer Olympics Houston Dynamo FC players Major League Soccer All-Stars Major League Soccer players Footballers from Aberdeen Olympic soccer players of the United States People from Sugar Land, Texas Premier League players Scottish emigrants to the United States Scottish footballers Sheffield Wednesday F.C. players Soccer players from Texas Sportspeople from the Houston metropolitan area Sunderland A.F.C. players 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup players 2010 FIFA World Cup players 2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup players CONCACAF Gold Cup-winning players United States men's under-20 international soccer players United States men's under-23 international soccer players United States men's international soccer players Counter-Strike players Association football midfielders Scottish expatriate sportspeople in the United States Expatriate soccer players in the United States Scottish expatriate footballers