Born: Limerick, Republic of Ireland, 24 April 1976
Position: Right back
International caps: 53
International goals: 2
Signed: 18 November 1998 from Notts County (£350,000)
Fulham debut: Fulham 2-1 Chesterfield Town, 21 November 1998
Fulham appearances: 209
Fulham goals: 7
Honours: Second Division title winner (1998-99), First Division title winner (2000-01), UEFA InterToto Cup winner (2002)
Sold: 1 July 2003 to Liverpool (£3.5m)
Arguably Fulham’s finest right back since George Cohen, Steve Finnan arrived at Fulham from Notts County, with whom he had won the Third Division in 1998, for £350,000 in November 1998. Converted into a full back having been a right winger but encouraged to continue bombing forward, Finnan scored twice in 26 appearances as the Whites romped to the Second Division title in his first season with the Limerick-born defender starring as they knocked out Southampton and Aston Villa on their way to a narrow FA Cup fifth round defeat at Old Trafford.
Finnan’s development accelerated under Jean Tigana as he missed just one league game in the year that Fulham won the Division One title with 101 points to their name. An astute reader of the game and strong in the tackle, he took to the top flight like a duck to water – being voted into the 2001/02 PFA Premier League team of the year after a superb season that saw the Cottagers reach the FA Cup semi-finals. He became a mainstay in the Republic of Ireland senior side, supplying the cross for Jason McAteer to score the winner against the Netherlands that saw Mick McCarthy’s side qualify for the 2002 World Cup.
After returning from an excellent finals in Japan and South Korea where the Irish reached the second round, Finnan helped Fulham win the Intertoto Cup and reach the UEFA Cup third round before returning from injury as they starved off relegation under Chris Coleman. He joined Liverpool for £3.5m in July 2003 – going on to win the Champions’ League two years later. He now lives in south London and works in property development.
