Steven Howard Thompson (born 14 October 1978) is a Scottish former professional footballer, and current television pundit who played for Dundee United, Rangers, Cardiff City, Burnley and St Mirren. He was also a Scotland international between 2002 and 2016
Born and raised in Paisley, Thompson started his football career at boys clubs Gleniffer Thistle and Renfrew Waverly. He then joined Dundee United at thirteen years old and waited to join full time at seventeen years old. Thompson was then promoted to the first team by manager Tommy McLean. He made his début as a substitute in a league match against Hearts on 3 May 1997. With the Tangerines, Thompson won the SFL Youth League at the end of the 1996–97 season.
Thompson scored on his first appearance of the 1997–98 season, in the return leg of the UEFA Cup against CE Principat, winning 9–0 and saw Dundee United through to the next round. A week later, on 9 August 1997, he scored again, in a 4–2 win against Queen of the South. Following this, Thompson made three more starts for the Tangerines by the end of August. He spent the most of the season out of the first team for most of the 1997–98 season by manager McLean. Despite this, Thompson went on to make twelve appearances and scoring two times in all competitions.
By the 1998–1999 season, Thompson had become a regular in the Dundee United team despite facing competitions from Kjell Olofsson and Roger Boli. However, in a match against Hearts, on 16 August 1998, he came on as a 76th-minute substitute for Boli, but was sent–off thirteen minutes later for a foul on Gary Locke, as the match ended in a 0–0 draw. After serving a one match suspension, Thompson returned to the first team, coming on as a 64th-minute substitute, in a 2–1 loss against Celtic on 22 August 1998. However, he found himself out of the first team, due to his fitness concerns. However, in a fourth round replay of the Scottish Cup match against Queen's Park, Thompson suffered ankle injury and was substituted at the 89th minute, as the Tangerines won 1–0. On 6 March 1999, he returned from his injury, coming on as a 85th-minute substitute, in a 3–0 win against Clydebank in the fourth round replay of the Scottish Cup. Despite this, Thompson was able to score his first league goal for Dundee United, in a 3–1 win against local rivals, Dundee on 2 January 1999. At the end of the 1998–99 season, he made nineteen appearances and scoring once in all competitions.
In the 1999–00 season, Thompson continued to receive more playing time in the striker position at Dundee United and improved his "general play". On 18 August 1999, he scored a brace, in a 3–1 win against Ross County in the second round of the Scottish League Cup. Thompson then scored his third goal of the season, in a 2–0 win against local rivals, Dundee on 17 October 1999. However, he suffered a knee injury that saw him out for three matches. But Thompson made his return from his injury, starting the whole game, in a 1–1 draw against Kilmarnock on 20 November 1999. On 1 December 1999, he scored his fourth goal of the season, in a 3–2 win against Motherwell. His performance attracted interests from Premiership side Arsenal but manager Paul Sturrock dismissed the move. On 10 January 2000, Thompson signed a three–year contract with the Tangerines. On 23 February 2000, he scored another brace, in a 4–0 win against Alloa Athletic in the last 16 replay of the Scottish Cup. However, Thompson was soon out on three separate occasions in the second half of the season, due to injuries. At the end of the 1999–00 season, he made thirty–four appearances and scoring six times in all competitions.
At the start of the 2000–01 season, however, Thompson suffered a hamstring injury during Dundee United's pre–season tour. But he quickly recovered and returned to the starting line–up, in a 2–0 win against Forfar Athletic on 21 July 2000. Despite being a first team regular, Thompson suffered a goal drought that saw him struggle to score most of the 2000–01 season. He also faced his own injury concerns along the way. On 31 March 2001, Thompson scored his first goal of the season, in a 2–0 win against Rangers. He then scored three more goals for the Tangerines against Hearts, St Mirren and Dunfermline Athletic. At the end of the 2000–01 season, Thompson made thirty–seven appearances and scoring four times in all competitions.
However, at the start of the 2001–02 season, Thompson suffered a knee injury and was out for two matches. He made his return from his injury, coming on as a 77th-minute substitute, in a 2–0 loss against Livingston on 8 September 2001. Thompson scored on 25 September 2001, 29 September 2001 and 9 October 2001 against Dumbarton, Hearts and St Johnstone respectively. Following his return, he found himself alternating between the starting line–up and the substitute bench. On 22 December 2001, Thompson scored a brace, in a 3–2 loss against Rangers. He then scored another brace, in a 4–0 win against Hamilton Academical in the fourth round of the Scottish Cup. Thompson later scored three more goals for Dundee United in the league, coming against Hibernian, Motherwell and Kilmarnock. At the end of the 2001–02 season, he made thirty–seven appearances and scoring ten times in all competitions.
At the start of the 2002–03 season, Thompson scored his first goal of the season, in a 2–1 loss against Kilmarnock on 10 August 2002. He continued to be a first team regular for Dundee United in the first half of the season. Thompson scored a brace, in a 2–1 win against Aberdeen on 11 September 2002. Two weeks later, on 24 September 2002, he scored his fourth goal of the season, in a 4–1 win against Queen's Park. On 5 October 2002, he scored his fifth goal of the season, in a 2–1 loss against Hibernian. Thompson then scored on 26 October 2002, 29 October 2002 and 2 November 2002 against Partick Thistle, Airdrieonians (twice) and Kilmarnock respectively. During the same month, he began talks with the Tangerines over a new contract, insisting a week later they were "going well". Amidst speculation that Rangers were interested in signing Thompson, talks resumed in mid-November, only for the move to Rangers to all but be confirmed before the end of the month. Following talks on a new contract broken down, it announced that Dundee United had placed Thompson on a transfer list. By the time he left the Tangerines, Thompson made twenty–three appearances and scoring nine all competitions.
On Boxing Day 2002, Thompson moved to Rangers for £200,000 with Billy Dodds having returned to Tannadice twenty-four hours earlier, though Sky Sports reported the move was completed on 31 December 2002.
Thompson scored on his debut for the club, in the 3–1 win over Dundee on 2 January 2003. However, he found himself out of the starting line–up since joining Rangers, due to competitions in the striker position. On the last game of the 2002–03 season, Thompson scored his second goal for the club, in a 6–2 win against Dunfermline Athletic to win the league. Six days later, on 31 May 2003, he came on as a 56th-minute substitute, and helped Rangers win the Scottish Cup final by beating Dundee 1–0, achieving a domestic treble. At the end of the 2002–03 season, Thompson made eleven appearances and scoring two times in all competitions.
At the start of the 2003–04 season, Thompson said he’s aiming to improve as a player despite being given a nickname of the "Ghost of Hateley" by Scottish newspapers. Thompson played in both legs of the third qualifying round of the UEFA Champions League against Copenhagen and helped Rangers win 3–2 on aggregate to advance to the group stage. However, during a match against Aberdeen on 16 August 2003, he suffered an injury and was substituted in the 56th minute, as the club won 3–2. After missing one match, Thompson returned to the first team, coming on as a 50th-minute substitute, against his former club, Dundee United, on 31 August 2003 and set up one of the goals, in a 3–1 win. In a follow–up match against Dunfermline Athletic, he scored his first goal of the season, in a 4–0 win. During the match, however, Thompson suffered a knee ligament damage and was substituted in the 18th minute. After undergoing a successful surgery, it was expected that he would be out for six months. By February, Thompson made a full recovery from his injury. On 21 February 2004, he made his return from his injury, coming on as a 69th-minute substitute, and scored the third goal of the game, from a penalty, in a 3–0 win against Hibernian. After missing one match, Thompson scored on his return, in a 4–0 win against Dundee on 20 March 2004. A week later, on 28 March 2004, he scored a late consolation, a 2–1 loss against rival against Celtic. He scored on 17 April 2004, 24 April 2003 and 1 May 2004 against Partick Thistle, Dundee United (twice) and Motherwell respectively. Following his return from his injury, Thompson was involved in the first team for the remainder of the season. At the end of the 2003–04 season, he made nineteen appearances and scoring eight times in all competitions.