Who Is Steven Craig? A Look at His Football Career and Coaching Journey

steven craig

Steven Craig Has Spent More Than Two Decades In Professional Football, First As A Striker And Later As A Coach. Born On February 5, 1981, In Blackburn, Lancashire, England, Craig Built A Long Playing Career Across Scottish And English Football Before Moving Into Management. His Journey Included Spells With Falkirk, Motherwell, Aberdeen, Dundee, Livingston, Ross County, Partick Thistle, Wycombe Wanderers, Dumbarton, Forfar Athletic, And Other Clubs. Along The Way, He Experienced Promotion, Won Trophies, Scored In Important Cup Matches, And Became Part Of Several Memorable Teams. In June 2026, His Career Entered Another Important Chapter When He Joined Gillingham As Assistant Manager Under Gareth Ainsworth. For Anyone Searching For Steven Craig’s Biography, Football Career, Statistics, Or Coaching Journey, His Story Offers A Fascinating Look At A Player Who Successfully Remained In The Game After His Playing Days.

Steven Craig At A Glance

Steven Craig Is Best Known As A Scottish Professional Footballer Who Played As A Striker And Later Developed A Career In Coaching. Although He Was Born In England, His Football Career Was Closely Connected With Scotland From His Youth Development Through His professional playing years. The Supplied Career Record Credits Him With 411 Domestic League Appearances And 82 Goals. He Also Collected Major Honours With Ross County And Partick Thistle. His Career Was Not Built Around One Club Alone. Instead, Craig Became An Experienced Professional By Moving Through Different Levels Of Scottish And English Football, Adapting To New Teams And New Challenges.

Quick Bio Information

Detail Information
Full Name Steven Craig
Date Of Birth February 5, 1981
Age In 2026 45
Birthplace Blackburn, Lancashire, England
Playing Position Striker
Football Background Scottish
Father Joe Craig
Father’s Profession Former Professional Footballer
Youth Club Raith Rovers
Early Senior Club Broxburn Athletic
Professional Start Falkirk
Senior League Appearances 411
Senior League Goals 82
Major Club Ross County
Scottish Challenge Cup Winner, 2010–11
Scottish First Division Winner With Ross County, 2011–12
Scottish First Division Winner With Partick Thistle, 2012–13
First Listed Coaching Role Gala Fairydean Rovers Assistant Manager
Coaching Start 2022
Current Role In The Supplied 2026 Record Gillingham Assistant Manager

Early Life

Steven Craig Was Born In Blackburn While His Father, Joe Craig, Was Playing For Blackburn Rovers. That Detail Provides An Interesting Starting Point To His Football Story Because His Family Was Already Closely Connected To The Professional Game. Joe Craig Had A Career That Included Clubs Such As Celtic And Partick Thistle, Meaning Steven Grew Up With First-Hand Exposure To Professional Football. Despite Being Born In Lancashire, Steven’s Own Career Became Primarily Associated With Scottish Football. His Development Eventually Took Him To Raith Rovers, Where He Spent Part Of His Youth Career Before Taking The Next Steps Toward Senior Football.

Starting His Career

Craig’s Route Into Professional Football Was Not Entirely Straightforward. After Leaving Raith Rovers In 2000, He Played A Match For Junior Club Broxburn Athletic. That Experience Was Followed By His First Professional Opportunity With Falkirk In The Scottish First Division. Craig Initially Signed A Short-Term Contract, But He Quickly Made An Impression. On September 30, 2000, He Scored On His Falkirk Debut Against Livingston. That Early Success Changed His Situation, And He Was Rewarded With A Three-Year Contract. It Was An Important Moment In The Steven Craig Football Career Because It Established Him As A Professional Striker And Gave Him The Platform To Progress.

Falkirk And Motherwell

Craig Spent The Early Part Of His Senior Career With Falkirk, Making A Strong Number Of Appearances And Scoring Regularly. His Performances Earned Him A Move To Motherwell In January 2003, Taking Him Into The Scottish Premier League. He Made His Motherwell Debut Against Kilmarnock And Scored His First Goal For The Club In A 2–1 Victory Over Dunfermline Athletic In February 2003. His Time At Motherwell Gave Him Experience At A Higher Level And Helped Establish Him As A Striker Capable Of Competing In Scottish Top-Flight Football. He Signed A New One-Year Contract With Motherwell In June 2003, Continuing His Progress During An Important Stage Of His Career.

Aberdeen Chapter

In 2004, Steven Craig Agreed To Join Aberdeen Alongside Motherwell Teammate Derek Adams. He Made His Aberdeen Debut On The Opening Day Of The 2004–05 Season Against Rangers. Craig Scored Against Berwick Rangers In August 2004 And Then Found The Net Twice In A 2–0 Win Over Livingston Four Days Later. However, His Aberdeen Career Did Not Develop As He Had Hoped. He Eventually Fell Out Of Favour With Manager Jimmy Calderwood And Was Allowed To Explore Other Opportunities. Craig Had A Trial With Belgian Club Sint-Truiden And Also Went On Trial At Bradford City Before Aberdeen Released Him In August 2005. His Departure Was A Setback, But It Also Started Another Phase Of A Career Defined By Persistence And Adaptability.

Dundee And Livingston

After Leaving Aberdeen, Craig Had Trials With Dunfermline Athletic And Carlisle United Before Signing For Dundee In September 2005. He Spent The 2005–06 Season There, Making 20 League Appearances And Scoring Six League Goals According To The Supplied Career Record. In June 2006, He Moved To Livingston, Where He Remained For Two Seasons. His Time At Livingston Was Productive, With The Career Statistics Recording 55 League Appearances And 12 Goals. These Spells Demonstrated Craig’s Ability To Rebuild His Career After A Difficult Period At Aberdeen. Rather Than Allowing One Unsuccessful Move To Define His Career, He Continued To Find Opportunities And Remained A Regular Presence In Scottish Football.

Ross County Success

Ross County Became One Of The Most Important Clubs In Steven Craig’s Football Career. He Joined The Club In May 2008 And Went On To Spend Several Seasons There. During His Time At Ross County, He Was Part Of Teams That Produced Some Of The Biggest Achievements Of His Playing Career. One Of His Most Memorable Moments Came In The 2009–10 Scottish Cup, When Ross County Defeated Celtic 2–0 In The Semi-Final And Craig Scored One Of The Goals. He Also Started The Final Against Dundee United, Although Ross County Lost 3–0. The Following Season Brought More Success, As Craig Scored The Winning Penalty In The Shootout Against Partick Thistle That Sent Ross County Into The Challenge Cup Final. Ross County Then Defeated Queen Of The South 2–0 To Lift The Trophy.

Promotion With Ross County

Craig Was Also Part Of The Ross County Squad That Won The 2011–12 Scottish First Division Title. That Success Secured Promotion To The Scottish Top Flight For The First Time In The Club’s History. For Craig, It Was A Major Achievement After Years Of Moving Between Clubs And Competitions. His Contribution At Ross County Was More Than A Simple Statistical Record; He Became Part Of A Team That Delivered Silverware And A Historic Promotion. At The End Of That Season, Craig Chose To Stay With Ross County After Turning Down A Potential Move To Iceland. That Decision Added Another Chapter To His Relationship With The Club Before He Eventually Moved On.

Partick Thistle

Craig Left Ross County In 2012 And Initially Joined Partick Thistle On Loan. The Move Became Permanent On January 1, 2013, And He Quickly Became Part Of Another Successful promotion campaign. Partick Thistle Won The 2012–13 Scottish First Division Title, Giving Craig Back-To-Back League Winners’ Medals With Two Different Clubs. He Recorded Eight League Appearances And Five Goals During His Initial Loan Spell Before Adding More appearances After His Permanent move. Despite helping Partick Thistle win the title, Craig was told at the end of the season that he would not be offered a new contract. It was another example of how quickly circumstances could change during his long playing career.

Wycombe Wanderers

In July 2013, Steven Craig Moved Across The Border To England To Join Wycombe Wanderers. The Transfer Added An Important New Dimension To His Career Because He Had Spent Most Of His Professional Years In Scotland. Craig Made 58 League Appearances And Scored Six League Goals For Wycombe According To The Supplied Career Statistics. One Of His Most Important Goals Came On May 3, 2014, When He Scored In A 3–0 Victory Over Torquay United. The Result Helped Wycombe Avoid Relegation From League Two On The Final Day Of The Season. Craig Subsequently Signed A Contract Extension And Remained At The Club For Another Season. His Wycombe Years Would Later Become Significant For Another Reason, As Manager Gareth Ainsworth Eventually Became An Important Figure In His Coaching Journey.

Later Playing Career

Craig Joined Dumbarton In July 2015 After Leaving Wycombe Wanderers. He Made His First Start In A 2–1 Victory Over Hibernian And Scored His First Dumbarton Goal Against Hibernian Later That year. His spell at Dumbarton lasted only around six months before the club released him. In February 2016, he Signed For Forfar Athletic On A Deal Until The End Of The Season. The Supplied Career Information Also Records A Later Period With Worcester City And A Loan Move To Stafford Rangers In 2017. By This Stage, Craig Had Built An Unusually Broad Career, Playing For Clubs At Different Levels And In Different Football Environments.

Career Statistics And Honours

The Headline Senior League Record In The Supplied Article Credits Steven Craig With 411 Appearances And 82 Goals. His Detailed Statistics Include League, Cup, League Cup And Other Competition Appearances, Although Historical Records Can Differ Depending On How Certain Matches Are Classified. His Honours Are Perhaps More Important In Understanding His Career. With Ross County, He Won The 2010–11 Scottish Challenge Cup And The 2011–12 Scottish First Division. With Partick Thistle, He Won Another Scottish First Division Title In 2012–13. These Achievements Show That Craig Was Part Of Successful Teams At Crucial Moments, Particularly In Promotion And Cup Competitions.

Move Into Coaching

After His Playing Career, Steven Craig Chose To Remain In Football By Moving Into Coaching. On January 10, 2022, He Joined Gala Fairydean Rovers As Assistant Manager To Martin Scott. This Was A Natural Next Step For Someone Who Had Spent Many Years Inside Professional Football And Experienced Numerous Managers, Teammates, Tactical Systems, And Competitive environments. Coaching Gave Craig An Opportunity To Use That Experience From A Different Position. Instead Of Walking Away From Football Completely, He Began Building A Second Career Within The Sport. His Coaching Journey Eventually Led Back Toward The Professional Game.

Gillingham Appointment

The Most Recent And Significant Development In The Steven Craig Biography Is His Appointment As Gillingham Assistant Manager On June 2, 2026. He Joined The EFL League Two Club As Part Of Gareth Ainsworth’s Coaching Staff. The Appointment Has A Particularly Interesting Connection To Craig’s Playing Career Because Ainsworth Had Previously Managed Him At Wycombe Wanderers. That Existing Professional Relationship Adds Context To Craig’s Move To Gillingham And Makes The Appointment More Than A Simple Career Change. It Represents A Return To Professional Football In A Coaching Capacity And Gives Craig The Chance To Continue Developing His Career From The Technical Area Rather Than The Playing Field.

Steven Craig’s Football Legacy

Steven Craig’s Career Is Best Understood As The Story Of A Long-Serving Professional Rather Than A Player Defined By One Famous Club. He Played For Numerous Teams, Experienced Difficult Transfers, Rebuilt His Career After Setbacks, Won Major Honours, And Contributed To Important Cup And Promotion campaigns. His Goal Against Celtic In The Scottish Cup Semi-Final, Ross County’s Challenge Cup triumph, Two Successive First Division Titles, And Wycombe’s Fight Against Relegation All Stand Out. Just As Importantly, His Transition Into Coaching Shows That His Football Story Continued After His playing career ended. His 2026 Gillingham appointment gives that story a fresh direction.

Final Thoughts

Steven Craig’s Career Is A Good Example Of How A Footballer’s Journey Can Take Many Different Turns. From Scoring On His Falkirk Debut To Playing In Major Scottish Cup Matches, Winning Trophies With Ross County, Helping Partick Thistle Secure Promotion, And Experiencing English Football With Wycombe Wanderers, Craig Built A Career Through Consistency And Adaptability. His Move Into Coaching Added A New Chapter Rather Than An Ending. With His Appointment At Gillingham In 2026, Steven Craig Remains Closely Connected To The Professional Game. His Story Is Therefore Not Simply About The Clubs He Played For Or The Goals He Scored; It Is About A Long Relationship With Football That Has Continued From The Pitch To The Coaching Bench.

FAQs About Steven Craig

Who Is Steven Craig?

Steven Craig Is A Former Scottish Professional Footballer Who Played As A Striker And Later Moved Into Coaching. He Built A Long Career Across Scottish And English Football And Is Listed As Gillingham’s Assistant Manager In The Supplied 2026 Information.

When Was Steven Craig Born?

Steven Craig Was Born On February 5, 1981, In Blackburn, Lancashire, England. He Turned 45 In 2026.

What Position Did Steven Craig Play?

Steven Craig Played As A Striker. Across His Career, He Represented Numerous Clubs And The Supplied Career Record Credits Him With 411 Domestic League Appearances And 82 Goals.

Who Is Steven Craig’s Father?

Steven Craig’s Father Is Joe Craig, A Former Professional Footballer. Joe Played For Clubs Including Celtic And Partick Thistle And Was Playing For Blackburn Rovers When Steven Was Born.

Which Clubs Did Steven Craig Play For?

His Career Included Falkirk, Motherwell, Aberdeen, Dundee, Livingston, Ross County, Partick Thistle, Wycombe Wanderers, Dumbarton, Forfar Athletic, Worcester City, And Stafford Rangers, Along With Youth And Loan Experiences At Other Clubs.

What Trophies Did Steven Craig Win?

Craig Won The Scottish Challenge Cup With Ross County In 2010–11. He Also Won The Scottish First Division With Ross County In 2011–12 And With Partick Thistle In 2012–13.

When Did Steven Craig Become A Coach?

Craig Began The Coaching Phase Of His Career With Gala Fairydean Rovers In January 2022, When He Joined As Assistant Manager To Martin Scott.

What Is Steven Craig’s Current Role?

According To The Supplied 2026 Career Information, Steven Craig Is Assistant Manager At Gillingham. He Joined The Club On June 2, 2026, As Part Of Gareth Ainsworth’s Coaching Staff.

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