Kayla's Salute: Stuart Holden of Bolton Wanderers

I love football as much as the next guy, but at the base level, I'm still a woman. I appreciate the after-game shirt exchange just as much as the game itself. Kayla's salute is a recurring piece spotlighting the best footballers that also happen to be the best looking.  With the beginning of the EPL this weekend, there's also another return we are eagerly anticipating at The Captain's Armblog. The return of Stuart Holden of Bolton Wanderers.

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By Kayla

If anyone knows about the ups and downs in life, it's Stuart Holden.  

Since he began playing professionally in 2005, Stuart Holden has suffered four major injuries.  The first came in 2005 while he was with English side Sunderland.  Holden was attacked outside of a bar in Newcastle. Suffering a fractured eye socket, the injury put him out of training for two months.  Once he returned to Sunderland for training, he suffered an ankle injury that put him out for the rest of the season.  Holden left the club without any playing time for the first team.

Holden then moved to the MLS and signed the Houston Dynamo, enjoying a successful injury-free tenure with the club from 2006-2009 until he signed with the Bolton Wanderers in 2010.

Since his time with Bolton, Holden has suffered two injuries in two years.  Not long after signing with Bolton he was injured in a challenge with Nigel de Jong as he played for the US Men's National Team in a friendly against the Netherlands.  Holden was ruled out for six weeks with a fractured leg, at a time when Bolton were 2 points away from relegation and the 2010 World Cup in South Africa was only a couple of months. 

A year later brought Holden's most recent injury.  In a match against Manchester United in March, Holden took Jonny Evans' studs in his knee, resulting in a gash that required 26 stitches.  Ultimately Holden was ruled out for six months with an anterior cruciate ligament injury.  Another crushing injury for the midfielder and another death wish from me on a player that brought about the injury by initiating a dirty tackle.

On August 1st, Holden's 26th birthday, Holden returned to training for the first time since he's injury.  Being able to kick around the ball and run on the grass was "the best birthday present" for him and was another step closer to his return to first team action.

In the time Stuart Holden played with Bolton during the 2010-2011 EPL season, he propelled the team the 7th place in the standings and a FA Cup semi-final.  After his injury, Bolton slipped to 14th place at the end of the season.  We can only hope this year Holden can go the whole season in tip top shape and help Bolton make a great run of the season.

The remarkable thing about Stuart Holden is that he's managed to come back stronger from each and every injury he's endured in the past six years.  Injuries such as these have easily set back many players in the past, stunting their growth in their career.  His enthusiastic personality and a "never say die" mantra have propelled him to enjoy a notable career despite the numerous injuries.

Keep up the hard work, Mr. Holden.  We are all eagerly awaiting your return.

Kayla is a writer, co-editor & co-founder of The Captain's Armblog.  She enjoys eating too many sweets, writing, and defending Fernando Torres.  Send her digital candies to thecaptainsarmblog@gmail.com