Jermaine Pennant

Jermaine Pennant

Jermaine Lloyd Pennant (born 15 January 1983) is an English footballer who plays as a winger for Wolverhampton Wanderers on loan from Premier League club Stoke City.

Born in Nottingham, Pennant played for his local side Notts County as a youngster. He earned promising reviews in the youth team at County and Arsenal signed him in 1999. He struggled to make much of an impact at the North London club and spent time on loan at Watford, Leeds United and Birmingham City before joining the latter permanently. While an Arsenal player, he won 24 caps for the England under-21 team. He gained notoriety in 2005, when he had to play a match while on probation—he played while wearing an electronic tag following a drink-driving conviction. Following Birmingham's relegation in 2006 Pennant signed for Liverpool for a fee of £6.7 million. He won the 2006 FA Community Shield and also played a vital role in the club's run to the 2006–07 UEFA Champions League final.

However off the field problems continued to affect him and consequently led to him being left out of the side. He joined Portsmouth on loan before leaving to join Spanish side Real Zaragoza in 2009. His time in Spain was overshadowed by disciplinary problems. He returned to the Premier League for the 2010–11 season signing on loan at Midlands club Stoke City. Following a successful loan spell he signed a permanent contract at Stoke in December 2010.