Editing Stanislav Varga (section)

==Club career==
===Sunderland===
Varga, a tall and commanding centre-back, was recruited by [[Peter Reid]] for £875,000<ref>{{cite web|url=http://sport.sme.sk/c/804740/vargov-prestup-zo-slovana-do-sunderlandu-je-predmetom-vysetrovania.html |title=Vargov prestup zo Slovana do Sunderlandu je predmetom vyšetrovania |website=Sport.sme.sk |accessdate=10 September 2016 |language=sk}}</ref> from [[Š.K. Slovan Bratislava|Slovan Bratislava]] during the summer of 2000. Varga began his career at the [[Stadium of Light]] with an impressive opening day display in Sunderland's 1–0 victory over [[Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal]], picking up the man of the match award. He scored his first Sunderland goal in a 2–0 win over West Ham in January 2001.<ref>{{cite news
|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/1114398.stm |title=Black Cats punish Hammers |publisher=BBC Sport |date=13 January 2001 |accessdate=25 November 2009}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Hunter |first=James |date=2018-06-19 |title=Stanislav Varga's Sunderland debut against Arsenal, and four more memorable curtain-raisers |url=http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/stanislav-vargas-sunderland-debut-against-11473504 |access-date=2023-07-02 |website=ChronicleLive |language=en}}</ref>

He spent the end of 2001–02 on loan with [[West Bromwich Albion F.C.|West Bromwich Albion]], helping the club get promoted to the [[Premier League]]. The towering centre back returned from a long-term injury to find himself out of the first team picture and his last game before going on loan ended when he was taken off at half-time at [[Old Trafford (football)|Old Trafford]], where [[Sunderland A.F.C.|Sunderland]] lost 4–1. With [[Joachim Björklund]] and [[Jody Craddock]] ahead of him, Varga never really found his way back into the team, and was released in January 2003.

===Celtic===
Less than a month later, [[Martin O'Neill]] snapped up the defender on a short-term deal. Despite only making one appearance for [[Celtic F.C.|Celtic]] in that time, Varga was rewarded with a two-year contract in July 2003. An ever-present in the side during the 2003–04 campaign, he helped his new teammates to domestic glory, winning the domestic double of [[Scottish Premier League]] and [[Scottish Cup]]. In the league, Varga helped Celtic concede only 25 goals, which allowed the club to set a new league record of 25 straight wins (32 games unbeaten from the start of the season) and 77 home league games without defeat.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Philip |first=Calum |date=2004-04-21 |title=Zdrilic strike ends Celtic's run |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/scottish/zdrilic-strike-ends-celtic-s-run-57115.html |access-date=2023-07-02 |website=The Independent |language=en}}</ref> He also contributed 7 goals in all competitions.

Successive titles evaded Celtic in the [[2004–05 Celtic F.C. season|2004–05 season]] as they threw away the SPL title on the final day of the season, but they did manage to take consolation in the [[2005 Scottish Cup final|Scottish Cup final]], beating [[Dundee United F.C.|Dundee United]] 1–0, with [[Alan Thompson (footballer born 1973)|Alan Thompson]] scoring the only goal of the game after 8 minutes from a free-kick.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Glenn |first=Patrick |date=2005-05-29 |title=Thompson lifts the Cup and the gloom |language=en-GB |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2005/may/29/match.celtic |access-date=2023-07-02 |issn=0261-3077}}</ref> Throughout this season Varga proved to be a rock in the Celtic defence. He even got up-field to score six times, including one in Celtic's 3–1 defeat to [[A.C. Milan]] in the [[UEFA Champions League]] group stage.<ref>{{cite news |last=Glendenning |first=Barry |date=2004-09-29 |title=AC Milan 3 - 1 Celtic |language=en-GB |work=The Guardian |url=http://www.theguardian.com/football/2004/sep/29/minutebyminute.sport |access-date=2023-07-02 |issn=0261-3077}}</ref> During this time he, like [[Stilian Petrov]] before him, had his name abbreviated by the Celtic following, Stanislav would now simply be known as "Stan" Varga to the Hoops supporters and Scottish media.

After the [[2005–06 Celtic F.C. season|2005–06 season]], Varga agreed a new one-year contract at Parkhead. "Stan has signed his new deal at Celtic," his agent Tony McGill told [[Sky Sports]]. "Stan is pleased to stay as he did not want to go anywhere else and he has signed a one-year deal."<ref>{{cite news |title=Varga signs Celtic deal |url=https://www.skysports.com/football/news/2385144/varga-signs-celtic-deal |access-date=2023-07-02 |last=O'Rourke |first=Peter |website=Sky Sports |language=en}}</ref>

===Return to Sunderland===
On 31 August 2006, he returned to Sunderland under new manager [[Roy Keane]], a former colleague from Celtic, alongside Celtic's [[Ross Wallace]], for a combined fee of up to £1,100,000.<ref>[http://www.safc.com/news/?page_id=10358 Keane Signs Celtic Pair] '' [[Sunderland A.F.C|Sunderland AFC Website]]'' 31 September 2006</ref> He scored his first goal in his second spell at Sunderland in a 4–1 loss at Preston North End in October 2006.<ref>{{cite news
|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_1/5415678.stm
|title=Preston 4–1 Sunderland
|publisher=BBC Sport
|date=14 October 2006 |accessdate=25 November 2009}}</ref>

His strong and powerful presence, ability in the air and no nonsense defending has made him a rising fan favourite at the Stadium of Light. Having to act as a substitute behind first choice centre half [[Nyron Nosworthy]], the Slovak chose a one-month loan deal to [[Burnley F.C.|Burnley]] on 4 January 2008 to regain match-fitness.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/b/burnley/7171290.stm|title=Defender Varga loaned to Burnley|publisher=BBC Sport|date=4 January 2008|accessdate=6 January 2008}}</ref> He was named in the [[Football League Championship|Championship]] Team of the Week for his performance in Burnley's 1–0 win over [[Plymouth Argyle F.C.|Plymouth Argyle]], his first league game for the club.<ref>{{cite web
 |url         = http://www.football-league.premiumtv.co.uk/staticFiles/c2/ce/0,,10794~118466,00.pdf
 |title       = Coca-Cola Championship Team of the Week (14/01/2008)
 |publisher   = The Football League
 |date        = 14 January 2008
 |access-date  = 14 January 2008
 |url-status     = dead
 |archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20080228183051/http://www.football-league.premiumtv.co.uk/staticFiles/c2/ce/0%2C%2C10794~118466%2C00.pdf
 |archive-date = 28 February 2008
 |df          = dmy-all
}}</ref>

Sunderland released Varga at the end of the 2007–08 season.<ref>{{cite news|title=Keane releases Sunderland quartet|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/s/sunderland/7389966.stm|publisher=BBC Sport|date=8 May 2008|accessdate=15 May 2008}}</ref>