Editing Jon Stead (section)

===Blackburn Rovers===
In February 2004 he moved to [[Blackburn Rovers F.C.|Blackburn Rovers]] for over £1 million and signed a four-and-a-half-year contract.<ref>{{ Cite news | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/b/blackburn_rovers/3444447.stm | title=Blackburn Sign Stead | publisher=BBC Sport | date=2 February 2004}}</ref> Stead marked his debut by scoring the only goal in a match against [[Middlesbrough F.C.|Middlesbrough]].<ref>{{ Cite news | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/3468127.stm | title=Premiership clockwatch | publisher=BBC Sport | date=7 February 2004 }}</ref> He went on to score six goals, including vital winners against Fulham, Manchester United and Everton as Blackburn avoided relegation from the Premiership.

However, the goals for Blackburn dried up the following season and with manager [[Mark Hughes]] signing additional forwards including [[Wales national football team|Welsh international]] [[Craig Bellamy]], Stead was transferred on 13 June 2005 to Sunderland in a deal worth £1.8 million.<ref>{{ Cite news | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/s/sunderland/4089430.stm | title=Sunderland snap up striker Stead | publisher=BBC Sport | date= 13 June 2005 }}</ref>