David Unsworth

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David Unsworth
Personal information
Full name David Gerald Unsworth
Date of birth October 16, 1973 (age 33)
Place of birth    Chorley, England
Height 1.87 m
Nickname Rhino, Big Undies
Playing position full-back
Club information
Current club Wigan Athletic
Number 25
Senior clubs1
Years Club App (Gls)*
1991–97
1997–98
1998
1998–2004
2004–05
2005
2005–07
2007–present
Everton
West Ham United
Aston Villa
Everton
Portsmouth
Ipswich Town (loan)
Sheffield United
Wigan Athletic
116 (11)
032 0(2)
000 0(0)
188 (23)
018 0(2)
016 0(1)
039 0(4)
006 0(0)   
National team2
1995 England 001 0(0)

1 Senior club appearances and goals
counted for the domestic league only and
correct as of 11:28, 1 April 2007 (UTC).
2 National team caps and goals correct
as of 12:00, 10 June 2006 (UTC).
* Appearances (Goals)

David Gerald Unsworth (born October 16, 1973 in Chorley, Lancashire, England) is a footballer who plays in the position of full-back. He currently plays for Wigan Athletic in the FA Premier League.

Contents

[edit] Club career

Unsworth began his career at Everton, and was part of the 1995 FA Cup winning team. After 133 League and Cup games over several impressive seasons at Everton, Unsworth transferred to West Ham United for the 1997-98 season. After only a season and 41 games, he was signed by Birmingham-based club Aston Villa for £3 million but his family didn't settle in Birmingham. After only a month, before the season had even begun, he returned to Everton with the Liverpool based club paying Villa the same £3 million they had accepted only a few weeks before.

Unsworth was a consistent performer in his second spell with Everton, being first choice left-back, but also scoring some vital goals in his role as dead-ball specialist. At the end of the 2003/04 season, after a further 216 games and his contract expired, a disagreement with the club over the length of a new contract led to Unsworth leaving on a free transfer. Although his status as a hero waxed and waned during his second spell at The Toffees, 'Rhino' as he was known is still held in affection by the fans. He returned to Goodison Park the following season as a fan and was mobbed by Evertonians as he sat on the Gwladys Street Terrace for the derby game against Liverpool.

He was signed by Portsmouth for the 2004/05 season. He made his debut in a 1-1 home draw with Birmingham City, scoring the equaliser from a penalty. However, following the resignation of manager Harry Redknapp, Unsworth lost his place having played just 18 games, and spent the second half of the season on loan at Ipswich Town, making 16 appearances.

At the start of the 2005/06 season he was signed by Sheffield United on a three-year contract after it became clear that Ipswich Town could not afford his wages.

On 5 January 2007, Unsworth signed for Wigan Athletic from Sheffield United on a free transfer.[1] He playing his first match on 13 January [2] against Chelsea . Unsworth had fallen down the pecking order at Sheffield United under the management of Neil Warnock, and he had been placed on the transfer list prior to the signing.

[edit] National career

Unsworth has been capped once by England, in the 2-1 victory against Japan at Wembley on June 3, 1995. Other debutants that day included Gary Neville and Stan Collymore.

[edit] References

  1. ^ "Wigan snap up defender Unsworth", BBC Sport, 2007-01-05. Retrieved on April 1, 2007.
  2. ^ Tactical Formation. Football-Lineups.com. Retrieved on January 20, 2007.

[edit] External links


Wigan Athletic F.C. - Current Squad

1 Filan | 2 Granqvist | 4 Jackson | 5 Hall | 6 de Zeeuw | 7 Camara | 8 Kilbane | 9 Heskey | 10 McCulloch | 11 Johansson | 12 Pollitt | 13 Kirkland | 14 Landzaat | 15 Aghahowa | 16 Valencia | 17 Boyce | 18 Scharner | 19 Taylor | 20 Folan | 21 Cywka | 22 Cotterill | 24 Skoko | 25 Unsworth | 26 Baines | 28 Nash | 31 Montrose | 32 Owens | 36 Waterhouse | Manager: Jewell

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