Dean Whitehead
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| Dean Whitehead | ||
| Personal information | ||
|---|---|---|
| Full name | Dean Whitehead | |
| Date of birth | January 21, 1982 | |
| Place of birth | Abingdon, England | |
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | |
| Playing position | Midfielder | |
| Club information | ||
| Current club | Sunderland | |
| Number | 8 | |
| Senior clubs1 | ||
| Years | Club | App (Gls)* |
| 1999–2004 2004– |
Oxford United Sunderland |
122 (9) 151 (13) |
|
1 Senior club appearances and goals |
||
Dean Whitehead (born January 21, 1982 in Abingdon, Oxfordshire) is a professional footballer. He plays as a midfielder, but has played at right-back. He is currently captain of Premiership team Sunderland.
Contents |
[edit] Club career
Whitehead started his career with Abingdon Town's youth team, before joining the youth scheme of his local league club, Oxford United. He progressed through the ranks there, developing a reputation as a tough-tackling midfielder with good passing skills. After playing for the club for around 5 seasons, his contract expired and he turned down the offer of a new one from the club. In June 2004 he signed for Sunderland on a free transfer[1]. Sunderland were ordered to pay £150,000 to Oxford at an FA tribunal, to compensate for the time and money put into his development. Oxford will also receive 25% of any fee should Sunderland sell Whitehead.
Whitehead quickly became a key member of the first-team as Sunderland won the Championship in 2004-05, and was chosen as Players' Player of the Year by his team-mates at the end of the season.
Whitehead was given a new three-year contract during the 2005-06 season [2], in which he scored a swerving 30-yard free kick past England goalkeeper, Paul Robinson, in a 3-2 defeat against Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane.
Sunderland were relegated to the Championship for the 2006-07 season, during which Whitehead was given the captains armband for the second time. During the 2005-06 campaign he had resigned to concentrate on his football but he deputised for the frequently injured Steven Caldwell and was appointed on a permanent basis after Caldwell was sold to Burnley.[3]
After Sunderland finished first in the Championship in 2006-07, Whitehead was injured early on in their 2007-08 Premiership campaign. He sustained a cruciate knee ligament injury in a match against Wigan Athletic, which will keep him out for six months.[4] It has recently been claimed in the club's official programme that Whitehead will now not require surgery on his knee, and therefore may return to training as early as November.
Since Sunderland returned to the Premiership Whitehead has found his playing time spent as a right back despite being labelled as Sunderland's best midfielder.
[edit] Honours and Awards
[edit] Individual
- North-East Football Writers' player of the year (joint winner): 2007
[edit] Club Honours
[edit] Sunderland (2004-present)
- Football League Championship - Champion (2): 2004—05, 2006—07
[edit] References
[edit] External links
| Preceded by Stephen Caldwell |
Sunderland captain 2007-present |
Succeeded by Incumbent |
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