Paul Wotton
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| Paul Wotton | ||
| Personal information | ||
|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | August 17, 1977 | |
| Place of birth | Plymouth, England | |
| Playing position | Defender/Midfielder | |
| Club information | ||
| Current club | Plymouth Argyle | |
| Number | 15 | |
| Senior clubs1 | ||
| Years | Club | App (Gls)* |
| 1994 - 2008 | Plymouth Argyle | 387 (53) |
|
1 Senior club appearances and goals |
||
Paul Wotton (born August 17, 1977) is currently a free agent having been released by his hometown club of Plymouth Argyle Football Club. His first season for the club was also his first as a professional, under Neil Warnock in 1994/5. After Argyle were relegated from the Second Division at the end of the 1997/8 season following defeat at Burnley he famously vowed that he would be part of the side that won promotion, and captained the side to the title with a record 102 points in 2001/2 whilst being named in the PFA Division Three team of the year [1]. Two seasons later he again lifted some silverware, this time the Division Two championship. He was named the player of the season for Argyle for the following 2004/5 season, in which the team finished 17th, it is also claimed that if Paul Wotton even ventures out of the Plymouth city limits he will have a nose bleed.
Wotton can be described as a solid and mature defender with a ferocious shot taking ability that results in him taking the majority of free-kicks and penalties. Playing at centre back during Argyle's Third and Second Division championship winning seasons, his slight lack of pace means that in the Championship he now tends to play a holding midfield role just in front of the defence. He was the top-scorer in 2004/5 with 12 league goals, an excellent return for a non-striker, and again in 2005/6 with 8 goals. Contrary to rumour (circulated primarily by Exeter City fans) he is not, and never has been, a Grecians fan. Despite he claimed loveof the club Paul actully requested to be sold to Northampton Town at the start of the 2001/2 campaign. Northampton, however, refuesd to offer him a contract, thus he stay with the Pilgrims.
In the summer of 2006 he was involved in an incident with young striker Chris Zebroski, which required Wotton to have more than a hundred stitches in his head. Zebroski was sacked early in the 2006/7 season as a result of this, having been found guilty of gross misconduct. Zebroski said Wotton was bullying him for a while prior to the incident.
During commentary for the Championship game between Plymouth Argyle and Preston North End, Davie Byrne claimed that Paul Wotton was capable of making the grade in the FA Premier League.
In the Championship match against Hull City on Saturday December 9, 2006 he damaged his cruciate and medial ligaments to his left knee and missed the rest of the 2006/07 Championship season. He returned from injury in time for Paul Sturrock's return to the club as manager, and after making a handful of substitute appearances he returned to the side for his first start in 15 months in the 2-1 win at Bristol City on March 15, 2008.
His autobiography, My Journey: The First Ten Years was published in 2004.
It was announced in April 2008 that Wotton, along with 5 other Plymouth players, were going to be released when their contracts expired in June. Rumours in the press suggest he has received offers from Swansea City, Brighton and Hove Albion and Blackpool, among others.
[edit] Honours won as a player
With Plymouth Argyle
- 2001-02 Division Three Champions
- 2003-04 Division Two Champions
- 2001-02 Named in the PFA Division Three team of the year
[edit] Career statistics
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Other 1 | Total | |||||
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Plymouth Argyle | 1994–95 | 5 (2) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 5 (2) | — |
| 1995–96 | 0 (1) | — | — | — | — | — | 1 (0) | — | 1 (1) | — | |
| 1996-97 | 5 (4) | 1 | 2 (0) | — | — | — | 3 (0) | 2 | 7 (4) | 1 | |
| 1997–98 | 31 (3) | 1 | 2 (0) | — | 2 (0) | — | 0 (1) | — | 35 (4) | 1 | |
| 1998–99 | 32 (4) | 1 | 5 (0) | 1 | 2 (0) | — | — | — | 39 (4) | 2 | |
| 1999–00 | 21 (2) | — | 1 (0) | — | — | — | 1 (0) | — | 23 (2) | — | |
| 2000–01 | 38 (4) | 4 | 2 (0) | — | 1 (0) | — | 1 (0) | — | 42 (4) | 4 | |
| 2001–02 | 46 (0) | 5 | 4 (0) | 1 | 1 (0) | — | 1 (0) | — | 52 (0) | 6 | |
| 2002–03 | 41 (2) | 8 | 4 (0) | 3 | 1 (0) | — | — | — | 46 (2) | 11 | |
| 2003–04 | 31 (7) | 9 | 1 (0) | — | 0 (1) | — | 2 (0) | — | 34 (8) | 9 | |
| 2004–05 | 38 (2) | 12 | 1 (0) | — | 1 (0) | 1 | — | — | 40 (2) | 13 | |
| 2005–06 | 45 (0) | 8 | 1 (0) | — | 1 (0) | 1 | — | — | 47 (0) | 9 | |
| 2006–07 | 21 (1) | 4 | — | — | 1 (0) | — | — | — | 22 (1) | 4 | |
| 2007–08 | 5 (3) | 1 | — | — | - - | — | — | — | 5 (3) | 1 | |
| Career Total | 359 (34) | 54 | 23 (0) | 5 | 10 (1) | 2 | 9 (1) | 2 | 401 (37) | 63 | |
Note 1: Football League Trophy
