David Wotherspoon
Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | David Wotherspoon | ||
Date of birth | [1] | 16 January 1990||
Place of birth | Perth, Scotland | ||
Height | 1.81 m (5 ft 11 1⁄2 in) | ||
Playing position | Midfielder[1] | ||
Club information | |||
Current team | St. Johnstone | ||
Number | 10 | ||
Youth career | |||
?–2007 | Celtic | ||
2007–2009 | Hibernian | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
2009–2013 | Hibernian | 132 | (7) |
2013– | St. Johnstone | 69 | (1) |
National team‡ | |||
2007 | Scotland U18[2] | 3 | (0) |
2008–2009 | Scotland U19[3] | 5 | (0) |
2009–2012 | Scotland U21[4] | 16 | (2) |
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 22:14, 25 April 2015 (UTC). † Appearances (Goals). |
David Wotherspoon (born 16 January 1990 in Perth) is a Scottish professional football player who is currently playing for St. Johnstone. Wotherspoon started his career with Hibernian and has also represented Scotland at youth international levels, up to and including the under-21 level.
Club career
Early career
Wotherspoon was part of Celtic's youth setup, but moved to Hibernian in the belief that he would have more opportunity to break into senior football.[5][6]
Hibernian
He was part of the Hibernian youth side that won both the Scottish Youth Cup and the Scottish league in the 2008–09 season, with Wotherspoon contributing eight goals from midfield.[7][8]
Wotherspoon made his senior debut in the 2–1 home win over St. Mirren at the start of the 2009–10 season, scoring Hibs' first goal.[9] After establishing himself in the Hibs first team as a right back, Wotherspoon signed a contract with Hibs until 2013.[10]
During the 2010–11 season Wotherspoon was more often used as a right midfielder, and in early 2011 he scored two goals against St. Mirren and St. Johnstone to help his team go on a six-match unbeaten run. He had previously not scored in 63 matches and said that he wated to start scoring more goals for Hibs.[11]
Wotherspoon's form improved in the early part of the 2012–13 season. He scored a late winning goal in the Scottish Cup tie against holders and Edinburgh derby rivals Hearts.[12] A decline in Hibs' fortunes during the season was mirrored by Wotherspoon personally, who lost his place in the side.[13] He left Hibs at the end of his contract in the 2013 close season.
St. Johnstone
Wotherspoon signed a two-year contract with his hometown club St. Johnstone on 2 July 2013.[13] On 10 July 2013, Wotherspoon scored a goal from a free-kick from 21 yards in a pre-season friendly against Cowdenbeath. This was his first appearance and his first goal for St. Johnstone.[14] He scored his first league goal for the club with a free kick in a 4–0 win against Ross County on 17 August, and had a penalty kick saved in the same game.[15] Wotherspoon helped the club win the 2013–14 Scottish Cup.[16] He signed a two-year contract with St. Johnstone in January 2015.[16]
International career
Wotherspoon represented Scotland at under–18[2] and under–19[3][17] levels before he made his first team debut for Hibs. He was called into the under–21 squad soon after he made his senior club debut,[17][18] and he made his first appearance at that level in a 4–0 win against Azerbaijan in November 2009.[4] He scored his first goal for the team, a late equaliser in a 1–1 draw against Sweden, in August 2010.[19] His second goal was the match-winner in a 2–1 victory against the Netherlands in November 2011.[20]
Style of play
Although he started out as a right back for Hibs, Wotherspoon has also played as a right-sided or attacking midfielder. His primary position is as a central midfielder and at the start of the 2011–12 season he expressed his desire to play there more often.[21] Although he also said that he was willing to play anywhere to be in the first team.[21] Manager Pat Fenlon experimented with a 4–2–3–1 formation, using Wotherspoon as a central creative player, during the 2012–13 pre-season.[22] These tactics were abandoned after a 3–0 defeat against Dundee United, with Wotherspoon then being used as a right midfielder in a more orthodox 4–4–2 shape.[22]
Personal life
Wotherspoon, who is from Bridge of Earn, was a St. Johnstone supporter in his childhood. Wotherspoon qualifies to play for the Azerbaijan national team as his mother was born there and lived there before meeting David's father from Perth, Scotland.[23]
Career statistics
Club | Season | League | Cup | League Cup | Other | Total | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
App | Goals | App | Goals | App | Goals | App | Goals | App | Goals | ||
Hibernian | 2009–10[note 1] | 33 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 39 | 1 |
2010–11 | 35 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 40 | 2 | |
2011–12 | 30 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 37 | 1 | |
2012–13 | 34 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 38 | 4 | |
Total | 132 | 7 | 13 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 154 | 8 | |
St. Johnstone | 2013–14 | 38 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 50 | 1 |
2014–15 | 31 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 38 | 0 | |
Total | 69 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 88 | 1 | |
Career total | 201 | 8 | 20 | 1 | 11 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 242 | 9 | |
Notes
- ↑ Soccerbase did not record an appearance made by Wotherspoon against Brechin City on 26 August 2009.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "David Wotherspoon". Hibernian F.C. official website. Retrieved 3 September 2010.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "David Wotherspoon – U18 Squad". Scottish Football Association. Retrieved 3 September 2010.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "David Wotherspoon – U19 Squad". www.scottishfa.co.uk. Scottish Football Association. Retrieved 3 September 2010.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 "David Wotherspoon – U21 Squad". Scottish Football Association. Retrieved 3 September 2010.
- ↑ "Hibs hand first team chance to seven starlets". Daily Record. 18 March 2009. Retrieved 3 September 2010.
- ↑ Cameron, Neil (8 October 2009). "I had to quit Celtic to live my football dream, admits Hibs star David Wotherspoon". Daily Record. Retrieved 3 September 2010.
- ↑ Hardie, David (29 April 2009). "Wotherspoon has a Hibs double on his mind". Edinburgh Evening News (Johnston Press). Retrieved 3 September 2010.
- ↑ "Hibs Lift Scottish FA Youth Cup". www.scottishfa.co.uk. Scottish Football Association. 29 April 2009.
- ↑ Hardie, David (15 August 2009). "Hibernian 2 – 1 St Mirren: Late Benjelloun strike gets Hibs off to winning SPL start". Edinburgh Evening News (Johnston Press). Retrieved 3 September 2010.
- ↑ "Wotherspoon extends stay at Hibs". BBC Sport. BBC. 18 December 2009.
- ↑ "Hibs: David Wotherspoon hopeful two goals in six matches will lead to further net gains". Edinburgh Evening News (Johnston Press). 7 March 2012. Retrieved 16 April 2012.
- ↑ Moffat, Colin (2 December 2012). "Hibernian 1–0 Hearts". BBC Sport. BBC. Retrieved 2 December 2012.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 "St Johnstone sign David Wotherspoon from Hibernian". BBC Sport. BBC. 2 July 2013. Retrieved 2 July 2013.
- ↑ "Wotherspoon goal enough to secure win at Cowdenbeath". St. Johnstone F.C. 11 July 2013. Retrieved 13 July 2013.
- ↑ Crawford, Kenny (17 August 2013). "Tommy Wright wants clarity over Stevie May's future". BBC Sport. BBC. Retrieved 18 August 2013.
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 "St Johnstone: David Wotherspoon commits to club until 2017". BBC Sport. BBC. 21 January 2015. Retrieved 30 January 2015.
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 Dempster, Martin (7 October 2009). "Young gun David is in with more than a shout". Edinburgh Evening News (Johnston Press). Retrieved 3 September 2010.
- ↑ "Scots call Forbes and Wotherspoon". BBC Sport (BBC). 29 September 2009.
- ↑ Wright, Angus (12 August 2010). "Late strike draws better picture for Scotland Under-21s". The Scotsman (Johnston Press). Retrieved 12 August 2010.
- ↑ Lindsay, Clive (14 November 2011). "Netherlands U21 1–2 Scotland U21". BBC Sport (BBC). Retrieved 14 November 2011.
- ↑ 21.0 21.1 "David Wotherspoon wants central Hibs role". BBC Sport (BBC). 10 June 2011. Retrieved 16 April 2012.
- ↑ 22.0 22.1 McLauchlin, Brian (27 August 2012). "David Wotherspoon eyes regular run for Hibs". BBC Sport (BBC). Retrieved 27 August 2012.
- ↑ Hardie, David (18 September 2009). "Hibs' Wotherspoon aims to beat boyhood heroes Saints". Edinburgh Evening News (Johnston Press). Retrieved 3 September 2010.
- ↑ David Wotherspoon career statistics at Soccerbase
- ↑ "David Wotherspoon". www.fitbastats.com. Retrieved 19 June 2012.
External links
- David Wotherspoon profile St. Johnstone official website
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