David Wheater
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| David Wheater | ||
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| Personal information | ||
|---|---|---|
| Full name | David James Wheater | |
| Date of birth | 14 February 1987 | |
| Place of birth | Redcar, England | |
| Height | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | |
| Playing position | Central Defender | |
| Club information | ||
| Current club | Middlesbrough | |
| Number | 31 | |
| Senior career1 | ||
| Years | Club | App (Gls)* |
| 2004– 2006 2006 2007 |
Middlesbrough → Doncaster Rovers (loan) → Wolverhampton Wanderers (loan) → Darlington (loan) |
72 (5) 7 (1) 1 (0) 15 (2) |
| National team2 | ||
| 2007–2009 | England U21 | 11 (1) |
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1 Senior club appearances and goals |
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David James Wheater (born 14 February 1987) is an English footballer, who plays for Middlesbrough. He is a central defender with a penchant for scoring from set-pieces. He has developed a reputation for being a "no nonsense" defender and has often been compared to the likes of Gary Pallister and Terry Butcher.
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[edit] Career
Wheater is a central defender who scored three league goals & one goal in the FA Cup in his breakthrough season of 2007–08. He joined Wolverhampton Wanderers on a three month loan in September 2006.[1] However, he returned to Middlesbrough on 15 November, after making just one first team appearance.[2] He has also had loan spells at Doncaster Rovers and Darlington. During 2007/2008 pre-season Jonathan Woodgate suffered an injury that allowed fellow hometown defender David Wheater to start in his place during pre-season. Wheater's form in pre-season earned him a starting XI place for the opening day Premier League fixture - his form then continued, which triggered the transfer of Woodgate to Tottenham as Wheater became the first name on the 'Boro team sheet. Wheater was named in an understrength Middlesbrough side away to Bristol City in the FA Cup third round, when he saved his team with a goal as he burst forward from the back and scored the winner in a 2–1 at Ashton Gate. Matt Le Tissier was reporting the match on Gillette Soccer Saturday and made the following comment about the goal; "Wheater carried on his run and he came in with a right foot finish - a great finish for a centre back - it was Beckenbauer-esque!" He signed a 3-and-a-half-year contract extension in February 2008 which tied him to Middlesbrough until 2011.
Wheater experienced his best season of football during the 2007/08 season, starting as a regular for Gareth Southgate's side and becoming an imposing force at the back.
[edit] International Career
Wheater has represented England at U16, U17, U18, U19 and most recently England U21's. On 20 March 2008, Wheater was called up to the England squad by boss Fabio Capello[3], however he was not included in the Capello's final 23.
On 15 October 2008, Wheater was called up into the England senior team as a replacement for John Terry when the England Captain withdrew due to an injury picked up playing for Chelsea. Wheater's first real taste of international football came when he was named as a substitute for the games against France & Trinidad and Tobago in 2008.
[edit] Private life
Unlike a great many of his peers, Wheater has led a public life relatively free from tabloid controversy. On April 23, 2009, however, The Sun posted on its website amateur footage of the star performing an original and animated dance routine to Queen's "Don't Stop Me Now", one of his favourite anthems, at a party. The paper described his efforts as in turn "hilarious", "side-splitting" and "clearly [...] well-rehearsed", and an anonymous onlooker was quoted: "Middlesbrough fans love David because he is a real star of the future and is a local lad, but even the biggest Boro fan probably didn't realise he was this good a mover. Centre-halves tend not to be known for their fancy footwork but David is obviously the exception."[4]
[edit] References
- Perrie, Robin, and Rhodri Phillips. "Boro ace Wheater is dancing queen." The Sun. 23 April 2009. (accessed April 23, 2009).
[edit] Notes
- ^ BBC SPORT | Football | My Club | Wolverhampton Wanderers | Wolves snap up Middlesbrough ace
- ^ BBC SPORT | Football | My Club | Wolverhampton Wanderers | Wheater returns to Middlesbrough
- ^ BBC SPORT | Football | Internationals | Beckham recalled to England squad
- ^ Quoted in Perrie and Phillips 2009.
[edit] External links
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