Jeff Whitley
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Jeffrey Whitley | ||
| Date of birth | 28 January 1979 | ||
| Place of birth | Ndola, Zambia | ||
| Height | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) | ||
| Playing position | Midfielder | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1989–1996 | Manchester City | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1996–2003 | Manchester City | 116 | (6) |
| 1999 | → Wrexham (loan) | 9 | (2) |
| 2002 | → Notts County (loan) | 6 | (0) |
| 2002–2003 | → Notts County (loan) | 12 | (0) |
| 2003–2005 | Sunderland | 68 | (2) |
| 2005–2007 | Cardiff City | 34 | (1) |
| 2006 | → Stoke City (loan) | 3 | (0) |
| 2007 | → Wrexham (loan) | 11 | (1) |
| 2008 | Wrexham | 11 | (0) |
| 2009 | Woodley Sports | 7 | (0) |
| 2009–2010 | Northwich Victoria | 2 | (0) |
| 2013 | Droylsden | ||
| Total | 279 | (12) | |
| National team‡ | |||
| 1998–2000 | Northern Ireland U21 | 17 | (1) |
| 1997–2004 | Northern Ireland | 20 | (3) |
|
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 11:40, 8 April 2009 (UTC). | |||
Jeffrey "Jeff" Whitley (born 28 January 1979 in Ndola, Copperbelt Province) is a Zambian-born Northern Irish former professional football player. He twice won promotion to the Premiership with Manchester City in 2000 and Sunderland in 2005[1] and was a Northern Ireland international. His brother, Jim was also a professional footballer.
Club career
Whitley was a product of the Manchester City youth scheme[2] which he joined as a ten-year-old and began his club career as a trainee in 1996, making over 120 league and cup appearances for the first-team.[3] He had a two-month loan spell at Wrexham in the 1998–99 season.[3] and in March 2002, having fallen out of favour at Manchester City, joined Notts County on loan for the remainder of the 2001–02 season.[4] He had a three-month loan spell at Notts County in the 2002–03 season, returning to Manchester City in January 2003[5] but was released by the club in March 2003 as he did not feature in manager Kevin Keegan's plans.[6]
After a trial[7] and impressing in pre-season, he signed a contract with Sunderland in August 2003.[8] He made over 70 league and cup appearances for Sunderland,[3] helping the club to the Football League Championship play-offs at the end of the 2003–04 season[9] and to the Football League Championship title in 2005.[10] In July 2005, he joined Cardiff City on a free transfer[11] and made 38 league and cup appearances for the club in the 2005–06 season,[12] scoring once against Watford in the league.[13] Whitley joined Stoke City on loan in August 2006[14] but made only four appearances[15] in an unsuccessful loan spell.[16] Cardiff made him available for transfer but he did not take up offers to talk with Millwall and Rotherham[16] and joined Wrexham in February 2007 on loan for the remainder of the 2006–07 season.[17] He scored the winning goal against Bristol Rovers in a 1–0 away victory in March 2007.[18] He was released by Cardiff and signed for Wrexham on non-contract terms in January 2008[19] but was released by Wrexham in May 2008 following the club's relegation to the Football Conference.[20] He joined Northern Premier League Division One North side Woodley Sports in an effort to gain match fitness, before signing for Northwich Victoria on 7 March 2009.[21]
International career
Despite being Zambian born, due to Whitley living in England since he was a child, he was eligible to, and played for the England under-17 team. As his father was born in Belfast, he was also eligible to play for Northern Ireland and made his debut for them in 1997.[22]
Personal life
Whitley has spent time at the Sporting Chance clinic after becoming addicted to alcohol and drugs. It affected him greatly and said "at times I would just be praying just to die".[23] Whitley is currently working as a car salesman in the Stockport area and delivers talks at professional football clubs about the dangers of alcohol and drug misuse.[24]
Career statistics
- Sourced from The English National Football Archive
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Other[A] | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Manchester City | 1996–97 | First Division | 23 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1997–98 | First Division | 17 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 1 | |
| 1998–99 | Second Division | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 13 | 0 | |
| 1999–2000 | First Division | 42 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 46 | 4 | |
| 2000–01 | Premier League | 31 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 37 | 1 | |
| 2001–02 | First Division | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
| Total | 116 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 133 | 6 | ||
| Wrexham (loan) | 1998–99 | Second Division | 9 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 2 |
| Total | 9 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 2 | ||
| Notts County (loan) | 2001–02 | Second Division | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| 2002–03 | Second Division | 12 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 14 | 0 | |
| Total | 18 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 20 | 0 | ||
| Sunderland | 2003–04 | First Division | 33 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 42 | 2 |
| 2004–05 | Championship | 34 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 34 | 2 | |
| Total | 67 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 76 | 4 | ||
| Cardiff City | 2005–06 | Championship | 34 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 38 | 1 |
| 2006–07 | Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Total | 34 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 38 | 1 | ||
| Stoke City (loan) | 2006–07 | Championship | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Total | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | ||
| Wrexham | 2006–07 | League Two | 11 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 1 |
| 2007–08 | League Two | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 | |
| Total | 22 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 1 | ||
| Career Total | 269 | 14 | 11 | 0 | 15 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 302 | 14 | ||
- A. ^ The "Other" column constitutes appearances and goals in the Football League Trophy and Football League play-offs.
References
- ↑ "Whitley poised for promotion push". BBC Sport. 22 August 2006. Retrieved 11 June 2008.
- ↑ Manchester City save best till last
- 1 2 3 "Jeff Whitley". Soccerbase. Racing Post. Retrieved 10 June 2008.
- ↑ "Whitley joins Notts County". BBC Sport. 20 March 2002. Retrieved 10 June 2008.
- ↑ "Whitley returns to City". BBC Sport. 21 January 2003. Retrieved 10 June 2008.
- ↑ "Whitley leaves Maine Road". BBC Sport. 7 March 2003. Retrieved 10 June 2008.
- ↑ "Whitley wants Black cats deal". BBC Sport. 25 March 2003. Retrieved 10 June 2008.
- ↑ "Whitley joins Sunderland". BBC Sport. 4 August 2003. Retrieved 10 June 2008.
- ↑ "Whitley signs new contract". BBC Sport. 17 June 2004. Retrieved 10 June 2008.
- ↑ "Whitley completes Cardiff switch". BBC Sport. 1 July 2005. Retrieved 10 June 2008.
- ↑ "Whitley completes Cardiff switch". BBC Sport. 1 July 2005. Retrieved 11 June 2008.
- ↑ "Games played by Jeff Whitley in 2005/2006". Soccerbase. Racing Post. Retrieved 11 June 2008.
- ↑ "Watford 2–1 Cardiff". BBC. 25 February 2006. Retrieved 22 February 2010.
- ↑ "Whitley joins Stoke in loan deal". BBC Sport. 18 August 2006. Retrieved 10 June 2008.
- ↑ "Games played by Jeff Whitley in 2006/2007". Soccerbase. Racing Post. Retrieved 11 June 2008.
- 1 2 "Cardiff fret over missing Whitley". BBC Sport. 27 February 2007. Retrieved 11 June 2008.
- ↑ "Whitley makes Wrexham loan move". BBC Sport. 16 February 2007. Retrieved 10 June 2008.
- ↑ "Bristol Rovers 0–1 Wrexham". BBC Sport. 24 March 2007. Retrieved 11 June 2008.
- ↑ "Quartet join Wrexham with one out". BBC Sport. 18 January 2008. Retrieved 10 June 2008.
- ↑ "Roberts and Llewellyn leave Reds". BBC Sport. 6 May 2008. Retrieved 11 May 2008.
- ↑ "Northwich complete double signing". BBC Sport. 7 March 2009. Retrieved 9 March 2009.
- ↑ "Jeff Whitley". Squad Profiles – Legends of the Game. Irish Football Association. Retrieved 10 June 2008.
- ↑ "Former Man City player Jeff Whitley reveals drug battle". BBC Sport. 12 October 2011. Retrieved 24 November 2011.
- ↑ Taylor, Louise (13 January 2012). "Sheffield Wednesday the beneficiary of Nicky Weaver's go-ahead surgeon". The Guardian.
