Dean Whitehead
Dean Whitehead was born in Abingdon-on-Thames, England, United Kingdom on January 12th, 1982 and is the Soccer Player. At the age of 42, Dean Whitehead biography, profession, age, height, weight, eye color, hair color, build, measurements, education, career, dating/affair, family, news updates, and networth are available.
At 42 years old, Dean Whitehead has this physical status:
Dean Whitehead (born 12 January 1982) is an English former professional footballer who played as a midfielder and occasionally at right-back.
He is currently first team coach at League One club Shrewsbury Town. Whitehead joined his local non-League club Abingdon Town before he signed for Football League club Oxford United in 1999.
He impressed in the lower divisions and was signed by Championship club Sunderland in 2004.
He won promotion in his first season with Sunderland, although they were relegated from the Premier League after one season.
He was made captain by Roy Keane as Sunderland claimed an instant return to the top flight.
After two more seasons in the north-east, Whitehead signed for Stoke City in 2009.
He helped Stoke reach the 2011 FA Cup Final, where the team finished runners-up to Manchester City.
After spending four seasons with Stoke, Whitehead signed for Middlesbrough in 2013.
He moved to Huddersfield Town two years later, helping them to promotion from the Championship in 2017 before retiring in 2018.
Personal life
Growing up, Whitehead was raised in a football-loving family and supported Liverpool. He has a brother, Craig. During his time at Huddersfield Town, he was known as 'Whitesey' by his teammate Tommy Smith, who gave him a nickname.
He is good friends with Liam Lawrence, having been teammates at Sunderland and Stoke City. During his time at Stoke City and Huddersfield Town, Whitehead resided in Cheshire with his wife, Louise, and their two sons, Olly and Harry.
Playing career
Whitehead began his career with Abingdon Town's youth team before joining Oxford United's youth club, Oxford United, as an apprentice.
He climbed through the ranks, winning by 2–0 over Luton Town in the Football League Trophy on December 7, 1999. This was Whitehead's first appearance of the 1999–00 season as he spent the remainder of the season on the bench. He signed a deal with the club at the end of the 1999–00 season.
Whitehead's manager, Denis Smith, made a handful of first-team appearances for the team in the 2000–01 season. Despite receiving his first-team opportunities, Matt Murphy and other midfielders for the central position. Despite being sidelined on two occasions due to suspensions, Whitehead played in 23 games in the 2000–01 season as Oxford fell to the Third Division. He signed a long-term deal with the club at the end of the 2000–01 season.
In the 2001–2002 season, Whitehead scored his first goal in the Football League against Rushden & Diamonds on September 31. He was a regular on the first team in 2001-2002 season, winning him a starting position in the midfield. However, Whitehead and Chris Hackett were both chastised by manager Ian Atkins for ineffectiveness in refusing to complete the club's fitness program, which was denied by the pair, who said the whole affair was a miscommunication. He began playing in a central midfield role at the start of the 2001–2002 season. Despite missing three games, he was involved in 43 games as Oxford United had a rough season, ending in 21st place in 21st place.
Whitehead's first team regular in good form in the 2002-03 season. Atkins praised Whitehead's performance against Aston Villa and Rochdale at the start of November. He continued his spectacular shows into the year's end. In a 3–0 victory over AFC Bournemouth on December 26, Whitehead scored his first goal of the season on the 26th of the season. However, he found his first-team opportunities limited between January and March. As a result, he was limited to 22 appearances in 2002-03 as Oxford failed out on a play-off spot by a single point.
Following Dave Savage's departure from the team in 2003-2004, Whitehead regained his position in the team. In a 3–0 victory over Northampton Town on September 27, he hadn't scored his first goal of the season until that date on September 27, 2003. He was praised for his performances in his first-team debut. In a 4–0 victory over Bury on October 18, Whitehead earned his first brace of the season. On 1 November, he scored a free kick, leading his team to a 3–1 victory over Darlington. As a result, he was given a two-year contract by the club, which would keep him at the Kassam Stadium until 2006. In a 1–1 draw on February 21, 2004, he scored against Bury for the second time this season. Whitehead captained the team for the first time in the absence of Andy Crosby, who was unemployed in a 2–1 loss to Macclesfield Town on May 1st. He made 47 appearances and scored seven goals in the 2003–04 season. Whitehead was named the team's Player of the Season by the Club.
His deal came to an end after five seasons with the club, and he turned down the club's offer of a new one. Whitehead may have been appointed as Crosby's successor as captain if he had signed a new deal with the club, according to manager Graham Rix.
On a free transfer, Whitehead signed for Sunderland in June 2004. He revealed that his passion and desire to play at a higher level motivated him to join Sunderland after he agreed to a three-year contract with the club. At an FA tribunal, Sunderland was ordered to pay £150,000 to Oxford to cover the time and resources invested in his growth. If Sunderland sells Whitehead, Oxford will also receive 25% of any fee.
In a 2–0 loss to Coventry City in the season's first game, Whitehead made his Sunderland debut, arriving late to Ben Clark as a late replacement. Despite facing opposition from other midfielders, he quickly became a key member of the team and began playing regularly. Manager Mick McCarthy lauded him for his time in the first team. In a 1–0 victory over Rotherham United on October 25, he scored his first goal for the club, not before that date. In a 2–0 victory over Cardiff City on 11 December, he scored his second goal of the season. In games that ended in Sunderland victories, Whitehead scored three more goals later in the season. Following his good showing at Sunderland halfway through the season, he was given a new three-year deal in 2004-05. Despite missing three games during the season, he went on to make forty-three appearances and scoring five times in all competitions. He helped Sunderland win the Championship in 2004-05 and was named Players' Player of the Year by his teammates at the end of the season.
Whitehead continued to establish himself in the starting eleven in the 2005-06 season, when the club was playing in the Premier League. Despite the club's mediocrity in the Premier League at the start of the season, he left a positive impression on the team. His success earned him a nickname for Manchester United's Roy Keane. In a 4–1 loss to Portsmouth, he scored his first Premier League goal on October 29th. In a 3–1 loss to Aston Villa three weeks later, Whitehead scored his second goal of the season on November 19th. He was playing in the right-wing role, a more unfamiliar role, by November. Whitehead signed a contract extension with the club on November 26th, keeping him at the Stadium of Light until 2010. In a 3–2 loss at White Hart Lane on December 3rd, he scored a swerving 30-yard free kick past then-England goalkeeper Paul Robinson. For the 2006–07 season, Sunderland was officially relegated to the Championship. Despite missing out one match in the 2005-2006 season, Whitehead went on to make thirty-eight appearances and scored three goals in all competitions.
Reading had a bid for Whitehead rejected in July 2006, ahead of the 2006–07 season. Following month, Whitehead and teammate Liam Lawrence both signed new contracts. He continued to develop himself in the first team under the leadership of newly appointed manager Roy Keane. Whitehead then scored his first goal of the season against West Bromwich Albion in a 2–0 victory in which he was deemed man of the match. In a 2–0 win over Barnsley on October 21, then scored his second goal of the season. During the 2006–07 season, Whitehead resigned from captaincy to focus on his football, but he was recalled as captain on a permanent basis after Caldwell was sold to Burnley. Following Nyron Nosworthy's absence, Whitehead was in a right-back situation at one point during the 2006-07 season. He reverted to his central midfield role the following month. Whitehead scored two more goals towards the end of the season. Sunderland finished first in the Championship in 2006-07, putting them on a collision course in the Premier League. Whitehead was named in the PFA Team of the Year at the end of the 2006–07 season. He also finished second in the club's Player of the Year poll. Despite being sidelined during the 2006–07 season, Whitehead went on to make forty-seven appearances and scoring four times in all competitions.
In the 2007–08 season, Whitehead was in the right-back position against Tottenham Hotspur in the first game of the season before suffering a catastrophic knee ligament injury in a match against Wigan Athletic in August, which barred him from playing for six months. He started his recovery from injury in early-November 2007 and returned to his first-team duties against Everton on Saturday. Since returning from injury, he has regained his first-team debut for Sunderland. In a 2–1 loss against Manchester City on April 14, he scored his first goal of the season. Whitehead helped Sunderland avoid relegation by three points at the end of the 2007-08 season. Despite being sidelined during the season, Whitehead went on to make twenty-eight appearances and scoring once in all competitions. Whitehead started playing right-back during a certain point in the season, but this came as Whitehead returned to central midfield.
Whitehead had been linked to a departure from Sunderland as a newly promoted Premier League side Stoke City made a £3 million bid. He said in reaction that he wanted to remain in Sunderland. Whitehead stayed in the starting lineup for the season. He was booed by the club's followers for the match's success, which culminated in Keane's last game as Sunderland boss, after a 4–1 loss against Bolton Wanderers on November 29. Throughout the January transfer window, Whitehead continued to be linked to Sunderland. Despite missing out four games this season, Whitehead helped the team avoid relegation once more after losing 3–2 to Chelsea in the last game of the season as injuries for Newcastle and Middlesbrough ensured Sunderland were safe. Whitehead made thirty-eight appearances in all competitions by the end of the 2008–09 season. After making 200 appearances for the club, he left Sunderland in August 2009.
On July 24, 2009, Whitehead agreed to a four-year deal with Stoke City, which has escalated to £5 million with add-ons. Stoke's team spirit, according to him, was the primary reason for his move to the club. He made his debut against Burnley on August 15, 2009, a 2–0 victory. Whitehead got off to a rocky start in his Stoke career with a number of unidentified appearances. However, after a 0–0 draw with Blackburn Rovers, Tony Pulis lauded him. In a 3–1 FA Cup fourth-round victory over Arsenal at the Britannia Stadium on January 24, 2010, Whitehead converted winger Matthew Etherington's cross in the 86th minute. In a move that drew intense criticism from Tony Pulis and Matthew Etherington, Whitehead was sent off against Tottenham Hotspur in March 2010.
Stoke's first Premier League game came against Birmingham City on November 9, 2010, with Whitehead scoring the winning goal in a 3–2 victory. He scored his second league goal for Stoke against Manchester United on January 4, 2011, becoming the first Stoke player to score at Old Trafford since 1980. Whitehead resurging Glenn Whelan in the starting eleven ahead of his 2011-11 debut, making a number of cameo appearances from the bench. In the 2011 FA Cup Final loss to Manchester City, one of these took place at Wembley Stadium.
Whitehead said he was excited to face new competition in the club's midfield section ahead of the 2011-12 season. He made his 100th appearance for Stoke in a UEFA Europa League match against Maccabi Tel Aviv on November 3rd, scoring the first goal in a 2–1 victory. He appeared in ten of Stoke's 12 European fixtures between 2011–12 and the season ended with him playing in 47 matches in total. On the first day of the season against Reading, he conceded a 90th-minute foul and was dismissed after picking up his second yellow card, off a rough start. In the absence of Andy Wilkinson and Ryan Shotton, he stayed back-up to Glenn Whelan for the remainder of the season, mainly as a substitute, though he was designated as a stand-in right back. He was released by Stoke at the end of 2012-2013.
On July 2, 2013, Whitehead agreed to a two-year deal with Middlesbrough, the Championship club. Whitehead's career aspirations from the Championship twice was the primary reason for his decision to sign him, according to boss Tony Mowbray. He was given a number eighteen shirt upon joining the club ahead of a new season. In the first game of the season, he made his Middlesbrough debut in a 2–1 loss against Leicester City. He quickly established himself in the starting lineup in the midfield position after joining the club. Despite being on the first team, Whitehead faced stiff competition from other midfielders at the Riverside Stadium. He returned as a late replacement in a 1–0 victory over Bolton Wanderers after missing four matches between late-October and late-November. In a 2–1 loss to Derby County on December 4, Whitehead scored his first and what turned out to be the club's first goal. In a 2–0 victory over Millwall two weeks later, he captained Middlesbrough for the first time. In a 1–0 loss to Sheffield on Wednesday, Whitehead was suspended on three occasions, including being sent-off for dissent. Despite this, he stayed in the first-team, where he captained the team four more times later in the season. As Middlesbrough finished in 12th position, Whitehead played 38 times and scored one goal in the 2013–14 season.
Whitehead made his debut in the first team of the season in 2014-2015, mainly as a replacement. Richard Smallwood, Grant Leadbitter, and Adam Clayton were all up for a challenge for the defensive midfield position. However, he was sent-off "for an over the top tackle" in a 4–0 win over Brentford on September 20th, triggering the referee to give him a straight red card. He returned from suspension after serving a three-match suspension and playing as a late replacement in a 2–0 victory over Fulham on October 2nd. In a 1–1 draw against Watford on October 25, Whitehead captained the team for the first time in the league. However, Whitehead was demoted to the substitute bench during the 2014-2015 season. However, he did have protection by playing twice in right-back and six times in central midfield. He captained the team against Sheffield on Sunday, which resulted in a 2–0 loss. Whitehead appeared three times as a right-back, including the play-off final at Wembley Stadium, where they lost 2–0 to Norwich City. In all competitions, Whitehead made twenty-five appearances. Aitor Karanka, the boss of Middlesbrough, did not get him game time at the end of the season.
In June 2015, Whitehead signed with Championship team Huddersfield Town on a two-year deal. He was given a number four shirt right away when joining the club, ahead of the 2015–16 season. In a 2–0 loss to Hull City at the KC Stadium on August 8, he made his debut in a 2–0 loss. In a 2–1 loss against Notts County on August 11, he captained Huddersfield Town for the first time. Under Chris Powell's leadership, Whitehead landed himself in the first team. Following Mark Hudson's absence for five matches between 12 September and October, he captained the team once more. For October and November, Whitehead was named BWF Player of the Month for his efforts. However, he sustained a knee injury during a 2–0 victory over Birmingham City on December 5th and was out of service for two months. Whitehead returned to the first-team from injury on January 23rd, playing as a late replacement in a 2–1 loss to Brighton & Hove Albion. He regained his first-team appearance in the starting eleven for the remainder of the season after returning to the first team. Whitehead made thirty-six appearances in all competitions by the end of the 2015–16 season.
Whitehead turned down a transfer to Rotherham United ahead of the 2016-2017 season and said he would continue to fight for his spot in the first team. He missed the first two games of the new season after being suspended for his role in an incident against Brentford in the last game of the previous season. On August 20, he made his first appearance of the season, beginning with a 2–1 victory over Barnsley. However, Whitehead's first-team under David Wagner struggled due to strong competition from other midfielders. In a 2–1 victory over Rotherham United on September 27th, he captained the team for the first time this season. Whitehead was often voted captain after Hudson's absence, but Tommy Smith was another stand-in captain when Whitehead was not included in the starting lineup. He remained at the Kirklees Stadium during the January transfer window after being identified with a move to Wigan Athletic. However, in a 1–0 loss to Burton Albion on April 1, he was suspended for his second bookable offence. After losing to Reading 5–4 in a penalty shoot-out in the EFL Championship play-off final, Whitehead was used three times as an unused substitute in the Championship play-offs. He made 20 appearances in all leagues by the end of the 2016-17 season.
"Even if he plays less for us, he is still a vital piece of the team and the dressing room" ahead of the 2017-18 season. He was selected for the Premier League's 25-man squad. In a 2–1 victory over Rotherham United in the second round of the League Cup on August 23, he made his first appearance of the 2017–18 season, where he started the entire game. In a 4–0 loss to Tottenham Hotspur on 30 September, then made his first Premier League appearance – his first in four years – as a late replacement. However, his first-team appearances at Huddersfield Town for the majority of the 2017-18 season continued to be limited to the replacement bench. Whitehead resigned from professional football at the end of the 2017-18 season on May 11, 2018. In a 1–0 loss against Arsenal in the club's last game of the season, he made his last appearance for the club (and his football career), ending as a late replacement.
Coaching career
Whitehead took up a coaching job at Huddersfield Town as part of David Wagner's first-team technical staff, having obtained a UEFA A coaching license, and taking responsibility of the club's new Under-17 Academy age group from January 1, 2019. He took over Huddersfield Town's Under-17s team by October.
Whitehead's backroom workers at Shrewsbury Town, Sam Ricketts, were promoted to Joe Parkinson as the first-team coach on November 16, 2019. After Jon Pitts and Graham Barrow's departure, Whitehead was promoted to assistant boss on August 25, 2020. Whitehead and Ricketts were voted out of their positions on November 25th in League One, with the club sitting 23rd in League One with just 9 points down from a possible 39.
In July 2021, Whitehead joined Port Vale's coaching staff as part of David Flitcroft's summer reform; manager Darrell Clarke said that Whitehead "is definitely someone our squad should look forward to." He volunteered with Vale to win promotion at the end of the 2021–22 season and joined Beşiktaş, the Turkish Lig champions, in July 2022.