Phil Jagielka

At 41 years old, Phil Jagielka has this physical status:

Philip Nikodem Jagielka (or ; born 17 August 1982) is an English professional footballer who plays as a centre back for Sheffield United in Premier League. Jagielka began his playing career with Sheffield United in 2000, where he mainly played as a central midfielder.

He helped them achieve top-flight status for the 2006-07 season, after which he joined Everton for a £4 million fee.

He later captained the club. Since his debut in 2008, he has earned 40 England caps since his debut in 2008 and has been included in the England squads for UEFA EURO 2012 and the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

Early life

Jagielka was born in Sale, Greater Manchester, and attended the Knutsford Academy. He played for Holy Family Football Club, a Sunday squad affiliated with, but not directly linked to, the academy of the same name. He played as a right winger because he had a high rate of speed and played against boys of the school year older than him. When he was playing for his hometown team Hale Barns United in Altrincham, he first impressed youth scouts. During his time with the club, he mainly played midfield. He also played for his school team, Moorlands Junior School, playing in any position open, including in goal and with boys two years older than him.

He played for Everton as a youth and spent time working with clubs such as Stoke City and Manchester City before joining Sheffield United in 1998 at the age of 15.

Personal life

Jagielka is of Polish and Scottish descent. Steve, his brother, who died in 2021, was also a professional midfielder, mainly for Shrewsbury Town. Despite being loaned to Sheffield United for one season, the pair never appeared together in a competitive match.

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Club career

Jagielka made his way into the Sheffield United youth ranks before making his first-team debut against Swindon Town on May 5th, 2000, as a trainee. He was granted a professional deal the day after, and he had progressed well at the start of the following season, signing a three-year contract with the club in January 2001.

In the 2002-2003 season, he established himself in the Sheffield United first team and began to attract the attention of other clubs, including Leeds United, who were linked with a £6 million joint bid for Jagielka and United teammate Michael Brown. Sheffield United are yet to agree to a transfer for the players.

Despite many Premier League clubs' being keen on signing Jagielka, he said in April 2005 that he was content to remain at United. In June 2005, United boss Neil Warnock told West Ham United that Jagielka would not be sold, and Wigan Athletic made a £4 million bid for Jagielka, which later raised the price of him. Jagielka had been linked with a £4 million transfer to Bolton Wanderers by November, but United manager Neil Warnock said there had been no contact from Bolton.

In August 2006, Jagielka signed a new three-year contract with United. In Chris Morgan's absence, he served as team captain. United Kingdom defeated Middlesbrough 21-0 in September 2006, giving them their first Premier League victory since April 1994. Despite being recognized as one of United's top players, chairman Kevin McCabe admitted that Jagielka could be sold if the price was high enough. Due to a thigh injury to starting goalkeeper Paddy Kenny and his team 1–0 up, Jagielka was forced to play in goal for the remainder of the game. Arsenal was held at bay for the remaining 34 minutes, but Jagielka's late save from Robin van Persie gave the 1–0 victory. Warnock wrote in The Independent that "He's a really good keeper, but he's the kind of bloke who'd be world class at tiddlywinks," and that he'd rather stick Jagielka in goal rather than using a replacement that could be used for an attacking change rather than a switch.

He had appeared in 133 consecutive league appearances for United, including every league match in the 2004–05 and 2005–06 seasons and every minute of the 2006–07 season. Jagielka was linked with moves away from United during the 2006–07 season, and goalkeeper Paddy Kenny said it was time Jagielka moved forward. Before deciding to leave the club, new United manager Bryan Robson advised Jagielka to wait for the results of the club's relegation arbitration hearing before deciding to leave the team.

Jagielka signed for Everton on a five-year contract on July 4, 2007, the highest price paid for a Sheffield United player at the time. In a pre-season friendly against Werder Bremen against Werder Bremen on July 31, 2007, he made his home debut at Goodison Park as a second-half replacement, replacing Joseph Yobo in central defense. Jagielka made a key player of the first team after a slow start to his Everton career. In the UEFA Cup against Arizona, he scored his first Everton goal. Against Wigan Athletic, he scored his own goal against Wigan Athletic, but Everton defeated 2–1. In the following matches, he was in a succession of man of the match performances against Tottenham Hotspur, Brann, and Manchester City. On February 9, 2008, he scored his first league goal for Everton against Reading.

Jagielka started the 2008–09 season as the first-choice center-back, playing every minute of every league match until being injured in a 2–1 home loss to Manchester City. He was named Premier League Player of the Month for February and has been named Everton's fans and club player of the season. In a penalty shoot-out for Everton, Jagielka scored the winning penalty, but many believed it to be a penalty that the referee did not award. He torerupted his anterior cruciate ligament in his match against Manchester City in the 2009 FA Cup Final, which Everton lost to Chelsea.

Jagielka played his first senior fixture after suffering a cruciate ligament injury in a away match against Sporting CP in the UEFA Europa League in February 2010. Philippe Senderos, an injured Philippe Senderos, was out for the remainder of the 2008–09 season and more than half of 2009–10.

On January 3, 2013, Jagielka signed a new deal with Everton, keeping him at Goodison Park until 2017. Following Phil Neville's retirement in April 2013, Jagielka's manager David Moyes declared him as the team captain for the 2013-2014 season.

Jagielka will make a "phenomenal captain" when Moyes left Manchester United, according to current manager Roberto Martnez. Everton dominated the Premier League in his first season as captain, earning three trophies for the club, including Player of the Season and Goal of the Season.

Jagielka scored his first goal in two seasons against Liverpool in the Merseyside derby on September 27, 2014, a 30-yard half volley. In Everton's 3–0 UEFA Europa League group stage victory over Lille on Friday, Jagielka scored his first European goal in seven years.

Everton's starting center in March 2017 after Ramiro Funes Mori sustained a knee injury while overseas service. Jagielka scored in three straight league games against Everton on April 4th, his first league goal in two years – and then in a 4–2 victory over Burnley on April 15th.

On August 2, 2017, Jagielka's contract with Everton lasted another year until the summer of 2019.

Jagielka, who found himself in the periphery of the Everton first squad for the majority of the 2018-19 season, and an injury to Michael Keane in the warm-up before a match against Arsenal on April 7, 2019, saw him substituted in the starting lineup. In the tenth minute, Jagielka scored his first Everton goal in two years, and it was his first Everton goal in two years. He made his second appearance for Everton in the Premier League, behind Richard Gough, who was 36 years old and 233 days old.

Jagielka left Everton at the end of 2018-19, having appeared in 385 appearances in a span of 12 years. Following Sheffield United's promotion to the Premier League, he rejoined the club on July 4th 2019 on a one-year deal. He agreed to a new one-year contract on August 23rd to keep him at the club for the 2020-21 season.

Jagielka agreed to a short-term deal with Derby County on August 17th, 2021, after having played with the club throughout pre-season. He made his debut on the next day in a 1–0 victory over Hull City in his first Championship match since April 2006. Jagielka departed the club on January 14th, 2022. Wayne Rooney, the club's chairman, wanted to extend Jagielka's deal with the club, but Rooney was unable to do so until Derby's administrators gave proof of funds.

Jagielka signed with Championship club Stoke City until the end of the 2021–22 season. Stoke ended the season in 14th place as he reached 20 appearances. On May 2022, Jagielka signed a new-six month contract extension with Stoke.

International career

Jagielka is a former England under-21 player who scored in a 2–0 victory over Slovakia at the Stadium of Light in June 2003.

For the first time, Jagielka was selected in the England B team for the first time in their match against Albania on May 10th. Phil Neville was recalled at the start of the second half with a starting on the bench. Jagielka was selected in the senior England squad for the first time for the friendlies against the United States, Trinidad and Tobago on May 11th, 2008. He expressed his elation at the call up and thanked everyone at Everton for their assistance. Jagielka earned his first international cap for the senior team against Trinidad and Tobago against Trinidad and Tobago in the second half of a match in which England used two separate teams for each half on June 1st.

After an impressive run to see the FA Cup fourth round replay tie between Everton and Liverpool, Jagielka was first included in the England squad for the friendly match against European champions Spain on February 11, 2009, and later played for the first 45 minutes. Jagielka earned his fourth cap while playing in England's first post-2010 FIFA World Cup friendly against Hungary on August 11, 2010, where he scored an own goal to put the visitors ahead in a 2–1 victory.

Jagielka's first competitive appearance was on September 3, 2010 in a 4–0 victory over Bulgaria. On a night when he established his reputation, he was said to have "read the game brilliantly." On October 12th, he was called up to England's squad for the UEFA Euro 2012 qualifier against Montenegro at Wembley Stadium.

Jagielka was originally on the standby list for England's UEFA Euro 2012 squad and played the entire game against Norway, which England defeated 12-0. Since Gareth Barry was ruled out of the tournament due to an abdominal injury, he was added to the main squad on May 28th. He did not appear in any of England's four matches during the tournament, but he did not appear in any of England's four matches.

During a 2–1 friendly victory over Italy in Bern, Switzerland, Jagielka scored his first goal for England, a diving header.

Jagielka was selected in England's squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup on May 12, 2014. He scored his second goal for England over Peru on May 30th, 2014, after goalkeeper Ral Fernández dropped a corner from Leighton Baines of Jagielka. England was unbeaten in 11 competitive matches in which Jagielka has participated (won eight and drawn three), until losing 2–1 to Italy in their first match of the World Cup.

On September 9, England scored his third goal and first in a competitive fixture, beating San Marino 5–0 in UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying. When Everton defeated Lithuania on October 12, 2015 in a UEFA Euro qualifying match, Jagielka became the first Everton player to captain England.

When he came on as a second-half substitute against Spain in a 2–2 draw on November 15, he became the mostcapped Everton player from England.

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