Jeff Whitley

Football player infobox
playername = Jeff Whitley


fullname = Jeffrey Whitley
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1979|1|28|df=y
height = height|ft=5|in=9
cityofbirth = Ndola
countryofbirth = Zambia
currentclub =
clubnumber =
position = Midfielder
youthyears = 1989–1996
youthclubs = Manchester City
years = 1996–2003
1999
2002
2002–2003
2003–2005
2005–2007
2006
2007
2008
clubs = Manchester City
→ Wrexham (loan)
→ Notts County (loan)
→ Notts County (loan)
Sunderland
Cardiff City
→ Stoke City (loan)
→ Wrexham (loan)
Wrexham
caps(goals) = 111 (6)
009 (2)
006 (0)
012 (0)
068 (2)
034 (1)
003 (0)
011 (1)
011 (0)
nationalyears = 1998–2000
1997–2004
nationalteam = Northern Ireland U21
Northern Ireland
nationalcaps(goals) = 017 (1)
020 (3)
pcupdate = 22:35, 8 August 2008 (UTC)
ntupdate = 22:35, 8 August 2008 (UTC)

Jeffrey "Jeff" Whitley (born January 28, 1979 in Ndola, Copperbelt Province) is a Zambian born Northern Irish professional football player who is currently without a club after being released by Wrexham. He twice won promotion to the Premiership with Manchester City in 2000 and Sunderland in 2005 [cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/s/stoke_city/5274182.stm|title=Whitley poised for promotion push|date=2006-08-22|publisher=BBC Sport|accessdate=2008-06-11] and was an Northern Ireland international.

Club career

Whitley joined Manchester City 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.cite web|url=http://www.soccerbase.com/players_details.sd?playerid=9762|title=Jeff Whitley |work=Soccerbase|publisher=Racing Post|accessdate=2008-06-10] He had a two-month loan spell at Wrexham in the 1998–99 season. 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. [cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/n/notts_county/1884047.stm|title=Whitley joins Notts County|date=2002-03-20|publisher=BBC Sport|accessdate=2008-06-10] He had a three-month loan spell at Notts County in the 2002–03 season, returning to Manchester City in January 2003 [cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/m/man_city/2679207.stm|title=Whitley returns to City|date=2003-01-21|publisher=BBC Sport|accessdate=2008-06-10] but was released by the club in March 2003 as he did not feature in manager Kevin Keegan's plans. [cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/2830973.stm|title=Whitley leaves Maine Road|date=2003-03-07|publisher=BBC Sport|accessdate=2008-06-10]

After a trial [cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/s/sunderland/2885639.stm|title=Whitley wants Black cats deal|date=2003-03-25|publisher=BBC Sport|accessdate=2008-06-10] and impressing in pre-season, he signed a contract with Sunderland in August 2003. [cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/s/sunderland/3122981.stm|title=Whitley joins Sunderland|date=2003-08-04|publisher=BBC Sport|accessdate=2008-06-10] He made over 70 league and cup appearances for Sunderland, helping the club to the Football League Championship play-offs at the end of the 2003–04 season [cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/s/sunderland/3816211.stm|title=Whitley signs new contract|date=2004-06-17|publisher=BBC Sport|accessdate=2008-06-10] and to the Football League Championship title in 2005.cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/c/cardiff_city/4119326.stm|title=Whitley completes Cardiff switch|date=2005-07-01|publisher=BBC Sport|accessdate=2008-06-10] In July 2005, he joined Cardiff City on a free transfer [cite news| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/c/cardiff_city/4119326.stm| title=Whitley completes Cardiff switch|date=2005-07-01|publisher=BBC Sport|accessdate=2008-06-11] and made 38 league and cup appearances for the club in the 2005–06 season. [cite web|url=http://www.soccerbase.com/players_details.sd?playerid=9762&seasonid=135|title=Games played by Jeff Whitley in 2005/2006|work=Soccerbase|publisher=Racing Post|accessdate=2008-06-11] Whitley joined Stoke City on loan in August 2006 [cite news| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/s/stoke_city/5262844.stm |title=Whitley joins Stoke in loan deal |date=2006-08-18|publisher=BBC Sport|accessdate=2008-06-10] but made only four appearances [cite web|url=http://www.soccerbase.com/players_details.sd?playerid=9762&seasonid=136|title=Games played by Jeff Whitley in 2006/2007|work=Soccerbase|publisher=Racing Post|accessdate=2008-06-11] in an unsuccessful loan spell.cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/c/cardiff_city/6339763.stm|title=Cardiff fret over missing Whitley |date=2007-02-27|publisher=BBC Sport|accessdate=2008-06-11] Cardiff made him available for transfer but he did not take up offers to talk with Millwall and Rotherham and joined Wrexham in February 2007 on loan for the remainder of the 2006–07 season.cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/w/wrexham/6368109.stm|title=Whitley makes Wrexham loan move |date=2007-02-16|publisher=BBC Sport|accessdate=2008-06-10] He scored the winning goal against Bristol Rovers in a 1–0 away victory in March 2007. [cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_3/6461715.stm|title=Bristol Rovers 0-1 Wrexham |date=2007-03-24|publisher=BBC Sport|accessdate=2008-06-11] He was released by Cardiff and signed for Wrexham on non contract terms in January 2008 [cite news| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/w/wrexham/7195476.stm|title=Quartet join Wrexham with one out |date=2008-01-18 |publisher=BBC Sport|accessdate=2008-06-10] but was released by Wrexham in May 2008 following the club's relegation to the Football Conference. [cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/w/wrexham/7367679.stm |title=Roberts and Llewellyn leave Reds |date=2008-05-06|publisher=BBC Sport|accessdate=2008-05-11]

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. [cite web|url=http://www.irishfa.com/squad-profiles/130/senior/jeff-whitley-midfielder/|title=Jeff Whitley|work=Squad Profiles - Legends of the Game|publisher=Irish Football Association|accessdate=2008-06-10]

References

External links

*soccerbase|9762|Jeff Whitley
* [http://www.irishfa.com/squad-profiles/130/senior/jeff-whitley-midfielder/ IFA profile with photo and information]