Steven Whittaker

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Steven Whittaker
Steven Whittaker 2.jpg
Personal information
Full name Steven Gordon Whittaker
Date of birth (1984-06-16) 16 June 1984 (age 27)
Place of birth Edinburgh, Scotland
Height 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Playing position Right back
Club information
Current club Rangers
Number 16
Youth career
2000–2002 Hibernian
Senior career*
Years Team Apps† (Gls)†
2002–2007 Hibernian 141 (4)
2007– Rangers 143 (17)
National team‡
2004–2006 Scotland U21 18 (1)
2006–2007 Scotland B 2 (0)
2009– Scotland 14 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 24 December 2011.

† Appearances (Goals).

‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 6 September 2011

Steven Gordon Whittaker (born 16 June 1984) is a Scottish association footballer who currently plays as a right back for Scottish Premier League club Rangers and the Scotland national side.

Whittaker began his career with Hibernian and made over 170 appearances for the Easter Road side. He also won the League Cup in 2007 before signing for Rangers in August that year.

Contents

[edit] Club career

[edit] Hibernian

On 1 August 2000, Whittaker joined the likes of Kenny Miller and Derek Riordan in signing for Hibernian from Hutchison Vale Boys Club.[1][2] He made his debut against St. Johnstone in a 1–0 win on 12 May 2002.[3] In the 2002-03 season, he went on to make further six first-team appearances before finally become a regular starter the season after. Due to Whittaker lacking a defined position his form suffered as he was deployed at right-back and across the midfield under Bobby Williamson. He scored his first career goal against Partick Thistle in a 3–2 win on 3 January 2004.[4] He was an unused subsitutite when Hibernian lost the 2004 Scottish League Cup Final.

The arrival of Tony Mowbray later that year saw Whittaker confirmed in the team's right back role, and with this new certainty, he flourished, becoming a regular in the Scotland Under–21 team and helping Hibernian to a third place league finish. Whittaker was a regular in the Hibs teams of both Mowbray and John Collins, and was in the side that won the 2007 League Cup Final. He made 174 appearances in all competitions for Hibs, scoring five goals.

[edit] Rangers

Whittaker completed a £2m move to Rangers on 1 August 2007, signing a five-year contract.[5] He was given the number 28 shirt and started his first game for Rangers on 18 August 2007 against Falkirk in the Scottish Premier League and marked his debut with the second goal in a 7–2 win for Rangers.[6] Having been deployed mostly at left back during the first half of the season, Whittaker established himself as first-choice right back after Alan Hutton's departure to Tottenham Hotspur in January 2008. Whittaker scored the second goal of Rangers 2–0 win over Sporting Lisbon in the UEFA Cup quarter-final second-leg on 10 April 2008.[7] He picked the ball up on the halfway line and weaved past several players before capping it off with a cool finish. He stated after the match that it was the best goal of his career.[8]

For the 2009–10 season, Whittaker was given number 16 and scored 11 goals in all competitions as Rangers won both the league title and the League Cup.

Whittaker signed a new five-year contract with Rangers in July 2011, after the club had rejected bids from Turkish club Bursaspor.[9] During the UEFA champions league qualifers against Malmo FF, he was sent off for throwing the ball at an opponent player after receiving a poor tackle.

[edit] International career

Whittaker was a regular for the Scotland U21 squad, and in October 2006 he was added to the full Scotland squad for the Euro 2008 qualifying match against Ukraine, although he did not feature in the match.[10] Whittaker was then called into the Scotland B side to face Republic of Ireland's B team on 20 November 2007.[11] He played 68 minutes before being replaced by Ross McCormack.[12] He also played in the goalless draw between those two sides in November 2006.[13]

He made his debut for the full national side on 12 August 2009, in a 4–0 defeat to Norway.[14] His second appearance came in the 2–0 victory over Macedonia, when he came on for the injured Callum Davidson.[15]

[edit] Career statistics

As of 24 December 2011
Club Season League Cup League Cup Europe Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Hibernian 2001–02 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
2002–03 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 6 0
2003–04 28 1 1 0 4 0 0 0 33 1
2004–05[note 1] 37 1 4 1 2 0 2 0 45 2
2005–06 34 1 4 0 0 0 2 0 40 1
2006–07 35 1 6 0 4 0 4 0 49 1
Total 141 4 15 1 10 0 8 0 174 5
Rangers 2007–08[note 2] 30 4 6 0 3 0 9 1 48 5
2008–09[note 3] 24 2 4 1 1 0 2 0 31 3
2009–10 35 7 5 3 4 1 6 0 50 11
2010–11 36 4 3 2 3 0 10 1 52 7
2011–12 18 0 0 0 1 0 2 0 21 0
Total 143 17 18 6 12 1 29 2 202 26
Career Total 284 21 33 7 22 1 37 2 376 31

[edit] Honours

Hibernian

Rangers

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Totals include match Vetra 1–0 Hibs. Whittaker started the match per the BBC match report, but his appearance is not recorded by soccerbase
  2. ^ Totals include match Werder 1–0 Rangers. Whittaker was used as a substitute per the BBC match report, but it is not recorded by soccerbase.
  3. ^ Totals include both matches versus FBK Kaunas. Whittaker started both legs per the BBC match reports (1st leg)(2nd leg), but it is not recorded by soccerbase (1st leg); (2nd leg).

[edit] References

  1. ^ Scottish Football League (October 2004). The Bell's Scottish Football Review 2004/05. CRE8. ISBN 0-9548556-0-4. 
  2. ^ "HIBERNIAN : 1946/47 - 2008/09". Post War English & Scottish Football League A - Z Player's Database. http://www.neilbrown.newcastlefans.com/hibernian/hibernian.htm. Retrieved 25 July 2010. 
  3. ^ "Sad end for Saints". BBC Sport. 12 May 2002. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/scot_prem/1980702.stm. 
  4. ^ "Hibernian 3–2 Partick Thistle". BBC Sport. 3 January 2004. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/scot_prem/3363431.stm. 
  5. ^ "Whittaker in £2m Rangers switch". BBC Sport. 1 August 2007. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/h/hibernian/6921914.stm. 
  6. ^ "Rangers 7–2 Falkirk". BBC Sport. 18 August 2007. http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/scot_prem/6949202.stm. 
  7. ^ "Sporting 0–2 Rangers". BBC Sport. 10 April 2008. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/europe/7336365.stm. 
  8. ^ "That's My Best Ever". Rangers F.C.. 10 April 2008. http://www.rangers.premiumtv.co.uk/page/Headlines/0,,5~1286840,00.html. 
  9. ^ "Allan McGregor and Steven Whittaker pen long-term deals". BBC Sport. 4 July 2011. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/14013550.stm. Retrieved 4 July 2011. 
  10. ^ "Whittaker called into Scots squad". BBC Sport. 9 October 2006. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/internationals/6033359.stm. 
  11. ^ "Forgotten man Iwelumo called into 'B' squad". The Scotsman. 10 November 2007. http://sport.scotsman.com/football_international.cfm?id=1784702007. 
  12. ^ "Scotland B 1–1 Rep of Ireland B". BBC Sport. 20 November 2007. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/internationals/7100835.stm. 
  13. ^ "Rep of Ireland B 0–0 Scotland B". BBC Sport. 14 November 2006. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/internationals/6149066.stm. 
  14. ^ "Norway 4–0 Scotland". BBC Sport. 12 August 2009. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/internationals/8193604.stm. 
  15. ^ "Scotland 2–0 Macedonia". BBC Sport. 5 September 2009. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/internationals/8230555.stm. 

[edit] External links

Rangers F.C. – current squad
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