Theo Robinson

Theo Robinson

Personal information
Full name	Theo Laroyan R. S. Robinson
Date of birth	(1989-01-22) 22 January 1989
Place of birth	Birmingham, England
Height	5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
Playing position	Striker
Club information
Current club	Derby County
Number	21
Youth career
0000–2005	Stoke City
2005–2006	Watford
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
2006–2009	Watford	5	(0)
2007	→ Wealdstone (loan)	10	(13)
2007–2008	→ Hereford United (loan)	43	(13)
2009	→ Southend United (loan)	21	(7)
2009–2011	Huddersfield Town	39	(13)
2010	→ Millwall (loan)	7	(2)
2011	Millwall	4	(1)
2011	→ Derby County (loan)	13	(2)
2011–	Derby County	31	(8)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 22:10, 20 March 2012 (UTC). † Appearances (Goals).

Theo Laroyan R. S. Robinson (born 22 January 1989) is an English footballer who plays for Football League Championship side Derby County.

Club career

Watford

Born in Birmingham, West Midlands, a graduate of Watford's youth academy, Robinson was an unused substitute in Watford's victory over Ipswich Town on 17 April 2006. Five days later, he made his first team debut against Queens Park Rangers, coming on as a half-time substitute for Darius Henderson.

Robinson could have been lost to the game at the age of 16 when he was released after a season as a schoolboy at Stoke City. Fortunately for Robinson, he had been spotted by Watford at an exit trial held by The Football League at Derby County's Moor Farm training ground in 2005. Having impressed during a subsequent week's training at the club, he was signed on a two-year apprenticeship, which was followed by his first professional contract. Robinson was later cited by the Football League as an example of how their exit trials are helping to keep talented young players in the game.

He signed his first professional contract with Watford on 1 February 2007, and, in the same month, went on a month's loan to Wealdstone. His loan was later extended until the end of the season with Robinson's goals helping to keep Wealdstone in the Southern Football League Premier Division.

On 13 May 2007, Robinson made his Premier League debut as a second-half substitute in Watford's final game of the season, at home to Newcastle United.

Hereford loan

On 8 August 2007, Robinson and his teammate Toumani Diagouraga both joined League Two side Hereford United on loan, initially until Christmas and subsequently extended until May 2008. Robinson finished the season as top goalscorer for Hereford with 16 goals in all competitions as they achieved promotion.

Southend loan

Robinson playing for Southend United

Robinson made four appearances for Watford in the 2008–09 season. On 24 January 2009, he joined League One side Southend United on loan until the end of the season. The same day he made his debut against Yeovil Town, coming on as a substitute at half-time for Kevin Betsy in a 1–0 defeat. He scored his first goal for the club against Tranmere Rovers on 14 February.

Huddersfield Town

On 3 July 2009, Robinson signed for Football League One club Huddersfield Town on a three-year deal for an undisclosed fee. Robinson took the number nine shirt vacated by Danny Cadamarteri.

He made his debut in the 2–2 draw at Southend United on 8 August 2009. He scored his first goal for Huddersfield in a League Cup tie at home to Stockport County three days later. A week later, he scored his first league goals for the Terriers, getting a brace in the 7–1 win over Brighton & Hove Albion. He then scored twice in Huddersfield's 4–3 defeat at Newcastle United in the second round of the League Cup.

Due to the performances of top scorer Jordan Rhodes and Lee Novak, Robinson struggled to make it in to Huddersfield's starting 11 and was mostly restricted to the bench. He made his first start since October 2009 in Huddersfield's 2–0 win away at Leyton Orient on 20 March 2010 and scored his first goal since November. He then went on to score 7 in Huddersfield's last 10 games of the regular season. His season total was 13 league goals and 16 in all competitions.

Millwall loan

On 8 September 2010, after falling down the pecking order at the Galpharm, Robinson moved to Millwall on a 93-day emergency loan. He scored his first for The Lions, the winner at Crystal Palace on 16 October in a 1–0 victory. A week later he scored a diving header against Derby County in a 2–0. He returned to Huddersfield in early November through injury, with the need for an operation on his knee, cutting his loan spell short. Millwall manager Kenny Jackett expressed his desire to bring back Robinson permanently once the transfer window was reopened and Robinson was fully fit. As of 30 December 2010 Robinson was back training with Millwall.

Millwall

He completed his permanent move to Millwall on the 13 January 2011 for an undisclosed fee, believed to be £300,000.^{[citation needed]} He struggled to settle at The Den and, in February 2011, signed a three month loan deal at Derby County, with a view to a permanent move.^{[citation needed]}

Derby County

After a short loan spell, Robinson agreed to join Derby County on a 2 year contract, where he is affectionately know by the fans as 'Deadly Theo'. The transfer was completed on 1 July 2011, when Robinson's contract expired with Millwall. Robinson was one of four strikers to join Derby over the 2011–12 close season, alongside Jamie Ward, Chris Maguire and Nathan Tyson and was used as a substitute in each of Derby's first six league games of the season, scoring in a 2–1 home defeat to Burnley. However, his performance in the 2–1 victory over Nottingham Forest helped Robinson cement a place in the first team and he started the next five games, netting twice with the opening goals in draws against Southampton and Reading. Despite being Derby's second top scorer, with three goals in six league starts (plus one goal in the league cup defeat to Shrewsbury Town, Robinson was sometimes criticised by supporters for "not scoring enough goals" and being "rubbish" on social networking site Twitter. He silenced his critics by scoring a brace in Derby's 3-2 defeat at Peterborough United, taking his tally for the season up to six, making him the club's top scorer.

On 17 March 2012, Robinson scored a well taken 25 yard finish away at Doncaster Rovers that helped guide Derby to a 2–1 victory. That goal took Theo's total for the season into double figures, reaching 10 goals so far in 2011–12. Nigel Clough, Derby's manager said after the game that "Theo has scored some important goals this season and he's improving all the time".

Career statistics

(Correct as of 20 March 2012)

Club performance			League		Cup		League Cup		Total
Season	Club	League	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
England			League		FA Cup		League Cup		Total
2005–06	Watford	Championship	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	0
2006–07		Premier League	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	0
2006–07	Wealdstone	Isthmian League	10	13	0	0	0	0	10	13
2007–08	Hereford United	League Two	43	13	6	2	2	1	52	16
2008–09	Watford	Championship	3	0	0	0	1	0	4	0
2008–09	Southend United	League One	21	7	0	0	0	0	21	7
2009–10	Huddersfield Town		37	13	3	0	2	3	43	16
2010–11			1	0	0	0	1	0	2	0
2010–11	Millwall	Championship	7	2	0	0	0	0	7	2
2010–11	Millwall		4	1	0	0	0	0	4	1
2010–11	Derby County		13	2	0	0	0	0	13	2
2011–12	Derby County		31	8	1	1	1	1	33	10
Total	England		172	59	10	3	7	5	191	67
Career total			172	59	10	3	7	5	191	67

• NOTE: teams in Italics indicate loan period

1 game in the Football League Trophy for Hereford United added to the 2007–08 total
1 game in the Football League One play-offs for Huddersfield Town added to the 2009–10 total

External links

• Theo Robinson career stats at Soccerbase