David Wheater

David James Wheater (born 14 February 1987) is an English former professional footballer who played as a defender.

Primarily a centre back, he announced his retirement on 1 September 2023.

In 2023, he began coaching young players in his own academy W2 Football Academy.

Wheater was born in 1987 in Redcar, which was then in the county of Cleveland.

Wheater started his professional career at Middlesbrough in 2004, having graduated through the club's youth teams.

He is a product of the Middlesbrough youth system, and was promoted to the first team at the age of 17 for the 2004–05 season, after tasting success in the FA Youth Cup.

He and teammates Andrew Taylor, Matthew Bates and Adam Johnson were part of the team that won the 2004 FA Youth Cup, and also played the previous season's final with Bates and Taylor, but lost out to Manchester United.

He had three loan spells away from Middlesbrough during the 2006–07 season; at Doncaster Rovers, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Darlington (loan).

He joined Wolverhampton Wanderers on a three-month loan in September 2006.

However, he returned to Middlesbrough on 15 November, after making just one first team appearance.

He also had loan spells at Doncaster Rovers, scoring once against Gillingham and Darlington.

During the 2007–08 pre-season, Jonathan Woodgate suffered an injury, that allowed Wheater to start in his place during pre-season.

Wheater's form in pre-season, earned him a starting XI place for the opening day Premier League fixture – his form then continued, which triggered the transfer of Woodgate to Tottenham Hotspur, as Wheater became the first name on the 'Boro team sheet.

Wheater was named in an understrength Middlesbrough side away to Bristol City in the FA Cup third round, when he saved his team with a goal as he burst forward from the back and scored the winner in a 2–1 at Ashton Gate Stadium.

Wheater experienced his best season of football during the 2007–08 season, starting as a regular for Gareth Southgate's side and becoming an imposing force at the back.

Wheater scored four goals in all competitions during his 2007–08 breakthrough season.

At the end of the year, he won the North East Football Writers' Association Young Player of the Year and Player of the Year awards for his exploits.

Wheater was called up to the senior side in 2008 but did not play.

He signed a three-and-a-half-year contract extension in February 2008, which tied him to Middlesbrough until June 2011.

Unfortunately, Middlesbrough were relegated at the end of the 2008–09 season, but Wheater decided to stay to try to help the club regain promotion.

Despite being only 22, Wheater was appointed captain for the 2009–10 season.

He experienced his first taste of league captaincy against Bristol City in a 2–1 loss, but when new manager Gordon Strachan was appointed, Strachan decided to hand the captain's armband to the more experienced Gary O'Neil, to let Wheater concentrate more on developing his game.

He scored his first league goal in 18 months on 6 February against Ipswich Town to rescue a draw.

He scored his first goal of the 2010–11 season against Reading, to make the scoreline 3–1, and help Middlesbrough secure back to back home wins in the same week.

An injury to Jonathan Woodgate at the start of the following season saw Wheater become a regular player for Middlesbrough, and he would make a total of 140 league appearances for the club before switching to Bolton Wanderers in January 2011.

After eight-and-a-half years with the club, he spent two seasons with Oldham Athletic and then returned to Darlington in 2022.

Wheater has represented England at under-16, under-17, under-18, under-19, and under-21 levels.

He made his last appearance against Bristol City on 15 January 2011, where he played the full 90 minutes.

Middlesbrough won 4–0.

His last goal in a Boro shirt was on New Year's Day against Leeds United, which ended in a 1–1 draw.

On 20 January 2011, Wheater completed a move to Bolton Wanderers on a three-and-a-half-year contract following a few weeks of negotiations for an undisclosed fee, and made his debut on 29 January in the FA Cup game at home to Wigan Athletic.

He made his league debut when coming on as a first-half substitute for the injured Zat Knight in the 2–0 home win over Everton on 13 February.

On 24 September, in his first league start of the 2011–12 season replacing the ill Gary Cahill, Wheater received a red card for holding back Theo Walcott during Bolton's game at Arsenal.

Two months later on 26 November, while playing in the right-back position, he received his second dismissal of the season when challenging Everton winger Diniyar Bilyaletdinov in a challenge which was deemed a red card by the referee Michael Oliver, which resulted in a four-game ban.

Wheater scored his first goal for Bolton in a 2–2 away draw at Macclesfield Town in the third round of the FA Cup on 7 January 2012.

His first league goals for Bolton came when he netted both goals in a 2–1 win against local rivals Blackburn Rovers on 24 March.

On 7 May 2012, he was ruled out of action for up to nine months after rupturing an anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee in Bolton's 2–2 draw with West Bromwich Albion the previous day.

His return to the first team came ten months later as he came on as a late substitute in Bolton's 4–1 win against Hull City.

Wheater signed a contract extension on 21 July 2013, extending his contract until summer 2016.

At the end of the 2015–16 season, the club confirmed that he would be leaving when the contract expired.