Richie Wellens
Encyclopedia
Richard Paul "Richie" Wellens (born 26 March 1980 in Moston
, Manchester
) is an English
footballer currently playing as a midfielder
for Leicester City
.
, playing alongside the likes of Wes Brown
and John O'Shea
. His only first team appearance for the club was as a substitute in a 3-0 League Cup
defeat to Aston Villa
on 13 October 1999.
in 2000. Wellens became an instant first team regular at the club and before long he was a fan's favourite. While at the club he helped them win promotion via winning the 2001 Football League Third Division play-off Final
which he played in at the Millenium Stadium. He would return to win at the Cardiff stadium two more times with Blackpool, both with the LDV Vans Trophy
in 2002
where he scored a crucial opening goal against Huddersfield Town
in the first leg of the North Area Final and 2004
, the same season he was placed in the 2003–04 Football League Second Division PFA Team of the Year. He made 191 league appearences with Blackpool before his move in 2005 to Oldham Athletic.
, with Scott Vernon
going the other way. This was done to bypass the 50% sell-on clause that Manchester United had added during Wellens' transfer to the Seasiders. In summer 2007, after turning down an improved contract offered by Oldham, he signed a two-year contract with fellow League One
side Doncaster Rovers
. Wellens made the 2004–05
, 2006–07
and 2007–08
League One PFA Team of the Year
.
with the second strike in a 4–1 victory over Lincoln City
; however, this wasn't the first time he had hit the back of the net for Doncaster: in his very first appearance in a Donny shirt, Wellens chipped the ball over the opposition goalkeeper and into the net from 40 yards in a pre-season friendly against non-league Retford United
.
as the club's key player for the 2009–10 season. He made his debut in a 2–1 win over Swansea City on 8 August 2009, scoring his first goal in a 2–0 win over Middlesbrough
on 2 May 2010. Wellens featured in all but three matches for Leicester in The Championship
that season. He played a crucial role in Nigel Pearson
's team that successfully reached the play-offs - only to lose to Cardiff City away in Wales
.
In his second season at the club, Wellens continued to play his crucial role in midfield under the reign of both Paulo Sousa
and Sven-Göran Eriksson
. He was named Championship Player of the Month
for January, and won the club's player of the year award on 3 May 2011.
Doncaster Rovers
Moston, Greater Manchester
Moston is a district of Manchester, in North West England, approximately 3 miles north east of the city centre. Historically a part of Lancashire, Moston is a predominantly residential area, with a population of about 12,500 and covering approximately .-History:The name Moston may derive...
, Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
) is an English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
footballer currently playing as a midfielder
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...
for Leicester City
Leicester City F.C.
Leicester City Football Club , also known as The Foxes, is an English professional football club based at the King Power Stadium in Leicester...
.
Manchester United
Wellens started his career at Manchester UnitedManchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
, playing alongside the likes of Wes Brown
Wes Brown
Wesley Michael "Wes" Brown is an English footballer who plays as a defender for Sunderland. Before joining Sunderland, Brown had spent his entire career at Old Trafford, having joined the Manchester United youth team in 1996...
and John O'Shea
John O'Shea
John O'Shea can refer to:*John O'Shea, Irish footballer with Sunderland*John O'Shea , New Zealand film director*John O'Shea *John O'Shea , Wales international rugby union footballer*John O'Shea...
. His only first team appearance for the club was as a substitute in a 3-0 League Cup
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
defeat to Aston Villa
Aston Villa F.C.
Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...
on 13 October 1999.
Blackpool
Frustrated at the lack of opportunities at Manchester United, he moved to BlackpoolBlackpool F.C.
Blackpool Football Club are an English football club founded in 1887 from the Lancashire seaside town of Blackpool. They are competing in the 2011–12 season of the The Championship, the second tier of professional football in England, having been relegated from the Premier League at the end of the...
in 2000. Wellens became an instant first team regular at the club and before long he was a fan's favourite. While at the club he helped them win promotion via winning the 2001 Football League Third Division play-off Final
2001 Football League Third Division play-off Final
The 2001 Football League Division Three play-off Final was contested by Blackpool and Leyton Orient. It was the first season that the play-off Finals were contested in Cardiff's Millennium Stadium following the demolition of Wembley.-Route to the Final:...
which he played in at the Millenium Stadium. He would return to win at the Cardiff stadium two more times with Blackpool, both with the LDV Vans Trophy
Football League Trophy
The Football League Trophy, currently known as the Johnstone's Paint Trophy for sponsorship reasons, is an annual English association football knock-out competition open to the 48 clubs in Football League One and Football League Two, the bottom two divisions in the four fully professional top...
in 2002
2002 Football League Trophy Final
The 2002 Football League Trophy Final was the 19th final of the Football League Trophy - a domestic football cup competition for teams from the Football League Second and Third Division. The match was played at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, and was contested by Blackpool and Cambridge United...
where he scored a crucial opening goal against Huddersfield Town
Huddersfield Town F.C.
Huddersfield Town Football Club is an English football club formed in 1908 and based in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. They currently play in League One...
in the first leg of the North Area Final and 2004
2004 Football League Trophy Final
The 2004 Football League Trophy Final was the 21st final of the domestic football cup competition for teams from Football Leagues One, Two and The Conference, the Football League Trophy. The final was played at Millennium Stadium in Cardiff on 21 March 2004. The match was contested between...
, the same season he was placed in the 2003–04 Football League Second Division PFA Team of the Year. He made 191 league appearences with Blackpool before his move in 2005 to Oldham Athletic.
Oldham
In 2005 he left Blackpool for his local side Oldham AthleticOldham Athletic A.F.C.
Oldham Athletic Association Football Club is an English association football club based at Boundary Park, on Sheepfoot Lane in Oldham, Greater Manchester. The club currently competes in the Football League One, the third tier of the English league...
, with Scott Vernon
Scott Vernon
Scott Malcolm Vernon is an English footballer who currently plays as a striker for Scottish Premier League club Aberdeen.-Early career:...
going the other way. This was done to bypass the 50% sell-on clause that Manchester United had added during Wellens' transfer to the Seasiders. In summer 2007, after turning down an improved contract offered by Oldham, he signed a two-year contract with fellow League One
Football League One
Football League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....
side Doncaster Rovers
Doncaster Rovers F.C.
Doncaster Rovers Football Club is an English football club, based at the Keepmoat Stadium in Doncaster, South Yorkshire. The team currently competes in the Football League Championship, after being promoted via the League One play-offs in 2008, and have remained there since.The club was founded in...
. Wellens made the 2004–05
2004-05 in English football
The 2004–05 season was the 125th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:*2004–05 was the first season to feature the rebranded Football League. The First Division, Second Division and Third Division were renamed the Football League Championship, Football League One and Football League...
, 2006–07
2006-07 in English football
The 2006–07 season was the 127th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:* The number of divisions at Level 8 of the English football league system increased from four to five...
and 2007–08
2007-08 in English football
The 2007–08 season was the 128th season of competitive football in England.-European competitions:In October 2007 Arsenal equalled the UEFA Champions League record victory with a 7–0 win over Slavia Prague at the Emirates Stadium. The record was broken the following month when Liverpool...
League One PFA Team of the Year
PFA Team of the Year
The Professional Footballers' Association Team of the Year is an annual award given to a set of 44 footballers in the top four tiers of English football; the Premier League, the Championship, League One and League Two, whom are seen to be deserving of being named in a "Team of the Year".The award...
.
Doncaster Rovers
Wellens was a member of the Doncaster side that gained promotion to the Championship in 2007–08. His midfield performances brought him several individual awards, several key goals and helped the team gain promotion. His first competitive goal for Doncaster was in August 2007 in the Football League CupFootball League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
with the second strike in a 4–1 victory over Lincoln City
Lincoln City F.C.
Lincoln City Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Lincoln, Lincolnshire. The club are currently members of the Conference National in 2011–12 following relegation from the Football League....
; however, this wasn't the first time he had hit the back of the net for Doncaster: in his very first appearance in a Donny shirt, Wellens chipped the ball over the opposition goalkeeper and into the net from 40 yards in a pre-season friendly against non-league Retford United
Retford United F.C.
Retford United Football Club are an English football club based at Cannon Park in Retford, Nottinghamshire. They currently play in the Northern Counties East League Premier Division.-History:...
.
Leicester City
On 7 July 2009, Wellens joined Leicester City for a potential fee of £1.2 million, signing a three-year contract. Their biggest signing of the summer, Wellens was named by the BBC SportBBC Sport
BBC Sport is the sports division of the BBC. It became a fully dedicated division of the BBC in 2000. It incorporates programmes such as Match of the Day, Grandstand , Test Match Special, Ski Sunday, Rugby Special and coverage of Formula One motor racing, MotoGP and the Wimbledon Tennis...
as the club's key player for the 2009–10 season. He made his debut in a 2–1 win over Swansea City on 8 August 2009, scoring his first goal in a 2–0 win over Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough F.C.
Middlesbrough Football Club , also known as Boro, are an English football club based in Middlesbrough, who play in the Football League Championship. Formed in 1876, they have played at the Riverside Stadium since August 1995, their third ground since turning professional in 1889...
on 2 May 2010. Wellens featured in all but three matches for Leicester in The Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
that season. He played a crucial role in Nigel Pearson
Nigel Pearson
Nigel Graham Pearson is an English football manager and former professional player. He is currently in his second spell as manager of Leicester City, having previously managed Hull City, Southampton and Carlisle United, and been assistant manager for England Under-21s and Newcastle United...
's team that successfully reached the play-offs - only to lose to Cardiff City away in Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
.
In his second season at the club, Wellens continued to play his crucial role in midfield under the reign of both Paulo Sousa
Paulo Sousa
Paulo Manuel Carvalho de Sousa, CavIH is a retired Portuguese footballer who played as a defensive midfielder, and a current manager.He was a member of the “Portuguese Golden Generation”...
and Sven-Göran Eriksson
Sven-Göran Eriksson
Sven-Göran Eriksson , in Sweden commonly referred to just by his nickname Svennis, is a Swedish ex-football manager. From October 2010 to October 2011 he managed Football League Championship side Leicester City....
. He was named Championship Player of the Month
Football League Championship Player of the Month
The Player of the Month is an Association Football award that recognises the player adjudged the best for each month of the season in the Football League Championship, the second tier in English football. For sponsorship reason, since it's inception it has been known as the Coca-Cola Player of the...
for January, and won the club's player of the year award on 3 May 2011.
Honours
Blackpool- Third DivisionFootball League Third DivisionThe Football League Third Division was the 3 tier of English Football from 1920 until 1992 when after the formation of the Football Association Premier League saw the league renamed The Football League Division Two...
play-offs: 2000–01 - League TrophyFootball League TrophyThe Football League Trophy, currently known as the Johnstone's Paint Trophy for sponsorship reasons, is an annual English association football knock-out competition open to the 48 clubs in Football League One and Football League Two, the bottom two divisions in the four fully professional top...
: 2001–02, 2003–04
Doncaster Rovers
- League One play-offsFootball League One play-offsThe Football League One Playoffs are a series of playoff matches, contested by the teams finishing from 3rd to 6th in the NPower Football League One table to determine the third spot for promotion to the second tier of English football, the Championship....
: 2007–082008 Football League One play-off FinalThe 2008 Football League One play-off Final was a football match played at Wembley Stadium on 25 May 2008, at the end of the 2007–08 season. The match determined the third and final team to gain promotion from League One to the Championship, and was contested by Doncaster Rovers, who had finished...
Individual
Leicester City- Football League Championship Player of the MonthFootball League Championship Player of the MonthThe Player of the Month is an Association Football award that recognises the player adjudged the best for each month of the season in the Football League Championship, the second tier in English football. For sponsorship reason, since it's inception it has been known as the Coca-Cola Player of the...
: January 2011January 2011January 2011 was the first month of the current year. It began on a Saturday and ended after 31 days on a Monday.- Portal:Current events :This is an archived version of Wikipedia's Current events Portal from January 2011....
External links
- Richie Wellens player profile at doncasterroversfc.co.uk
- Richie Wellens player profile at oldhamathletic.co.uk
- Richie Wellens player profile at blackpoolfc.co.uk