 Dozzell playing forIpswich Town in 2018 | |||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Andre Leon Dozzell[1] | ||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | (1999-05-02)2 May 1999 (age 25)[2] | ||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Ipswich,[3] England | ||||||||||||||||
| Height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)[3] | ||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Defensive midfielder | ||||||||||||||||
| Team information | |||||||||||||||||
Current team | Portsmouth | ||||||||||||||||
| Number | 21 | ||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||
| 2008–2016 | Ipswich Town | ||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||
| 2016–2021 | Ipswich Town | 81 | (2) | ||||||||||||||
| 2021–2024 | Queens Park Rangers | 88 | (2) | ||||||||||||||
| 2024 | →Birmingham City (loan) | 11 | (1) | ||||||||||||||
| 2024– | Portsmouth | 32 | (1) | ||||||||||||||
| International career | |||||||||||||||||
| 2014–2015 | England U16 | 9 | (1) | ||||||||||||||
| 2015–2016 | England U17 | 16 | (3) | ||||||||||||||
| 2016–2017 | England U18 | 9 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
| 2017 | England U19 | 4 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
| 2018–2019 | England U20 | 9 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
Medal record
| |||||||||||||||||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 10:11, 16 March 2025 (UTC) | |||||||||||||||||
Andre Leon Dozzell (born 2 May 1999) is an English professionalfootballer who plays as adefensive midfielder forEFL Championship clubPortsmouth.
Dozzell graduated from the academy at his hometown clubIpswich Town, scoring on his senior debut in 2016. He has won caps for England at youth levels from U16 up to U20, helpingEngland U19 to win the2017 UEFA European Under-19 Championship. He remained at Ipswich for five years, making over 90 appearances, before joiningQueens Park Rangers in 2021. He spent the second half of the 2023–24 season on loan atBirmingham City. Dozzell was released from QPR at the end of the season and signed for Portsmouth in August 2024.
Dozzell is a product of the Ipswich Town youth academy. Born in Ipswich, he joined the youth set-up at his home town club at the age of eight. He worked his way through the youth system at Ipswich, signing his first scholarship with the club in 2013.[4] In April 2016, he was rewarded for his fine form in Ipswich's youth squads with the club's Academy Player of the Year award for the 2015–16 season.[5] On 16 April 2016, Dozzell made his professional debut for Ipswich Town aged 16 in a Championship match againstSheffield Wednesday atHillsborough, coming on as a substitute at half-time. He scored the equalizing goal for Ipswich on his first-team debut, his first senior goal, matching his fatherJason's achievement of scoring on his senior debut, also for Ipswich at the age of 16 in 1984.[6] He made his first league start in the following league match againstFulham on 19 April, in a 1–1 draw atPortman Road.[7]
Upon turning 17 in May 2016, Dozzell signed his first professional contract with Ipswich, signing a two-year contract, a deal which had initially been agreed in principle upon signing his academy scholarship in 2013.[8] He made nine appearances in total during the following season, including six league starts.[9]
Dozzell signed a new three-year contract on his 18th birthday, on 2 May 2017, keeping him at the club until 2020, with the option of an additional year's extension.[10] On 5 August 2017, Dozzell tore his cruciate ligament during the opening game of the 2017–18 season againstBirmingham City at Portman Road, and was ruled out for the rest of the 2017–18 season.[11]
After recovering from the cruciate ligament injury he suffered at the start of the 2017–18 season, Dozzell returned to first-team action during the 2018 pre-season, featuring regularly in friendly matches while completing his injury rehabilitation.[12] He made his return to the Ipswich first-team on 2 October 2018, featuring as a second-half substitute in a match againstMiddlesbrough, his first appearance in over a year.[13] Dozzell saw his first-team involvement increase during the 2018–19 season, making 21 appearances in all competitions, including scoring in a 3–2 victory overLeeds United at Portman Road in the final game of the season.[14]
He made his first appearance of the 2019–20 season as a substitute in a 1–1 draw withSunderland on 10 August. After finding regular game time harder to come by during the early part of the season, he scored his first goal of the season on 9 November, scoring the equalising goal in a 1–1 draw withLincoln City in anFA Cup first round tie at Portman Road.[15] He found game time limited during the 2019–20 season, starting only 8 games in the league. In total, he made 15 appearances over the course of the season, scoring once.[16] On 5 May 2020, Ipswich took up the option to extend Dozzell's contract by a further year, keeping him at the club until 2021.[17]
Dozzell managed to force his way into a starting position in the first-team from early on in the 2020–21 season, changing his role to play primarily as aholding midfielder. He played every minute of the opening 11 league games of the season, until receiving a 72nd minute red card in a match against Sunderland at theStadium of Light on 3 November, resulting in a three-match suspension. After serving his three-match suspension, he returned to the first-team on 28 November, starting in a 0–2 loss toCharlton Athletic. On 4 December 2020, it was announced that Dozzell had signed a new three-year contract with Ipswich.[18] Dozzell finished the season having made 46 appearances, more than any other Ipswich player during the season, whilst also making more starts than any other player.[19]
On 15 June 2021, Dozzell joinedChampionship clubQueens Park Rangers on a three-year contract for an undisclosed fee.[20] He scored his first league goal for the West London side in a 2–0 win away toMiddlesbrough on 2 September 2023.[21]
Dozzell joined Championship rivalsBirmingham City on 19 January 2024on loan for the rest of the2023–24 season.[22] He played regularly underTony Mowbray's management, scoring the winning goal againstBlackburn Rovers and reportedly "dictat[ing] the play" as Birmingham came from behind to beatSunderland in mid-February.[23] However, after Mowbray took medical leave and the team slipped down the table,Birmingham Live's Alex Dicken thought Dozzell was "found wanting in the grind of a relegation battle",[24] andBBC Sport's Nick Mashiter thought he "made little impact" as Birmingham failed to avoid the drop to League One.[25]
After a trial withSheffield United went well but did not lead to a contract,[26] Dozzell joinedPortsmouth, newly promoted to the Championship. He signed a 12-month deal with a club option for a second year.[27]
In August 2014, Dozzell was called up to theEngland U16 squad, having previously been involved in a training camp with the England under-15 set up in January 2014. He made his debut for the under-16's on 20 August 2014, captaining England in a 4–3 friendly defeat toBelgium at St George's Park.[28] He scored his first international goal on 7 November 2014, netting the winner in a 1–0 win overNorthern Ireland, with a free kick from 25 yards out.[29] He won 9 caps for England's under-16's between 2014 and 2015, scoring once, whilst also being a part of the squad that won the 2015Montaigu Tournament.[30]
Dozzell made hisEngland U17 debut on 26 August 2015, in a 3–1 win overItaly at theNew Bucks Head stadium, creating the opening goal forLiverpool'sAdam Lewis.[31] He scored his first goal for the U17s in a 2–1 win overTurkey on 28 August 2015.[32] Dozzell captained England at U17 level during the 2015–16 season.[2] He was a member of the squad for the2016 UEFA European Under-17 Championship,[33] starting the Quarter-final defeat againstSpain.[34] He won 16 caps at under-17 level between 2015 and 2016, scoring 3 goals.[35]
He made his debut for theEngland U18 team in a 2–1 win overItaly on 1 September 2016, coming on as a 60th minute substitute forManchester City's Sadou Diallo.[36] Dozzell won 9 caps for England's under-18 side between 2016 and 2017.[37]
In July 2017 Dozzell played up an age group to win the2017 UEFA European Under-19 Championship.[38] He made 4 appearances during the tournament, including starting in the 2–1 victory overPortugal in the final of the tournament.[39]
He made hisEngland U20 debut on 15 October 2018, in a 1–1 draw with theCzech Republic.[40] He won his second cap for the under-20 side on 19 November, starting in a 2–0 win overGermany.[41] His third cap came in a 3–1 loss toPoland on 22 March 2019 in the2018–19 Under 20 Elite League.[42]
In August 2019, Dozzell was once again called up to the England U20 squad for friendlies against Netherlands andSwitzerland. He won his fourth cap for the U20s on 5 September, starting in a 0–0 draw with the Netherlands at theNew Meadow stadium. He won his fifth cap on 9 September, featuring as a second-half substitute in a 1–0 victory over Switzerland inBasel.[43]
Andre is the son of former professional footballerJason Dozzell.[44] He is of American descent through his paternal grandfather.[45]
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Ipswich Town | 2015–16[7] | Championship | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 2 | 1 | |
| 2016–17[9] | Championship | 6 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 9 | 0 | ||
| 2017–18[46] | Championship | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | ||
| 2018–19[14] | Championship | 19 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 20 | 1 | ||
| 2019–20[16] | League One | 10 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1[a] | 0 | 15 | 1 | |
| 2020–21[19] | League One | 43 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1[a] | 0 | 46 | 0 | |
| Total | 81 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 93 | 3 | ||
| Queens Park Rangers | 2021–22[47] | Championship | 27 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | 33 | 0 | |
| 2022–23[48] | Championship | 36 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 38 | 0 | ||
| 2023–24[49] | Championship | 25 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 27 | 2 | ||
| Total | 88 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 6 | 0 | — | 98 | 2 | |||
| Birmingham City (loan) | 2023–24[49] | Championship | 10 | 1 | — | — | — | 10 | 1 | |||
| Portsmouth | 2024–25[50] | Championship | 32 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 34 | 1 | |
| Career total | 211 | 6 | 11 | 1 | 11 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 235 | 7 | ||
England U16
England U19
