 Waghorn on hisIpswich Town league debut in 2017 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Martyn Thomas Waghorn[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1990-01-23)23 January 1990 (age 35)[2] | ||
| Place of birth | South Shields, England | ||
| Height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)[2] | ||
| Position | Forward | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1998–2007 | Sunderland | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2007–2010 | Sunderland | 6 | (0) |
| 2008–2009 | →Charlton Athletic (loan) | 7 | (1) |
| 2009–2010 | →Leicester City (loan) | 43 | (12) |
| 2010–2014 | Leicester City | 60 | (8) |
| 2011 | →Hull City (loan) | 5 | (1) |
| 2013 | →Millwall (loan) | 14 | (3) |
| 2014 | →Wigan Athletic (loan) | 9 | (3) |
| 2014–2015 | Wigan Athletic | 29 | (5) |
| 2015–2017 | Rangers | 57 | (28) |
| 2017–2018 | Ipswich Town | 44 | (16) |
| 2018–2021 | Derby County | 111 | (26) |
| 2021–2023 | Coventry City | 38 | (2) |
| 2023 | →Huddersfield Town (loan) | 13 | (1) |
| 2023–2024 | Derby County | 24 | (7) |
| 2024 | Northampton Town | 6 | (0) |
| Total | 466 | (112) | |
| International career | |||
| 2009 | England U19 | 2 | (0) |
| 2011–2012 | England U21 | 5 | (2) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Martyn Thomas Waghorn (born 23 January 1990) is an English former professionalfootballer who played as aforward. He is a formerEngland under-21 international.
Waghorn had been with Sunderland since the age of eight and made hisfirst-team debut for the club in December 2007, againstManchester United, at the age of 17. He hadloan spells withCharlton Athletic andLeicester City, before joining Leicester City on a permanent deal in August 2010. He played sparingly for Leicester City, spending time out on loan atHull City,Millwall andWigan Athletic, before signing permanently for the latter in April 2014. In July 2015, he left England for the first time, joining Scottish clubRangers. He returned to English football in August 2017, when he joinedIpswich Town and laterDerby County before signing forCoventry City in July 2021, in January 2023 Waghorn joinedHuddersfield Town on loan, before re-joining Derby County in August 2023, before being released by the club in June 2024. After a spell as a free agent, he signedNorthampton Town in November 2024 on short-term deal before leaving in December 2024, in February 2025 Waghorn retired from professional football.
Waghorn was born inSouth Shields, Tyne and Wear.[2] From the age of eight Waghorn played for his local teamSunderland and he progressed through theyouth system at theAcademy of Light to reach the under-18 team. Waghorn scored the firsthat-trick of his career on 12 December 2007 in a 6–1 win againstNorwich City in theFA Youth Cup third round.[3] He scored twice in a 4–2 win against local rivalsNewcastle United a few days later at the Academy of Light, both of the goals beingpenalties.[4]
Waghorn made hisfirst team debut against Manchester United at theStadium of Light on 26 December 2007; the match finished 4–0 to Manchester United.[5] The player, usually astriker, had to play in leftmidfield, and after the matchmanagerRoy Keane heaped praise on the young player, predicting that he would have a "long and successful career".[6] Waghorn signed a new two-and-a-half-year contract with Sunderland in February 2008, which Keane described as good for both Sunderland and the player.[7] His only appearance for the club in the2008–09 season was againstChelsea atStamford Bridge on 1 November 2008, a 5–0 loss.[8]
Waghorn joinedChampionship sideCharlton Athletic on a month'sloan on 17 November 2008.[9] On 15 December 2008, Waghorn scored his first goal, in a 2–2 draw at home againstDerby County.[10] The loan deal was extended for a second month.[11] He made seven appearances for the club in a season that would end in relegation toLeague One.
On 6 August 2009, Waghorn joinedLeicester City on loan until 11 January 2010, having turned down interest fromCarlisle United.[12][13] Waghorn made his competitive debut for Leicester City as a substitute againstSwansea City, scoring the equalising goal as Leicester City won 2–1.[14] His first 11 games for Leicester City were all as a substitute, but Waghorn expressed his satisfaction as an impact player.[15] He made his first league start for Leicester City against Reading, scoring the winning goal.[16] Waghorn scored his first professionalbrace againstQueens Park Rangers in a 4–0 win.[17] His overall performance earned him the club's Young Player of the Year award on 28 April 2010.[18] Waghorn missed the lastpenalty kick in a 4–3 defeat onpenalties toCardiff City in theChampionship play-offs semi-final second leg on 12 May 2010.[19] He scored 12 goals in 28 starts for the club during his loan period.[20]
On 31 August 2010, Waghorn rejoined Leicester City on a permanent deal for a fee rising to £3 million to help fundSunderland's record signingAsamoah Gyan.[21] He was disappointed with the lack of opportunities at his former club,[22] and happily dropped down a division because the lure of playing regular football was too good to turn down.[23] Waghorn made his debut in a 1–1 draw againstCoventry City on 11 September 2010,[24] scoring his first goal in a 4–3 defeat toNorwich City on 28 September 2010.[25] He failed to win a regular place whenSven-Göran Eriksson became manager on 3 October 2010.[26] Nonetheless, injury concerns at the club prevented Waghorn from joiningDerby County on loan during the January 2011transfer window.[27] On 6 April 2011, a hamstring injury suffered during training ruled Waghorn out for the rest of the 2010–11 season.[28]
Hull City completed the loan signing of Waghorn on 31 August 2011 which would have lasted until January 2012.[29] He made his debut on 10 September 2011 in a 1–0 win atPeterborough United.[30] On 27 September 2011 againstDoncaster Rovers at theKeepmoat Stadium,Matty Fryatt found himself with space to deliver a low cross along the six-yard box and althoughNeil Sullivan might have been disappointed not to cut it out, Waghorn was there to apply the finish from close range.[31] He returned to Leicester on 6 December 2011 after suffering a hamstring injury during his loan spell.[32]
After making only two substitute appearances for Leicester, Waghorn joinedMillwall on a three-month loan deal on 12 September 2013.[33] He scored on his debut againstDerby County on 14 September 2013.[34] He scored his second goal for the club on 5 October 2013, in a 5–2 defeat againstAFC Bournemouth.[35]
On 31 January 2014, Waghorn joinedWigan Athletic on loan until the end of the season.[36] He made his debut on 8 February 2014 in aChampionship match away toHuddersfield Town in a 1–0 defeat.[37] His first goal for Wigan Athletic came againstBarnsley ten days later.[38] After scoring three goals in nine appearances, Waghorn joined Wigan Athletic permanently on 4 April 2014, on a free transfer.[39]
On 20 July 2015, Waghorn signed a three-year deal withScottish Championship sideRangers along with Wigan teammateJames Tavernier.[40] He continued using 33 as his squad number, as with previous clubs, due to superstition. Waghorn scored a double on his debut for Rangers in theScottish Challenge Cup against Hibernian on 25 July 2015 in a 6–2 win.[41] He netted twice from the penalty-spot in a 5–1 defeat ofQueen of the South on 30 August 2015. He scored twice from the penalty spot again in a 5–0 win overRaith Rovers atIbrox on 5 September 2015.[42] His striking dominance continued when he scored two goals in a 2–1 win overDumbarton on 21 September 2015.[43]
He scored his first senior hat-trick in a 4–0 win overGreenock Morton on 27 September 2015, taking his league goal tally to 11 and his overall tally to 14, making him the leading goal scorer in theleague. He received theScottish Championship Player of the Month Award for September due to his performances on the pitch.[44] He then scored two goals in a 4–0 victory againstAlloa Athletic on 7 November 2015, taking his overall tally to 17 goals. He scored another treble in a 5–1 victory overCowdenbeath in the fourth round of theScottish Cup. On 16 February 2016, Waghorn sustained a knee ligament injury in Rangers's 2–1 win overKilmarnock after being tackled by former Rangers defenderSteven Smith and was ruled out for 6–8 weeks.[45] He did not return until the final league match of the season againstSt Mirren on 1 May 2016.[46][47] Waghorn also played in the2016 Scottish Cup Final but could not prevent Rangers losing the match 3–2.[48]
In the summer of 2016, Waghorn was offered a contract extension by Rangers, which was rejected.[49] This led to him being linked with a possible move toBristol City.[50] However, it did not affect his goalscoring form, as Waghorn netted five in his first four games with strikes againstMotherwell,[51]Annan Athletic[52] and a brace againstStranraer[53] before scoring Rangers firstScottish Premiership goal of the season in a 1–1 draw at home toHamilton Academical.[54] In that same match against Hamilton Academical, Waghorn suffered ahamstring strain,[55] which kept him out of football until mid-September 2016.[56] Upon his return from injury, Waghorn struggled for goal-scoring form, although he did net the thirdhat-trick of his Rangers career in aLeague Cup match against Queen of the South.[57] However, he did not score in the league from the opening day fixture until 16 December, when he netted a brace away to Hamilton Academical.[58]
On 7 August 2017, Waghorn joined Ipswich Town on a two-year contract.[59] Five days later, he scored the winning goal on his league debut, in a 2–1 victory over Barnsley.[60] Following on from scoring on his debut, he scored a brace in the following league game in a 4–3 away win over Millwall atThe Den.[61] He scored in his third consecutive league appearance on 19 August, scoring in a 2–0 home win overBrentford atPortman Road.[62] Waghorn became a regular starter in the Ipswich first-team during his first season at the club. On 6 March he netted a brace in a 2–1 away win overSheffield Wednesday atHillsborough, including scoring a late free-kick from outside the 18 yard box.[63] He scored another brace on 2 April against Millwall in a match that ended in a 2–2 draw.[64] He finished the season as the club's top scorer with 16 league goals.[65]
Waghorn was reportedly set to joinMiddlesbrough[66] from Ipswich following the conclusion of the 2017/18 season. HoweverDerby County swooped in at the last second and on 8 August 2018 he was announced as a Rams player. Upon signing, Waghorn became the seventh signing forFrank Lampard, and was given the number 9.[67] He made his debut on 11 August in a 1–4 loss againstLeeds United.[68][69]
On the final day of the2020/21 Season Derby hostedSheffield Wednesday in which defeat for The Rams would have seen them relegated to League One at the expense of Wednesday. In what turned out to be his final game as a Derby player and with the score at 2–3 to the visitors Waghorn stepped up to take a penalty and by converting the spot kick which would ultimately turn out to be the last goal of the game, which saved the club from relegation.[70]
On 2 July 2021, Waghorn joinedCoventry City on a two-year contract following the expiration of his Derby contract.[71]
In the 2021–22 season Waghorn struggled to hold down a consistent place in The Sky Blues' starting eleven and only managed to find the back of the net once over the course of the season which was the final goal in a 2–0 win againstMiddlesbrough at theCoventry Building Society Arena.[72]
After 404 days, Wagehorn finally netted his second Sky Blues' goal with a vital penalty kick late on in a 1–0 win overSheffield United.
On 13 January 2023, Waghorn joined fellowEFL Championship sideHuddersfield Town for the remainder of the 2022–23 season.[73]
On 7 August 2023, Waghorn returned toLeague One club Derby County on a one-year deal.[74] Waghorn scored five times in his first four appearances in League One in August 2023, including athat-trick in a 4–2 victory atPeterborough United on 26 August 2023.[75] In October 2023, Waghorn picked up a hamstring injury which ruled him out for a month.[76] After a brief return of three weeks, Waghorn suffered a calf injury in December 2023.[77] He was set to return in January 2024, but after a setback in his rehab he was ruled out for "foreseeable" by Derby head coachPaul Warne.[78] Waghorn returned to action on 27 February 2024, againstCharlton Athletic[79] and scored his first goal in five months in a 3–0 win atBristol Rovers on 9 March 2024.[80] Waghorn made 27 appearances for Derby during the season, scoring seven times as they secured promotion to the Championship after finishing second-place in the League One table.[81]
On 18 May 2024, it was announced that Waghorn would leave Derby at the end of his contract on 30 June 2024. In his two spells at Derby, Waghorn scored 37 times in 150 appearances.[82]
On 1 November 2024, Waghorn joined League One sideNorthampton Town on a short-term deal.[83]
On 17 December 2024, he departed the club having had his contract terminated by mutual consent.[84]
On 13 February 2025, Waghorn retired from professional football aged 35, he made 527 games over a 17-year career, scoring 135 goals.[85]
Waghorn represented England atunder-19 level twice, againstSpain andBosnia and Herzegovina.[86]
Waghorn was included in the 27-manEngland under-21 squad to face bothAzerbaijan andIsrael in September 2011.[87][88] He made his debut in the game against Azerbaijan, a 6–0 victory, and scored a goal in the 79th minute, having come on as a substitute 12 minutes earlier.[89] In his second appearance for the under-21 team, Waghorn was in the starting line-up, scoring a header against Israel from anAlex Oxlade-Chamberlain cross.[90]
| Club | Season | League | National cup[a] | League cup[b] | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Sunderland | 2007–08[92] | Premier League | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 4 | 0 | |
| 2008–09[93] | Premier League | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | ||
| 2009–10[94] | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2010–11[95] | Premier League | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 3 | 0 | ||
| Total | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 8 | 0 | |||
| Charlton Athletic (loan) | 2008–09[93] | Championship | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 7 | 1 | |
| Leicester City (loan) | 2009–10[94] | Championship | 43 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2[c] | 0 | 47 | 12 |
| Leicester City | 2010–11[95] | Championship | 30 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 32 | 4 | |
| 2011–12[96] | Championship | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 5 | 1 | ||
| 2012–13[97] | Championship | 24 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 3 | |
| 2013–14[98] | Championship | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 4 | 0 | ||
| Total | 103 | 20 | 7 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 116 | 20 | ||
| Hull City (loan) | 2011–12[96] | Championship | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 5 | 1 | |
| Millwall (loan) | 2013–14[98] | Championship | 14 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 14 | 3 | |
| Wigan Athletic (loan) | 2013–14[98] | Championship | 9 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 9 | 3 | |
| Wigan Athletic | 2013–14[98] | Championship | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2[c] | 0 | 8 | 2 |
| 2014–15[99] | Championship | 23 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 24 | 3 | ||
| Total | 38 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 41 | 8 | ||
| Rangers | 2015–16[100] | Scottish Championship | 25 | 20 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 4[d] | 3 | 36 | 28 |
| 2016–17[101] | Scottish Premiership | 32 | 8 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 7 | — | 41 | 16 | ||
| 2017–18[65] | Scottish Premiership | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1[e] | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| Total | 57 | 28 | 8 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 78 | 44 | ||
| Ipswich Town | 2017–18[65] | Championship | 44 | 16 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 46 | 16 | |
| Derby County | 2018–19[102] | Championship | 36 | 9 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 1[c] | 0 | 44 | 13 |
| 2019–20[103] | Championship | 43 | 12 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 47 | 12 | ||
| 2020–21[104] | Championship | 32 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 32 | 5 | ||
| Total | 111 | 26 | 8 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 123 | 30 | ||
| Coventry City | 2021–22[105] | Championship | 27 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 29 | 1 | |
| 2022–23[106] | Championship | 11 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 13 | 1 | ||
| Total | 38 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 42 | 2 | ||
| Huddersfield Town (loan) | 2022–23[106] | Championship | 13 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 1 |
| Derby County | 2023–24[107] | League One | 24 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1[f] | 0 | 27 | 7 |
| Northampton Town | 2024–25[108] | League One | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1[f] | 1 | 8 | 1 |
| Career total | 466 | 112 | 29 | 8 | 21 | 10 | 12 | 4 | 527 | 135 | ||
Rangers
Derby County
Individual
