.jpg) Hennessey playing forWales in 2016 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Wayne Robert Hennessey[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1987-01-24)24 January 1987 (age 38)[2] | ||
| Place of birth | Bangor, Wales | ||
| Height | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)[3] | ||
| Position(s) | Goalkeeper | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Nottingham Forest | ||
| Number | 13 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| –2003 | Manchester City | ||
| 2003–2006 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2006–2014 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 152 | (0) |
| 2006 | →Bristol City (loan) | 0 | (0) |
| 2007 | →Stockport County (loan) | 15 | (0) |
| 2013 | →Yeovil Town (loan) | 12 | (0) |
| 2014–2021 | Crystal Palace | 110 | (0) |
| 2021–2022 | Burnley | 2 | (0) |
| 2022–2024 | Nottingham Forest | 4 | (0) |
| 2025– | Nottingham Forest | 0 | (0) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2003 | Wales U17 | 5 | (0) |
| 2004 | Wales U19 | 7 | (0) |
| 2005–2009 | Wales U21 | 6 | (0) |
| 2007– | Wales | 109 | (0) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 21:45, 28 May 2023 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 08:43, 12 October 2023 (UTC) | |||
Wayne Robert Hennessey (born 24 January 1987) is a Welsh professionalfootballer who plays as agoalkeeper forNottingham Forest and theWales national team.
Hennessey's first professional games saw him set a new Football League record for consecutive clean sheets while on loan atStockport County. He played 166 times forWolverhampton Wanderers over eight seasons, including three years at Premier League level. After several injury setbacks, he moved to joinCrystal Palace in 2014. He played 132 total games in eight seasons at Palace, including their defeat in the2016 FA Cup final, and then played forBurnley andNottingham Forest.
A full international since 2007, Hennessey isWales' third most-capped player and its most capped goalkeeper, with over100 caps. He was in the Wales squads for theUEFA European Championship in2016 and2020, reaching the semi-finals of the former, and was also chosen for the2022 FIFA World Cup.
Hennessey is a cousin ofTerry Hennessey, who earned 39 caps for Wales from 1962 to 1972.[4] Born inBangor, Gwynedd, and raised inBeaumaris,Anglesey, Hennessey is a fluentWelsh language speaker.[5] and was educated atYsgol David Hughes but switched toConnah's Quay High School as it was easier to travel toManchester.[6] Hennessey began as a trainee atManchester City but was released in 2003, whereupon he joined the youth academy atWolverhampton Wanderers. After progressing through the ranks, he signed his first professional contract in April 2005.
After remaining in Wolves' reserve and youth teams during the 2005–06 season, Hennessey was sent on trial withBristol City in July 2006[7] with a view to aloan move to gainfirst team experience but was recalled to Wolves after an injury to their first-choice goalkeeperMatt Murray. He did go back to Bristol City in August 2006, however, on a one-month loan deal,[8] but he did not make an appearance and returned to his parent club early due to an arm injury.[9]
To gain first-team football, Hennessey joinedLeague Two sideStockport County in January 2007 on a one-month loan.[10] On his senior debut againstBoston United, he kept aclean sheet and after keeping another five clean sheets in successive matches, his loan spell was extended by an extra month.[11]
He went on to set aFootball League record of nine successive clean sheets and wins.[12] Stockport broke the 119-year-old record,[12] when they beatSwindon Town 3–0 on 3 March 2007.[12] After this accomplishment, he was named the League Two Player of the Month for February 2007.[13] His feat also means he now holds County's record for the longest period without conceding a goal, beatingHarry Hardy's 85-year-old record. His record now stands at 857 minutes, from the start of his competitive club debut, against Boston United on 13 January 2007, untilOliver Allen ofBarnet scored on 10 March 2007. He therefore did not concede in his first nine-and-a-half matches of competitive club football.
Hennessey was recalled by Wolves in April 2007 after another injury to first-choiceMatt Murray,[14] and found himself on the substitutes bench for several games. When Murray broke his shoulder on the eve of Wolves'Championship play-off semi-final first leg against local rivalsWest Bromwich Albion, Hennessey stepped in to make his Wolves debut.[15]
With Murray sidelined for the whole of the2007–08 season with yet another injury, Hennessey became firmly established at the club's number one, being an ever-present in the league and signing a new extended contract.[16] At the end of the season he was named in the2007–08 PFA Championship Team of the Year as well as being named Wolves' Player of the Season.[17]FourFourTwo magazine ranked him 22nd in their Top 50 Football League Players list.[18]
The 2008–09 season saw a strong start for Hennessey and Wolves with eight victories out of the first nine league games. This fine run ended against promotion rivalsReading with a 0–3 loss begun by an own goal from Hennessey.[19] Soon after managerMick McCarthy dropped him to the bench, citing mental fatigue as the reason.[20] Reserve keeperCarl Ikeme deputised and impressed enough to leave Hennessey on the sidelines until an injury ruled him out for the majority of the season. Hennessey then regained and kept his place in goal for the remainder of the season which culminated with promotion to thePremier League as champions after a five-year absence.[21]
Hennessey began the club's 2009–10 Premier League campaign as first choice goalkeeper, making his 100th senior appearance for the club in a 2–2 draw atStoke City in October 2009.[22] However, after conceding four goals in two successive games, he was replaced by the more experiencedMarcus Hahnemann and remained on the bench for the rest of the season as the club finished 15th.
In July 2010, Hennessey extended his contract with Wolves to run until the summer of 2015.[23] The following season began with Hahnemann retaining the number one spot until his own loss of form saw Hennessey return to the starting line-up in November 2010. He then held on to the spot for the remainder of the campaign as the club narrowly avoided relegation on the final day.
During the 2011–12 season, Hennessey was part of the Wolves defence that went a club record of 30 consecutive league games without a clean sheet. They finally ended this with a goalless draw atSunderland in April 2012, but by then the team was rooted to the bottom of the table.[24] Despite the game halting this run, it brought bad news for Hennessey as he suffered a torn cruciate knee ligament during it that was due to keep him sidelined until Autumn 2012.[25] After completing several reserve games during his comeback he re-injured the knee during training in November 2012 which kept him out of action for the remainder of the 2012–13 season.[26][27]
He made his return to the Wolves goal during pre-season ahead of their 2013–14 campaign – with the club now inLeague One having suffered two relegations since Hennessey's initial injury – but he was not selected to start the club's opening fixtures.[28] On 12 August 2013 it was agreed for the goalkeeper to spend a month on loan atYeovil Town as he recovers from his long-term injury problems.[29] However, before this deal was officially concluded Hennessey suffered a hamstring problem while on international duty with theWelsh national team and so the proposed loan was scrapped.[30] Although, on 21 August 2013, after an injury to Yeovil's replacement goalkeeperSam Johnstone Hennessey officially joined Yeovil Town on an initial one-month loan which was eventually extended until 17 November 2013.[31][32] He made his Yeovil debut in a 0–3 loss toDerby County on 24 August 2013.[33] In his penultimate home match Hennessey received the man of the match award after the Glovers achieved their first ever home win atChampionship by defeatingNottingham Forest.[34]
After his loan spell at Yeovil ended, Hennessey returned to Wolves but did not displaceCarl Ikeme in goal. When Ikeme suffered an injury in January 2014, Hennessey declined to play in the following fixture againstGillingham, launching speculation that he wanted a move away from the club.[35] Although he subsequently apologised for his refusal to play,[36] he did not play again for Wolves and negotiations were later entered into withPremier League teamCrystal Palace.
On 31 January 2014 Hennessey joinedCrystal Palace on a three-and-a-half-year deal for an undisclosed fee, with media speculation suggesting it to be an initial £1.6 million, with add-on clauses.[37][38] Hennessey made his debut for the Eagles in the team's final match of thePremier League season, a 2–2 draw withFulham on 11 May 2014.[39]
Hennessey's first appearance of the2014–15 season came with a 3–0 win atWalsall in theFootball League Cup second round.[40] On 25 October he made his first appearance of the seasonPremier League as a substitute for injured first-choice goalkeeperJulián Speroni in a 2–2 draw atWest Bromwich Albion.[41] He ended the season starting in Palace's final two league fixtures, wins againstLiverpool andSwansea City, keeping his first Premier League clean sheet for the club in the latter match.[42][43]
After starting in Palace's2015–16Football League Cup second and third round matches, Hennessey was selected to start thePremier League fixture againstWatford in place ofAlex McCarthy. He kept a clean sheet as Palace won 1–0 atVicarage Road and retained his place as the team's first-choice goalkeeper, making five consecutive league appearances.[44] He played in the2016 FA Cup Final, lost 2–1 toManchester United after extra time.[45]
Hennessey signed a three-year contract in July 2018.[46] However, in the ensuing season, he competed with new signingVicente Guaita to be the starting goalkeeper.[47] The Spaniard was first choice in the following season.[48]
Hennessey was sidelined from October 2020 until the following February, with a thigh injury from an international match.[49] He left Crystal Palace in July 2021 upon being released.[50]
On 20 July 2021, Hennessey joinedBurnley on a free transfer following his release from Crystal Palace, signing a two-year deal.[51] He made his debut on 25 August in the second round of the EFL Cup away toNewcastle United, keeping a clean sheet in a goalless draw and then saving fromAllan Saint-Maximin andMiguel Almirón in a 4–3 penalty shootout win.[52] In the league, he was back-up toNick Pope and played only in two 3–1 losses atManchester United andLeeds United at the turn of the year while the Englishman hadCOVID-19; the Clarets suffered relegation.[53][54]
On 15 July 2022, Hennessey returned to the Premier League following Burnley's relegation to join newly promotedNottingham Forest on a two-year contract.[55] He made his debut on 23 August in the second round of the EFL Cup, a 3–0 win atGrimsby Town.[56] His league debut came on 27 December, as on-loan first-choice goalkeeperDean Henderson was not permitted to play at his parent clubManchester United; Forest lost 3–0.[57] In January 2023, Forest signedKeylor Navas on loan fromParis Saint-Germain, further demoting Hennessey.[58] On 5 June 2024, Forest announced he would be leaving in the summer when his contract expired.[59] After staying to train with the club following his release, Hennessey re-signed with Forest on 13 January 2025 on a deal until the end of the season.[60]
.jpg)
Hennessey was capped for Wales at under-17, under-19 and under-21 level. He once scored for the under-19 side with a 40-yard free kick againstTurkey.[61]
He made his full international debut forWales in a 2–2friendly draw againstNew Zealand on 26 May 2007 and has since established himself as his country's first-choice goalkeeper.[62] Hennessey made his 50th appearance for Wales on 3 September 2015, keeping a clean sheet in a 1–0 away win overCyprus inUEFA Euro 2016 qualifying.[63]
Hennessey played in all ten of Wales' qualifying matches forUEFA Euro 2016, conceding just four times, as they reached their first major international tournament since the1958 FIFA World Cup. He was named in Wales' 23-man squad for the tournament as first choice goalkeeper but was forced to miss the opening game of the tournament, a 2–1 victory overSlovakia, after suffering aback spasm prior to the match, being replaced byDanny Ward.[64] Hennessey started the remaining matches as Wales progressed to the semi-finals of the tournament before losing to Portugal.[65]
On 3 September 2020, Hennessey reached his 35th clean sheet with Wales in a 1–0UEFA Nations League win overFinland, to break the previous record held byNeville Southall.[66] He was selected for the delayedUEFA Euro 2020 in May 2021, but was now second-choice to Ward, who had taken his place while he was injured.[67][68] Hennessey earned his100th Wales cap on 29 March 2022 in a 1–1 friendly match draw against theCzech Republic at theCardiff City Stadium.[69][70]
On 5 June 2022, Hennessey made nine saves, the most in the2022 European World Cup qualification without conceding, to secure a 1–0 win for Wales againstUkraine in the play-off final, and a place in the2022 FIFA World Cup, Wales' first such tournament since1958.[71] He was chosen for the final squad inQatar.[72]
Before the 2022 World Cup began, Hennessey said that the place as Wales' starting goalkeeper was contested, as he had played more international games but was rarely used by Nottingham Forest, while Ward was playing regularly and performing well forLeicester City.[73] During the second group game againstIran, Hennessey was sent off with four minutes to play for when he kickedMehdi Taremi's head while the game was goalless in an eventual 2–0 loss; he became the third goalkeeper in FIFA World Cup history to be sent off, followingGianluca Pagliuca in 1994 andItumeleng Khune in 2010. Hennessey would become the only player to receive a straight red card in the 2022 World Cup; the other players who were dismissed in the tournament received two yellow cards in one match.[74]
In January 2019, an investigation was launched byThe FA after Hennessey was pictured making what appeared to be aNazi salute in a group photo posted onInstagram by teammateMax Meyer. Hennessey denied making the salute, claiming that "any kind of resemblance to that kind of gesture is absolutely coincidental", despite appearing to have his left hand between his mouth and nose, mimicking amoustache, and right hand extended out in front of him. He provided photographs of him making similar gestures during matches to attract the attention of team-mates, although these photographs did not depict him mimicking a moustache with his other hand.[75] In April 2019, the FA said there would be no further action after the charge was "not proven".[76] Hennessey argued that he did not know what a Nazi salute was and the FA panel noted that "when cross-examined about this Mr Hennessey displayed a very considerable—one might even say lamentable—degree of ignorance about anything to do with Hitler, Fascism and the Nazi regime".[77]
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Wolverhampton Wanderers | 2006–07[78] | Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2[a] | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 2007–08[79] | Championship | 46 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 49 | 0 | ||
| 2008–09[80] | Championship | 35 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 38 | 0 | ||
| 2009–10[81] | Premier League | 13 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 16 | 0 | ||
| 2010–11[82] | Premier League | 24 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 27 | 0 | ||
| 2011–12[83] | Premier League | 34 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 34 | 0 | ||
| 2012–13[84] | Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2013–14[85] | League One | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Total | 152 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 166 | 0 | ||
| Bristol City (loan) | 2006–07[78] | League One | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Stockport County (loan) | 2006–07[78] | League Two | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 0 |
| Yeovil Town (loan) | 2013–14[85] | Championship | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 13 | 0 | |
| Crystal Palace | 2013–14[85] | Premier League | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | |
| 2014–15[86] | Premier League | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 7 | 0 | ||
| 2015–16[87] | Premier League | 29 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 38 | 0 | ||
| 2016–17[88] | Premier League | 29 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 31 | 0 | ||
| 2017–18[89] | Premier League | 27 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 29 | 0 | ||
| 2018–19[90] | Premier League | 18 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 20 | 0 | ||
| 2019–20[91] | Premier League | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 5 | 0 | ||
| 2020–21[92] | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | ||
| Total | 110 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 9 | 0 | — | 132 | 0 | |||
| Burnley | 2021–22[93] | Premier League | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 3 | 0 | |
| Nottingham Forest | 2022–23[94] | Premier League | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | 9 | 0 | |
| Career total | 293 | 0 | 22 | 0 | 19 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 336 | 0 | ||
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wales | 2007 | 7 | 0 |
| 2008 | 7 | 0 | |
| 2009 | 9 | 0 | |
| 2010 | 6 | 0 | |
| 2011 | 9 | 0 | |
| 2012 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2013 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2014 | 6 | 0 | |
| 2015 | 7 | 0 | |
| 2016 | 12 | 0 | |
| 2017 | 6 | 0 | |
| 2018 | 7 | 0 | |
| 2019 | 10 | 0 | |
| 2020 | 5 | 0 | |
| 2021 | 4 | 0 | |
| 2022 | 10 | 0 | |
| 2023 | 1 | 0 | |
| Total | 109 | 0 | |
Wolverhampton Wanderers
Crystal Palace
Individual
Wales squads | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||||||||
