 Cotterill withBirmingham City in 2016 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | David Rhys George Best Cotterill[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1987-12-04)4 December 1987 (age 37) | ||
| Place of birth | Cardiff, Wales | ||
| Height | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)[2] | ||
| Position | Winger | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Bristol City | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2004–2006 | Bristol City | 62 | (8) |
| 2006–2008 | Wigan Athletic | 18 | (1) |
| 2008 | →Sheffield United (loan) | 16 | (0) |
| 2008–2010 | Sheffield United | 38 | (6) |
| 2009–2010 | →Swansea City (loan) | 4 | (0) |
| 2010–2012 | Swansea City | 31 | (4) |
| 2011 | →Portsmouth (loan) | 15 | (1) |
| 2012 | Barnsley | 11 | (1) |
| 2012–2014 | Doncaster Rovers | 84 | (14) |
| 2014–2017 | Birmingham City | 103 | (14) |
| 2017 | →Bristol City (loan) | 13 | (2) |
| 2018 | ATK | 3 | (0) |
| 2020–2021 | Barry Town United | 28 | (5) |
| 2021 | Newtown | 8 | (0) |
| Total | 434 | (56) | |
| International career | |||
| 2004–2005 | Wales U19 | 3 | (1) |
| 2005–2007 | Wales U21 | 9 | (4) |
| 2005–2018 | Wales | 24 | (2) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 11:16, 21 July 2021 (UTC) | |||
David Rhys George Best Cotterill (born 4 December 1987) is a Welsh formerfootballer who played as awinger.
Born inCardiff, Cotterill began his career atBristol City before signing forPremier LeagueWigan Athletic where he spent two seasons before switching toSheffield United, initially on loan and then later on a permanent deal. He then transferred toSwansea City in his native Wales, before spending a spell on loan atPortsmouth and then joiningBarnsley. He had two seasons atDoncaster Rovers before joiningBirmingham City. He spent the second half of the 2016–17 season on loan to Bristol City. Cotterill's contract with Birmingham was cancelled by mutual consent in December 2017, and he joinedATK of theIndian Super League. In January 2020, Cotterill came out of retirement to play in theCymru Premier forBarry Town United andNewtown.
Cotterill representedWales at full international level on 24 occasions from 2005 to 2018, scoring twice. He was part of their squad that reached the semi-finals ofUEFA Euro 2016.
Cotterill started his career atBristol City, making his debut as a substitute forMichael Bell during a 0–0 draw withColchester United on 30 October 2004.[3] He played 57 games and scored seven goals for Bristol City during the2005–06 season and was subsequently voted City's Young Player of the Season.
Cotterill joinedPremier League sideWigan Athletic on a three-year deal for £2 million on 31 August 2006.[4] He scored his first goal for the club with a curling shot againstWest Ham United in a 2–0 victory at theBoleyn Ground, on 6 December 2006.[5] Despite scoring two goals in 24 games for the Latics, his other goal coming against Sunderland in the FA Cup,[6] Cotterill never fully established himself in the first team and was made available for loan.
Seeking first team football to aid his international career, Cotterill joined Championship sideSheffield United on 8 February 2008 on a loan deal to last until the end of the2007–08 season.[7] He made his debut for the Blades the next day in a 0–0 home draw withScunthorpe United[8] eventually going on to play sixteen games for the Blades during his loan spell.
Cotterill returned toBramall Lane later that summer and signed permanently for the Blades in July 2008 for an undisclosed fee.[9] Having made his move permanent, Cotterill found it difficult to find the form that had made his loan spell a success and struggled to hold down a place in the side. It wasn't until the turn of the year that he began to force his way into the Blades first team,[10] and was rewarded in March with his first goal in United colours, slotting home a penalty in a 2–1 home win againstBirmingham City,[11] and having taken over spot-kick duties he finished the season with four goals. After the Blades failure to secure promotion, Cotterill once again found form and first team starts hard to come by in the following season and was largely used as a substitute by managerKevin Blackwell.
Cotterill moved toSwansea City on loan in November 2009, signing until the following January with a view to making the move permanent.[12] He made his debut in the away fixture againstNewcastle United, coming on as a second-half substitute, and scored his first goal for Swansea in a 2–1 FA Cup third round defeat toLeicester City on 2 January 2010. Following the move being made permanent for a then club record fee of £600,000,[13] Cotterill scored three more goals during the2009–10 season. The arrival ofScott Sinclair at the beginning of the2010–11 season saw Cotterill employed more as a second striker behindStephen Dobbie, rather than on the wing. Cotterill started the season off well under new managerBrendan Rodgers, putting in some good performances and converting a penalty in a 4–0 win overPreston North End. However, Cotterill then missed his next two penalties which on both occasions would have put his side in the lead and his confidence on the pitch appeared to drop. Cotterill was eventually sent out on loan to fellow Championship sidePortsmouth in February 2011 initially on a one-month loan deal, taking the number 17 shirt vacated byJohn Utaka.[14] He made his debut two days later in a 1–0 win overBarnsley,[15] and scored his first goal for his new club againstIpswich Town on 26 February.[16] Cotterill later extended his loan with Portsmouth until the end of the2010–11 season.[17]
During the2011–12 season, as Swansea gained promotion to thePremier League, Cotterill's first-team appearances were limited and he was reportedly approached by Dutch teamADO Den Haag to sign for the club on loan.[18] Cotterill was ultimately released from his Swansea City contract by mutual consent on 12 January 2012 after making no appearances during that season.[19] A few days later he joined Leicester City on trial with a view to earning a permanent deal.[20]
Cotterill signed forBarnsley on 16 February 2012, as a free agent.[21] He scored his first, and what turned out to be only goal, for his new club againstPeterborough United on 24 March 2012.[22] After making eleven appearances for Barnsley, Cotterill was released at the end of the2011–12 season when his short-term deal expired.[23]
Cotterill joinedDoncaster Rovers on 27 June 2012 on a two-year deal as they looked to bounce back to the Championship at the first time of asking.[23] In his league debut for Doncaster atWalsall, he scored with a long-range shot from around 40 yards (37 m) out.[24] Cotterill scored ten goals in 49 appearances during the2012–13 season,[25] and was named in thePFA Team of the Year for League One.[26]
Although Doncaster offered Cotterill a new contract at the end of the 2013–14 season, he opted to move somewhere closer to his family in Wales. He signed a two-year contract with Championship club Birmingham City,[27] and made his debut in the first-round League Cup win againstCambridge United on 12 August. He became a regular selection, and scored his first goal for the club on 27 September in a 2–1 defeat at home toFulham.[28] AfterCallum Reilly won the ball in midfield and slid it out to the wing, Cotterill cut inside a defender and curled a 25-yard (23 m) shot into the far top corner.[29] In the next match, away toMillwall, he set up goals forClayton Donaldson andWes Thomas as well as scoring himself with a swerving free kick from 25 yards.[30] Cotterill established himself as a regular member of the starting eleven, and finished his first season with 9 goals from 45 appearances in all competitions.[28] ManagerGary Rowett highlighted his rare ability to "play badly and still affect the game in a positive way", such that "even when he is not on song he can still affect the game with a little bit of quality", as indicative of his importance to the team.[31] In the 2015 close season, he signed a two-year extension to his contract.[32]
He continued as a regular in the side until a hamstring injury sustained in early October kept him out for three weeks,[33] and on his next start, in early November at home toBlackburn Rovers, he damaged a knee.[34] Although the knee recovered and he was expected to be available for the visit toSheffield Wednesday on 26 December, managerGary Rowett chose not to risk him because of tightness in his hamstring.[35] Cotterill returned to the side for the FA Cup match on 9 January, came off at half-time with a tight hamstring,[36] and did not reappear for another five weeks, as a late substitute in the goalless draw atRotherham United.[37]
On 31 January 2017, Cotterill moved toBristol City, the club with which he began his career, on loan until the end of the season.[38] He made 13 appearances and scored twice.[39]
Cotterill's contract with Birmingham was cancelled by mutual consent in December 2017.[40]
Cotterill joinedIndian Super League clubATK in January 2018.[41][42] He made three appearances for the club in a spell that lasted around two months, before returning to the UK for the birth of his child.[43][44]
Cotterill retired from football in October 2018.[45]
In January 2020, Cotterill came out of retirement to play part-time forCymru Premier sideBarry Town United.[46][47] He left Barry Town in June 2021.[48]
In July 2021, Cotterill signed for fellow Cymru Premier sideNewtown.[49]
Cotterill was capped three times, scoring once for theunder-19 team, and scored four goals from nine appearances for theunder-21s.
Cotterill was a fullWelsh international on 24 occasions. He made his debut on 12 October 2005 as a 73rd-minute substitute for goalscorerRyan Giggs in a 2–0 home win overAzerbaijan in2006 FIFA World Cupqualification.[50] The following 27 May, he made his first start in Giggs's place in a 2–1friendly win overTrinidad & Tobago, who were preparing for the tournament.[51] He attracted controversy when he criticised the Wales managerJohn Toshack in May 2007, for having not been picked in the squad.[52]
On 11 August 2010, Cotterill scored his first international goal to open a 5–1 friendly win overLuxembourg atParc y Scarlets inLlanelli.[53] His only other goal came on 13 October 2014 in a 2–1 home win overCyprus inUEFA Euro 2016qualification, opening the score four minutes after replacing the injuredSimon Church in the ninth minute.[54] He was part of the Wales squad that reached the semi-finals of the tournament in France – their first major event since the1958 FIFA World Cup – but did not play. Birmingham City received €350,609.79 compensation from UEFA for his presence in the qualifiers and finals.[55]
| Club | Season | League | National Cup | League Cup | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Bristol City | 2004–05[56] | League One | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1[a] | 0 | 13 | 0 |
| 2005–06[57] | League One | 45 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1[a] | 0 | 47 | 7 | |
| 2006–07[58] | League One | 5 | 1 | — | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 2 | ||
| Total | 62 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 66 | 9 | ||
| Wigan Athletic | 2006–07[58] | Premier League | 16 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 17 | 1 | ||
| 2007–08[59] | Premier League | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | 4 | 1 | ||
| Total | 18 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 2 | ||
| Sheffield United (loan) | 2007–08[59] | Championship | 16 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | 16 | 0 | ||
| Sheffield United | 2008–09[60] | Championship | 24 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2[b] | 0 | 32 | 4 |
| 2009–10[61] | Championship | 14 | 2 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 2 | ||
| Total | 54 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 62 | 6 | ||
| Swansea City (loan) | 2009–10[13][61] | Championship | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | — | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | |
| Swansea City | 2009–10[13][61] | Championship | 17 | 3 | — | — | 0 | 0 | 17 | 3 | ||
| 2010–11[62] | Championship | 14 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 1 | |
| 2011–12[63] | Premier League | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Total | 35 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 38 | 5 | ||
| Portsmouth (loan) | 2010–11[62] | Championship | 15 | 1 | — | — | — | 15 | 1 | |||
| Barnsley | 2011–12[63] | Championship | 11 | 1 | — | — | — | 11 | 1 | |||
| Doncaster Rovers | 2012–13[25] | League One | 44 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2[a] | 0 | 49 | 10 |
| 2013–14[64] | Championship | 40 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 43 | 4 | |
| Total | 84 | 14 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 92 | 14 | ||
| Birmingham City | 2014–15[28] | Championship | 42 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 45 | 9 | |
| 2015–16[37] | Championship | 29 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 30 | 4 | ||
| 2016–17[39] | Championship | 25 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | 26 | 2 | ||
| 2017–18[65] | Championship | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 8 | 0 | ||
| Total | 103 | 14 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 0 | — | 109 | 15 | |||
| Bristol City (loan) | 2016–17[39] | Championship | 13 | 2 | — | — | — | 13 | 2 | |||
| ATK | 2017–18[43] | Indian Super League | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | 3 | 0 | |||
| Barry Town United | 2019–20 | Cymru Premier | 28 | 5 | — | — | 2 | 0 | 29 | 5 | ||
| Newtown | 2020–21 | Cymru Premier | 8 | 0 | — | — | 2 | 0 | 10 | 0 | ||
| Career total | 432 | 55 | 11 | 3 | 15 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 461 | 60 | ||
| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 11 August 2010 | Parc y Scarlets,Llanelli, Wales |  Luxembourg | 1–0 | 5–1 | Friendly |
| 2. | 13 October 2014 | Cardiff City Stadium,Cardiff, Wales |  Cyprus | 1–0 | 2–1 | UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying |
Cotterill was born inCardiff, Wales[1] and has two children with former wife Sasha.[66][67] After signing for Swansea City in 2010, Cotterill revealed that he had received death threats from fans ofCardiff City after scoring a penalty against them whilst at former club Sheffield United.[66]
In September 2018, Cotterill revealed that he has suffered with depression, anxiety andsuicidal thoughts throughout his life andcareer.[68] In April 2019 he also revealed that he was suffering from alcohol problems.[69]
In November 2020, Cotterill was being investigated bySouth Wales Police for allegedly cheating teammates out of money by convincing them to invest in property schemes.[70] He moved back with his parents due to his financial problems, and began repaying those who had invested; he also took to Twitter to apologise for his actions.[71]
Cotterill is an outspoken critic of the mainstream media and often posts on social media, in particular about vaccines and theCOVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom. On 25 May 2022, he caused controversy when he posted onInstagram about theRobb Elementary School shooting suggesting that "crisis actors" were used in the shooting that killed 21 people. After the backlash Cotterill received, he deleted his post.[72]
He is the cousin ofSwansea City midfielder and Wales youth internationalJoel Cotterill.[73]
Doncaster Rovers
Individual
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