 Westwood on international duty with theRepublic of Ireland in 2012 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Keiren Westwood[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1984-10-23)23 October 1984 (age 41)[1] | ||
| Place of birth | Manchester, England | ||
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (1.87 m)[2] | ||
| Position | Goalkeeper | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | The New Saints (goalkeeping coach) | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Fletcher Moss Rangers | |||
| –2003 | Manchester City | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2003–2004 | Manchester City | 0 | (0) |
| 2003–2004 | →Oldham Athletic (loan) | 0 | (0) |
| 2004–2008 | Carlisle United | 131 | (0) |
| 2008–2011 | Coventry City | 131 | (0) |
| 2011–2014 | Sunderland | 19 | (0) |
| 2014–2021 | Sheffield Wednesday | 178 | (0) |
| 2022 | Queens Park Rangers | 6 | (0) |
| 2024 | Crewe Alexandra | 0 | (0) |
| Total | 465 | (0) | |
| International career | |||
| 2009–2017 | Republic of Ireland | 21 | (0) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 16:35, 8 February 2024 (UTC) | |||
Keiren Westwood (born 23 October 1984) is a former professionalfootballer who played as agoalkeeper. He is now goalkeeping coach forThe New Saints. Born in England, he played international football for theRepublic of Ireland.[3]
Westwood was born inManchester.[1] He started his career atFletcher Moss Rangers,[4] he then moved ontoManchester City. He never played a first team game and was released as he was understudy toDavid James andNicky Weaver. Weeks before his release he had broken his hand while onloan atOldham Athletic.[citation needed] He then had unsuccessful trials atBradford City andAccrington Stanley.[citation needed]
Westwood then joinedCarlisle United, becoming the understudy toMatt Glennon. Although he played in most cup games, in March 2005, when Glennon was injured, Westwood played someConference games forCarlisle before being replaced by the fit-again Glennon.
In the2005–06 season, Glennon left Carlisle and they signedAnthony Williams as his replacement. It looked like Westwood would be the club's number two goalkeeper again, though he finally got his chance to compete for the number one shirt and he succeeded in taking his chance. He started 35League Two games in their title season and continued to be the club's number one goalkeeper. At the end of the2007–08 season inLeague One, Westwood was named in thePFA Team of the Year[5] and also won all of the club's Player of the Season awards.
On 18 June 2008, Westwood signed a three-year contract withChampionship clubCoventry City for an undisclosed fee.[6] He was named in the Championship PFA Team of the Year for 2009 in his debut season at the club.[7] He won the club's player of the year award for the2009–10 season.[8]
It was confirmed on 22 June 2011 that Westwood would joinSunderland on 1 July on a free transfer.[9] He made his first start for Sunderland on 23 August in theLeague Cup defeat toBrighton & Hove Albion. His firstPremier League appearance came againstAston Villa on 29 October, when he was brought on to replace the injuredSimon Mignolet. Westwood later denied former Sunderland strikerDarren Bent a goal after the striker was through one on one, with the game level at 1–1.[10] In the following game, away to Manchester United, Westwood made a 'magnificent double save' to denyWayne Rooney andPatrice Evra, but United won 1–0. Despite Sunderland struggling for results, which saw Steve Bruce sacked on 30 November, Westwood remained in good form. However, after missing Sunderland's 1–0 victory over Manchester City on New Year's Day 2012, Westwood found himself second choice to Mignolet for the remainder of the season.[citation needed]
Westwood remained behind Mignolet in the pecking order at the start of the 2012–13 season, with the Belgian playing in Sunderland's first two league games, although Westwood did play in Sunderland's League Cup victories overMorecambe andMilton Keynes Dons before a 1–0 defeat toMiddlesbrough in the fourth round, a game in which Westwood also played. Following Mignolet's departure toLiverpool at the end of the season, Westwood regained his place as Sunderland's first choice keeper, with competition now coming fromVito Mannone.
At the end of 2013–14 season, he was released by the club.[11]
On 7 July 2014, Westwood signed for Championship clubSheffield Wednesday on a two-year deal.[12]
At the end of the 2014–15 season, Westwood was named in the 2014–15 Championship PFA Team of the Year.[13] In September 2015, he extended his contract with the club by two years, up to summer 2018.[14]
In August 2016, Westwood signed a new three-year contract with Wednesday.[15]
In July 2019 he signed a new two-year contract with the club.[16]
Westwood is one of only three players to have won theSheffield Wednesday F.C. Player of the Year award on multiple occasions, the others beingEric Potts andBarry Bannan. He has received the award twice, at the end of the2014–15 and2016–17 seasons.[17]
On 20 May 2021 it was announced that he would leave Sheffield Wednesday at the end of the season, following the expiry of his contract.[18]
On 18 March 2022, Westwood joinedQueens Park Rangers until the end of the season.[19][20]
On 8 February 2024, Westwood joinedEFL League Two sideCrewe Alexandra on a short-term contract as cover for injured first choice keeperTom Booth.[21]
Westwood was eligible to represent his nativeEngland and theRepublic of Ireland because his grandparents had emigrated toManchester fromWexford.[22]On 17 May 2009, Westwood was called up by theRepublic of Ireland to attend their training camp in Portugal[23] after impressing againstLeeds United in a League One match. Three days later he played as a second-half substitute in a practice match against Portuguese club Lagos, replacingJoe Murphy after 66 minutes. On 29 May 2009, Westwood made his first appearance for Ireland in a friendly againstNigeria.[23] He played in the friendly match withSouth Africa inThomond Park on 8 September 2009.[24] On 26 March 2011, Westwood made his competitive debut in a European Championship qualifier with Macedonia. He made a crucial save in the closing minutes of the match.[24]
Westwood was part of the Ireland squad forUEFA Euro 2012, although he did not feature in any games. Following the retirement ofShay Given after Euro 2012, Westwood assumed the No.1 position for his country although he later lost this place toDavid Forde. He made his 15th appearance for Ireland on 2 June 2013, in a 4–0 win overGeorgia.
In 2015; following a number of injuries which ruled him out of previous squads, Westwood was recalled to the Starting XI for Ireland's friendly fixture againstEngland inDublin, Westwood was replaced in the second half byShay Given with the scores at 0–0.
He played at the2016 UEFA European Championship, where he helped the national team to reach the knockout phase of the tournament for the first time.[25]
On 27 November 2024, Westwood was appointed head of goalkeeping atThe New Saints.[26] He also owns and runs the Keiren Westood Goalkeeper Academy, which began operating in September 2024.[27]
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Manchester City | 2003–04[28] | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Oldham Athletic (loan) | 2003–04[28] | Second Division | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | |||
| Carlisle United | 2004–05[29] | Conference National | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 3[a] | 0 | 7 | 0 | |
| 2005–06[30] | League Two | 35 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 7[b] | 0 | 44 | 0 | |
| 2006–07[31] | League One | 46 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 47 | 0 | |
| 2007–08[32] | League One | 46 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4[c] | 0 | 54 | 0 | |
| Total | 131 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 152 | 0 | ||
| Coventry City | 2008–09[33] | Championship | 46 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 49 | 0 | |
| 2009–10[34] | Championship | 44 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 46 | 0 | ||
| 2010–11[35] | Championship | 41 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 43 | 0 | ||
| Total | 131 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 138 | 0 | |||
| Sunderland | 2011–12[36] | Premier League | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 10 | 0 | |
| 2012–13[37] | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 3 | 0 | ||
| 2013–14[38] | Premier League | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 11 | 0 | ||
| Total | 19 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | — | 24 | 0 | |||
| Sheffield Wednesday | 2014–15[39] | Championship | 43 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 43 | 0 | |
| 2015–16[40] | Championship | 34 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3[d] | 0 | 37 | 0 | |
| 2016–17[41] | Championship | 43 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2[d] | 0 | 45 | 0 | |
| 2017–18[42] | Championship | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 18 | 0 | ||
| 2018–19[43] | Championship | 20 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 20 | 0 | ||
| 2019–20[44] | Championship | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 14 | 0 | ||
| 2020–21[45] | Championship | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 20 | 0 | ||
| Total | 178 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 184 | 0 | ||
| Queens Park Rangers | 2021–22[46] | Championship | 6 | 0 | — | — | — | 6 | 0 | |||
| Career total | 465 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 19 | 0 | 504 | 0 | ||
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Republic of Ireland | 2009 | 3 | 0 |
| 2010 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2011 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2012 | 6 | 0 | |
| 2013 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2015 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2016 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2017 | 2 | 0 | |
| Total | 21 | 0 | |
Carlisle United
Republic of Ireland
Individual
Republic of Ireland squads | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||
