 Whittaker in 2011 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Steven Gordon Whittaker[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1984-06-16)16 June 1984 (age 41) | ||
| Place of birth | Edinburgh, Scotland | ||
| Position | Defender | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Ayr United (assistant manager) | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Hutchison Vale[2][3] | |||
| 2000–2002 | Hibernian | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2002–2007 | Hibernian | 141 | (4) |
| 2007–2012 | Rangers | 150 | (19) |
| 2012–2017 | Norwich City | 90 | (5) |
| 2017–2020 | Hibernian | 48 | (2) |
| 2020–2021 | Dunfermline Athletic | 18 | (0) |
| Total | 447 | (30) | |
| International career | |||
| 2004–2006 | Scotland U21 | 18 | (1) |
| 2009–2016 | Scotland | 31 | (0) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2021 | Dunfermline Athletic (interim) | ||
| 2022–2023 | Fleetwood Town (assistant) | ||
| 2024– | Ayr United (assistant) | ||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Steven Gordon Whittaker (born 16 June 1984) is a Scottish football coach and former professional player, currently serving as the assistant manager ofAyr United. Whittaker played as adefender, primarily at right-back.
He began his senior career withHibernian, making over 170 appearances during his first spell with theEaster Road club. Whittaker won theScottish League Cup in 2007 before transferring toRangers in August that year. During his time at Rangers, he won threeScottish Premier League titles, twoScottish Cups, and three Scottish League Cups.
In 2012, Whittaker joinedNorwich City on a free transfer. After five years in England, he returned to Hibernian in 2017, then concluded his playing career withDunfermline Athletic in the 2020–21 season.
Internationally, Whittaker earned 31 caps for theScotland national football team between 2009 and 2016. He also represented theScotland U21s earlier in his career.
Following retirement, Whittaker moved into coaching. He briefly served as interim manager of Dunfermline Athletic in 2021, then worked as an assistant coach under his former teammateScott Brown atFleetwood Town and currently at Ayr United.
Despite being a boyhoodHearts fan,[4] Whittaker joinedKenny Miller andDerek Riordan in signing forHibernian fromHutchison Vale Boys Club.[5][6]
He made his first-team debut for Hibernian on 12 May 2002, in a 1–0 win againstSt Johnstone.[7] During the2002–03 season, he made six additional appearances before establishing himself as a regular in the first team the following year. Initially lacking a fixed position, Whittaker struggled for form while being deployed at both right-back and in various midfield roles under managerBobby Williamson.
He scored his first senior goal on 3 January 2004 in a 3–2 win againstPartick Thistle.[8] He was an unused substitute in Hibernian's defeat in the2004 Scottish League Cup Final.
The appointment ofTony Mowbray as manager later in 2004 proved pivotal for Whittaker’s development. Mowbray established him as the team’s first-choice right-back, providing much-needed positional stability. As a result, Whittaker’s performances improved significantly, and he became a regular for theScotland under-21s. He was also instrumental in helping Hibernian secure a third-place finish in the league.
Whittaker remained a key player under both Mowbray and his successor,John Collins, and was part of the team that won the2007 League Cup.[9] In total, he made 174 appearances in all competitions for Hibernian, scoring five goals.
Whittaker completed a £2 million transfer toRangers on 1 August 2007, signing a five-year contract.[10] He was assigned the number 28 shirt and made his debut on 18 August 2007 againstFalkirk in theScottish Premier League, scoring the second goal in a 7–2 victory.[11]
Initially used mainly as a left-back, Whittaker became the first-choice right-back followingAlan Hutton’s transfer toTottenham Hotspur in January 2008. On 10 April 2008, he scored Rangers’ second goal in a 2–0 away win overSporting CP in theUEFA Cup quarter-final second leg,[12] picking up the ball near the halfway line and "dancing through the Sporting defence" before finishing.[12]
During the 2009–10 season, Whittaker switched to the number 16 shirt and scored 11 goals in all competitions, contributing to Rangers’ league andLeague Cup double. His increased goal tally was partly due to taking regularpenalties.[13]
In July 2011, Whittaker signed a new five-year contract with Rangers after the club rejected transfer bids from Turkish sideBursaspor.[14] Later that month, during aUEFA Champions League qualifier againstMalmö FF, he was sent off for throwing the ball at an opponent following a rough challenge.
In February 2012, Rangers enteredadministration and were laterliquidated. BusinessmanCharles Green purchased the club’s assets and sought to transfer player contracts to a new corporate entity. Whittaker was among several players who objected to the move.[15] According toPFA Scotland, players were entitled to becomefree agents if they did not consent to the transfer.[16]
Explaining his decision, Whittaker stated in a press conference: "I'm 28 and I want to play at the top level for as much as I can. It doesn't look like Rangers will be in the SPL, and there's no European football. We owe no loyalty to the new club. There is no history there for us."[15]
Whittaker signed for EnglishPremier League clubNorwich City on 30 June 2012, agreeing to a four-year deal.[17] On 20 July, he received provisional international clearance fromFIFA that allowed him to play while arbitration over his move from Rangers was ongoing.[18]
Whittaker suffered an ankle injury during a pre-season friendly againstCeltic,[19] which caused him to miss the beginning of the2012–13 Premier League season. Two months later, he described the injury as the worst of his career.[20] He made his competitive debut for Norwich on 31 October, playing at right back in a 2–1 win againstTottenham Hotspur in the League Cup. He then made his league debut a few days later, again at right back, playing the full 90 minutes in a 1–0 win overStoke City. After the match, Whittaker expressed his satisfaction at starting his Premier League career with a win.[21] On 8 December 2012, he scored his first Premier League goal, assisted byRobert Snodgrass, in a 4–3 victory overSwansea City.[22]
Whittaker scored in the opening match of the2013–14 Premier League season againstEverton. His initial shot struck the post, but he reacted quickly to score on the rebound. He also registered an assist, as his sliced shot fell kindly to debutantRicky van Wolfswinkel, who headed in the equalizer.[23] Although Norwich were relegated that season, Whittaker played regularly in the 2014–15 campaign as the club earned promotion back to the Premier League via the play-offs. He assisted one of the goals in the play-off final.[24]
Whittaker received his first red card in a league match againstSouthampton in August 2015. He was booked for preventingMatt Targett from taking a throw-in, and three minutes later received a second yellow card for pulling the shirt ofDušan Tadić.[25] Norwich went on to lose the match 3–0.[26] Norwich were again relegated at the end of the 2015–16 season, and Whittaker saw reduced first-team action in the following campaign. In May 2017, Norwich announced he would leave the club upon the expiry of his contract.[24]
On 15 July 2017, Whittaker rejoinedHibernian on a three-year deal.[27] He scored in his second league debut for Hibs, a 3–1 win againstPartick Thistle on 5 August 2017.[28]
A hip injury sidelined Whittaker during the latter part of the 2018–19 season.[29]
Following the sacking of head coachPaul Heckingbottom in November 2019, Whittaker assisted caretaker managerEddie May.[30] After four months out of the team, Whittaker returned in January 2020, playing as a defensive midfielder in both matches of aScottish Cup tie againstDundee United.[31]
Whittaker was one of three first-team players released by Hibernian at the end of the 2019–20 season.[32]
Following his release fromHibernian, Whittaker signed a one-year contract withScottish Championship clubDunfermline Athletic on 29 June 2020. The deal also included a coaching role with the club.[33][34]
In June 2021, it was announced that Whittaker had retired from playing to take up a full-time coaching position with Dunfermline.[35]
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Whittaker was a regular for theScotland under-21 side. In October 2006, he was called up to the seniorScotland squad for aEuro 2008 qualifier againstUkraine, although he did not feature in the match.[36]
He was later named in the Scotland B team for a match against a Republic of Ireland B side on 20 November 2007.[37] Whittaker started the game and played 68 minutes before being replaced byRoss McCormack.[38] He had also featured in a goalless draw between the two sides in November 2006.[39]
Whittaker made his debut for the senior Scotland team on 12 August 2009 in a 4–0 defeat againstNorway.[40] His second cap came in a 2–0 win overMacedonia on 5 September 2009, when he replaced the injuredCallum Davidson.[41]
Whittaker earned 31 caps for Scotland, with his international career spanning from 2009 to March 2016. He was dropped from the squad after losing his place at Norwich City but was recalled in August 2017.[42]
Whittaker, who had been working as a coach atDunfermline Athletic following his retirement as a player, was appointed joint interim manager—alongsideGreg Shields—after the departure ofPeter Grant in October 2021.[43] Shields and Whittaker took charge of two matches beforeJohn Hughes was appointed as permanent manager.[44]
On 13 May 2022, Whittaker joinedFleetwood Town as assistant manager under his former Hibernian and Scotland teammateScott Brown. The pair were dismissed by the club in September 2023.[45] They reunited atAyr United in January 2024, with Brown taking over as manager and Whittaker again serving as his assistant.[46]
| Club | Season | League | National Cup | League Cup | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Hibernian | 2001–02 | Scottish Premier League | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2002–03 | Scottish Premier League | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 6 | 0 | ||
| 2003–04 | Scottish Premier League | 28 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | 33 | 1 | ||
| 2004–05[nb 1] | Scottish Premier League | 37 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 45 | 2 | |
| 2005–06 | Scottish Premier League | 34 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 40 | 1 | |
| 2006–07 | Scottish Premier League | 35 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 49 | 1 | |
| Total | 141 | 4 | 15 | 1 | 10 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 174 | 5 | ||
| Rangers | 2007–08[nb 2] | Scottish Premier League | 30 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 9 | 1 | 48 | 5 |
| 2008–09[nb 3] | Scottish Premier League | 24 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 31 | 3 | |
| 2009–10 | Scottish Premier League | 35 | 7 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 50 | 11 | |
| 2010–11 | Scottish Premier League | 36 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 10 | 1 | 52 | 7 | |
| 2011–12 | Scottish Premier League | 25 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 28 | 2 | |
| Total | 150 | 19 | 18 | 6 | 12 | 1 | 29 | 2 | 209 | 28 | ||
| Norwich City | 2012–13 | Premier League | 13 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 14 | 1 | |
| 2013–14 | Premier League | 20 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 1 | — | 25 | 2 | ||
| 2014–15 | Championship | 37 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 43 | 2 | |
| 2015–16 | Premier League | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 9 | 1 | ||
| 2016–17 | Championship | 12 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 17 | 1 | |
| Total | 90 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 9 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 108 | 7 | ||
| Hibernian | 2017–18 | Scottish Premiership | 26 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | — | 31 | 2 | |
| 2018–19[nb 4] | Scottish Premiership | 15 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 23 | 0 | |
| 2019–20 | Scottish Premiership | 7 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | 15 | 0 | ||
| Total | 48 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 69 | 2 | ||
| Dunfermline Athletic | 2020–21 | Scottish Championship | 18 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 24 | 0 |
| Career total | 447 | 30 | 44 | 8 | 45 | 2 | 48 | 2 | 584 | 42 | ||
| Scotland national team[49] | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Apps | Goals |
| 2009 | 4 | 0 |
| 2010 | 5 | 0 |
| 2011 | 5 | 0 |
| 2012 | 2 | 0 |
| 2013 | 7 | 0 |
| 2014 | 5 | 0 |
| 2015 | 2 | 0 |
| 2016 | 1 | 0 |
| Total | 31 | 0 |
| Team | From | To | Record | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | W | D | L | Win % | |||
| Dunfermline Athletic[Note 1] | 31 October 2021 | 15 November 2021 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 050.0 |
| Total | 550 | 218 | 123 | 209 | 039.6 | ||
Hibernian
Rangers
Norwich City
