101414_isi_whitbreadzak_bpi_pg_170914_blackburn_v_derby_52.2908467 Paul Greenwood/isiphotos.com
On the Record

Oft-Injured Zak Whitbread Hoping to Get a U.S. Shot

Yes, he's 30. And yes, he has a long history of injuries. But the Texas native has always been a steady performer when healthy, and he's on a good run of form as the U.S prepares to play in Ireland and England.
BY Laura Greene Posted
October 15, 2014
11:46 AM
JUST OVER THREE MONTHS after signing a one-year deal with Championship side Derby County in August, Zak Whitbread spoke of his desire to play international soccer for the United States.

The 30-year-old has yet to play for the United States men’s senior team, which immediately prompts a sizeable question: Does the Texas-born defender still have a legitimate chance to make it?

Whitbread already has seven 90-minute games (in all competitions) under his belt this season, just two fewer than he managed in the entirety of 2013-14 with both Leicester City and Derby. In this edition of On the Record, we take a closer look at how Whitbread came to arrive at Pride Park, how he is progressing, and what people have been saying about the former Liverpool man.

THE BLOND CENTER BACK spent his formative football years on Merseyside, playing at the Anfield academy. After a five-year spell in Singapore, where his father coached the national team, Whitbread moved back to England in 1998. He went on to captain the Reds’ under-19s and appeared in two Champions League Qualifiers and one FA cup game for the first team.

In 2003 he represented the United States at the FIFA World Youth Championships in the United Arab Emirates. However, unable to break into Liverpool’s starting XI—not easy with the likes of Sami Hyypia and Jamie Carragher ahead of him in the pecking order—Whitbread was loaned to Millwall and subsequently signed a permanent deal with the London club in the summer of 2006.

After 110 appearances for Millwall, Whitbread was sold on to Norwich City in January 2010. Whitbread’s career got off to a slow start with the Canaries when he injured his calf while playing against his former employers in February. Despite the lay-off, reserve team boss Ian Crook spoke highly of the American in a BBC Radio Norfolk interview.

"I think he'll be one of the best defenders they've had here. I saw him play a year ago for Millwall on two occasions and thought he was awesome. I just think he is going to be massive for this club over the period of time he's here."

Whitbread made just one more league appearance that term and spent the first 22 fixtures of the following campaign on the sidelines. During the second half of the season, however, he suited up for 22 of 24 matches and played a key role in Norwich's to the Premier League—the club's first trip to the top flight in six years.

He received an international call-up in March of that year, with Bob Bradley selecting Whitbread for friendlies against Argentina and Paraguay. In March 2011, former Norwich boss Paul Lambert spoke to local newspaper The Pink ’un about Whitbread's opportunity.

“I never doubted Zak. Everybody else doubted him because they never saw him play, but I knew what he was like. I knew in the back of my mind there was a chance he could get called up—I thought that weeks ago the way he was playing. It’s like any player who gets called up. It is a great honor.”

Unfortunately Whitbread could not join the team due to a hamstring injury and subsequently missed out on a call-up to Gold Cup two months later. Bob Bradley, quoted by various media sources on May 26, 2011, had this to say.

“We’ve had a chance to watch him. In a perfect world, this would’ve been a nice time to get to know him better because we have not had him in a camp. But when we put the roster together, it just didn’t work for Zak. We hope that he’ll continue to play well and we’ll have a chance to see him up close in the future.”

In the 2011-12 season, Whitbread suffered from another hamstring strain, which saw him play just two fixtures of the first 14.

Back in action against Newcastle United in December, Whitbread enjoyed a run of 10 games in the Premier League in which his side suffered just two defeats—at the hands of Tottenham Hotspur and Sunderland.

On January 23 Whitbread earned Man of the Match honoros following a scoreless draw with Chelsea. “The Canaries thoroughly deserved a draw for a stirring rearguard performance in which Zak Whitbread and Daniel Ayala were outstanding,” said BBC Sport.

The Telegraph’s Duncan White wrote that, “Time and again, [Fernando] Torres was suffocated by Norwich’s central defensive pairing of Zak Whitbread and Daniel Ayala.”

“Zak is on our radar screen, absolutely," Jurgen Klinsmann acknowledged when asked about Whitbread on ESPN Insider on January 23.

Whitbread made six more appearances for Lambert’s side before another hamstring injury occurred, forcing him onto the treatment table for the final seven games. Released by the Canaries at the end of the season, he then moved to Leicester City.

Foxes boss Nigel Pearson told the Norwich Evening News, “Zak is a player of great quality that will add a huge amount of experience to the squad. I’m delighted we’ve been able to bring him here.”

In his first term with the club, injuries restricted Whitbread to 16 Championship appearances, in which he scored once. The following campaign, Whitbread was stretchered off the field after a blow to the head, after just 18 minutes of play in the season opener against Middlesbrough.

“Can we bubble wrap Zak?” asked FW on the Big Soccer forums on August 3.

After two more league outings for the Foxes, Whitbread went on loan to fellow Championship team Derby, two days after the side had sacked its then-manager Nigel Clough.

In the Leicester Mercury, Nigel Pearson said of the move: “Having battled with injuries in recent years, Whitbread is a player who needs regular football. Zak is a player who needs to be playing more. It will be good for him."

On September 30, 2013, Footymad.net forum user D_D commented, “Good player at this level. I saw him in the premiership for Norwich on a couple of occasions and was very impressed. He's no doubt declined since then through injuries, but he's still a very welcome addition.”

Turbobob added, “This signing seems a little odd to me. Not so much of who he is, but the timing of it. We all know we need another centre half, one with some experience. I don't know much about him, so I can't comment on his ability. But who sanctioned this loan with Clough gone? Was it a player already lined up that Clough arranged. Seems bloody harsh to not have given Clough the chance to have played him. If not Clough, then why sign a player without a manager? Very odd to me.”

Whitbread announced his arrival with a goal and an assist in a 4-4 draw with Ipswich Town and was in the team for a further two league games before injury disrupted his season once again. Despite being on the sidelines, his loan was extended in January until the end of the season.

“Zak has been brilliant when he's played,” said coach Paul Simpson on BBC Sport on January 2. “He's been unfortunate to be out injured for the last few weeks.”

Whitbread went on to make just one more appearance during the 2013-14 campaign but when Leicester moved up to the Premier League, Whitbread became a free agent and rejoined Derby.

“I wouldn’t just come here to make up the numbers or be a good trainer—I want to play,” he told the Derby Telegraph on August 29, 2014.

“It was the same when I was here on loan last season. We’ve got competition all over the squad and I respect Keezy [Richard Keogh] and Bucko [Jake Buxton] immensely. They were immense for all of last season and the start of this season as well.

“So it’s always going to be a tough job for me to break into that team. I’ve just got to keep taking every opportunity I get and take it from there. Then, you never know.”

After spending the first six games on the bench, Whitbread made his first league outing on September 17, in a 3-2 win against Blackburn Rovers.

Ahead of the game, current Derby boss and former England manager Steve McClaren told the Derby Telegraph,, “Yes, Zak will play, and deserves to play. He has done well when he has come in this season. He has got good experience. We have no problem with Zak going in. You need a squad and players have to be ready to come in and make an impact.”

“I think he played very well versus Blackburn, really cleared his line, and was strong around the box also. I love Bucko as much as the next person, but I really think that Whitbread proved he can handle the position and I will be very disappointed if Zak does not (start on) Saturday. Not saying Bucko is a non-starter now, but with as cohesive our defense was against the Rovers, I think Whitbread should definitely start against Cardiff. I for one thought he was a great guy to pick up this Summer,” typed American Ram on DCFCfans.uk on September 18.

“One thing Whitbread brings is composure. I'd argue for him staying in the team based on that performance,” added Robglosta.

And Rambam said, “Whitbread gets the shirt for me. Feeding it through midfield, very tall and commanding. Just stay fit!”

Whitbread has played a full 90 minutes in all but one of Derby’s last four games, as well as two League Cup outings against Carlisle United and Charlton.

Most recently, Whitbread played against former club Millwall in place of Ryan Shotton and helped keep a clean sheet in a 0-0 draw.

When comparing Whitbread to Shotton on the Derby County Mad forum, Ella Fella posted on October 3, “More efficient, more effective and to be fair to the lad, he has supported the squad and stepped in when asked and never let us down.”

Next up is an away trip to Reading FC on October 18 and—with the international break giving slight pause to the hectic Championship schedule—Whitbread was asked if he still thinks he can make it into Klinsmann’s U.S. reckoning. As he told the Burton Mail on October 8:

"I've definitely not given up hope. I'm still working hard to achieve that and it's something I'd love to do.

"But it's something that can't be achieved while I'm sat on a bench or not playing to a certain level.

"It's just about performing for Derby at the minute and trying to keep my place here. So I'm not thinking too much about international football but I've definitely not closed that door.”

The United States will be playing in Dublin on November 18, and is rumored to be playing Croatia at Craven Cottage in London in the same international window. Would you like to see Zak Whitbreak get a chance to show Klinsmann what he can do in those two contests? Share your take below.

Laura Greene is a frequent ASN contributor. If you'd like to see a particular U.S. player receive the On the Record treatment, tell her on Twitter.

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