What does the future hold for Wheater?
By Daniel • Nov 16th, 2008 • Category: Featured ArticlesThere are few players more popular on Teesside than local defender David Wheater. Last week though, he found himself in an unexpected position - on the bench.
Last season, Wheater was a revelation. He made a seamless transition from academy prospect to Premier League star. He quickly became established as a centre-half who will run through brick walls for the team, who is a cultured footballer and who provides a serious aerial threat at set-pieces.
He took every challenge in his stride, and his magnificent breakthrough season culminated in an England call-up.
This season Wheater is being given new challenges. Following the surprise departure of Luke Young, he had to fill in at right back while Justin Hoyte found his form and fitness. Now he finds that the resurgence of Chris Riggott has left him out of the side all together.
Naturally, fans are concerned. Davey Wheater is not only a promising player. He is one of our own and as such is held in especially high regard. It would be a tragedy if he were to leave us. It’s a small tragedy if he isn’t on the pitch. In a very short space of time he has became a talisman for the fans.
It is interesting to note the contrast in fan-opinion over Wheater and Stewart Downing, the player he has probably succeeded as our most-prized academy product. Amid clamour for Downing to be dropped, the omission of Wheater has been met with disbelief and, in some cases, anger.
Downing is a player who has become a regular in the England squad, but not been able to win over the boo-boys, or secure a regular starting birth. If Downing’s England credentials are slipping, then Wheater’s, in contrast, are rising. Perhaps, long-term, Wheater has a better chance of representing Boro regularly in the England team. But to do that, he must first be playing for us. Otherwise, it is clear that to fulfil his potential, he must leave.
So, benching Wheater has not gone down well with the Teesside public.
On the other hand, there are not too many left on Teesside who would not endorse Gareth Southgate’s work at the club so far. A growing proportion of Boro fans have signed up to Southgate’s philosophy of developing a young vibrant squad, picking the team on form and having faith in his players regardless of reputation.
This creates a conundrum for the fans. Do they keep faith in the methods of the man who is carefully and methodically revolutionising the club, or do they throw their toys out of the pram?
David Wheater faces the same question. Every scrap of evidence we have on the boy suggests he will take the first option. Wheater is a modest, composed young man with wide-eyed ambition. The way he talks about the club gives a strong sense that his ambitions centre on playing for Boro. I’m not suggesting that he would put England second, but I think Wheater sees both in his future. Gareth Southgate, I’m sure, thinks the same.
There really is no doubting the talent of Wheater, but it is easy to forget that he is only 21 (particularly as he looks about 40). In the words of Gareth Southgate:
David is progressing well. He has an enormous amount still to learn and he hasn’t made it yet but he has a terrific attitude and works incredibly hard in training. He’s promising. It’s a long road ahead but he’s doing well now.
Young players will experience highs and lows, they will suffer dips in form and they will have to battle for their place. It is these things that, ultimately, make them experienced players. Right now Chris Riggott is our oldest and one of our most experienced players, and his reintroduction to the heart of the defence seems to have had a settling effect on the side. This has been reflected in results.
You can’t keep a good man down, and no doubt David Wheater will play plenty of first-team football this season. Hopefully in time he will grow in to the England centre-back he should become.
For now though he, and we, must be patient.
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Daniel is a lifelong Boro fan, just old enough to remember 86, and young enough to have watched the early Robson/Juninho years through awestruck teenage eyes.
His earliest footballing memory is watching a reserve game between Boro and Man City. He sang his heart out, on his own, for 90 minutes solid. He was four years old, and he's followed the Boro with the same passion ever since.
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Wheats will get his place back, he just needs to be patient and wait for his chance again.
He’s practically guaranteed it now that Riggott’s down.
I doubt he’d have been out for long though. Southgate’s intentions are more of drumming in the idea that even Wheater can lose his place and that he shouldnt take it for granted. He’s not untouchable. Atleast not yet.