John White (footballer, born 1986)

John White

White playing for Southend United in 2014
Personal information
Full name	John Alan White
Date of birth	26 July 1986[1]
Place of birth	Maldon, England[2]
Height	1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)[1]
Playing position	Defender
Club information
Current team	Southend United
Number	2
Youth career
0000–2004	Colchester United
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps^†	(Gls)^†
2004–2013	Colchester United	227	(0)
2007	→ Stevenage Borough (loan)	4	(0)
2009	→ Southend United (loan)	5	(0)
2013–	Southend United	101	(2)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 21:56, 27 December 2015 (UTC). † Appearances (goals)

John Alan White (born 26 July 1986) is an English professional footballer who plays as a defender for Southend United. He previously played in the Football League for Colchester United, where he made over 200 league appearances.

Career

Colchester United

White rose through the youth ranks at hometown club, Colchester United, having joined the U's at the age of eleven. He was eventually handed his first team debut by Phil Parkinson in a League Cup tie at home to Cheltenham in August 2004, before retaining his place for his Football League debut four days later in a 4–1 win over Doncaster.^[3]

He went on to make 24 appearances for the U's during the remainder of the 2004–05 season and displayed his versatility by covering a number of positions, proving to be particularly effective in a man-marking role that had been assigned to him by Parkinson.^[4]

White then played an important role the following season as the U's won promotion to the Championship. Having established himself as a first-team regular, he made 41 appearances in all competitions as Parkinson's side finished second in League One, as well as enjoying a run to the fifth round of the FA Cup where they were beaten 3–1 by Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, a game in which White played the full 90 minutes.

In June 2007, White was offered an improved contract to remain at Layer Road,^[5] but after making only a handful of appearances in the opening months of the season, he moved to Stevenage in a month-long loan deal.^[6][7] The spell revitalised White and, with George Elokobi falling out of favour at the U's after handing in a transfer request, White forced his way back into the side with his fitness improved. In August 2008, with the club now back in League One following relegation from the Championship, White signed another new contract to extend his stay at the club.^[8]

Under the reins of new manager Paul Lambert in summer 2009, White was told that he could leave the club.^[9] White was part of a group of players who were being frozen out under Lambert, and he moved on a one-month loan deal to Essex rivals Southend for the start of the 2009–10 campaign along with Matt Heath.^[10]

White started every game of his spell at Roots Hall and admitted to having "no idea" where his future would lie,^[11] but during his spell with Southend, Lambert left the U's to join Norwich City, allowing White to force his way back into the Colchester team under new manager Aidy Boothroyd, going on to make 39 league appearances that season. He expressed his gratitude to Boothroyd for resurrecting his career, explaining how Lambert had left him to be forgotten: "I felt I never got the chance to impress him. It wasn't that I was given the chance and messed it up, he just decided he didn't fancy me and that was that, I wasn't involved. The new manager has been like a breath of fresh air. It's nice for the forgotten players that were left disappointed by the old manager to feel wanted around the place again."^[12]

With Boothroyd departing for Coventry City, John Ward took over as U's manager and White once again found himself back on the fringes of the first-team after Brian Wilson had been signed at full-back. Ward insisted that White remained part of his plans,^[13] and an injury to Wilson in December 2010 ruled him out of the remainder of the campaign, allowing White an extended run in the first-team.^[14]

White signed a further two-year contract extension in May 2011^[15] and went on to feature in the unfamiliar left-sided role ahead of both Michael Rose and Ben Coker during the 2011–12 campaign.^[16] During the season, White also enjoyed his 200th league game for Colchester aged 25, admitting that it was "special that Colchester is my home town club, and that I've been able to stay here this long."^[3]

The 2012–13 season saw Colchester narrowly avoid relegation, with White playing 22 league games for the club under new manager Joe Dunne. His contract was due to expire at the end of the season as Dunne expressed an interest at keeping the defender at the club.^[17] White declined the offer of the contract in June 2013, bringing to an end a nine-year stay with the U's. He had been offered a reduced salary to stay on with the club, opting instead to look for another club. He made over 250 appearances during his time with Colchester.^[18]

Southend United

On 27 June 2013, White signed a two-year deal with Southend United, the club where he had spent time on loan in 2009, becoming manager Phil Brown's first summer signing.^[19] Brown named him as captain shortly after.

On 11 March 2013 he scored his first ever league goal, and consequently his first goal for Southend, scoring the equaliser in a 2–2 draw with Scunthorpe United at Glanford Park.

Career statistics

As of 28 April 2013.

Club	Season	League^[A]		FA Cup		League Cup		Other^[B]		Total
		Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Colchester United	2004–05[20]	20	0	3	0	1	0	0	0	24	0
	2005–06[21]	35	0	4	0	0	0	2	0	41	0
	2006–07[22]	16	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	17	0
	2007–08[23]	21	0	1	0	1	0	0	0	23	0
	2008–09[24]	26	0	1	0	1	0	4	0	32	0
	2009–10[25]	39	0	3	0	0	0	1	0	43	0
	2010–11[26]	22	0	1	0	1	0	1	0	25	0
	2011–12[27]	26	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	26	0
	2012–13[28]	22	0	1	0	0	0	1	0	24	0
	Total	227	0	14	0	5	0	9	0	255	0
Stevenage Borough (loan)	2007–08[29]	4	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	4	0
	Total	4	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	4	0
Southend United (loan)	2009–10[30]	5	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	6	0
	Total	5	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	6	0
Southend United	2013–14[31]	41	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
	Total	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Career totals		277	0	14	0	6	0	9	0	265	0

A. ^ The "League" column constitutes appearances and goals (including those as a substitute) in the Football League and the Football Conference.

B. ^ The "Other" column constitutes appearances and goals (including those as a substitute) in the Football League Trophy.

Honours

Colchester United^[32]

• Football League One runner-up: 2005–06

References

1. "FootballSquads – Colchester United – 2012/13". FootballSquads. Retrieved 9 January 2013.
2. Rollin, Glenda; Rollin, Jack, eds. (2012). Sky Sports Football Yearbook 2012–2013 (43rd ed.). London: Headline. p. 457. ISBN 978-0-7553-6356-8.
3. "John White so proud to chalk up 200 league games". EADT. 24 March 2012. Retrieved 16 July 2012.
4. "White hoping for first-team spot". BBC Sport. 10 June 2005. Retrieved 16 July 2012.
5. "White signs new Colchester deal". BBC Sport. 6 June 2007. Retrieved 16 July 2012.
6. "Stevenage recruit three loanees". BBC Sport. 22 November 2007. Retrieved 16 July 2012.
7. "Stevenage land duo on loan". Sky Sports. 22 November 2007. Retrieved 16 July 2012.
8. "U's extension for White". Sky Sports. 9 August 2008. Retrieved 16 July 2012.
9. "Three heading for Colchester exit". BBC Sport. 22 July 2009. Retrieved 16 July 2012.
10. "Southend sign duo from Colchester". BBC Sport. 30 July 2009. Retrieved 16 July 2012.
11. "White unsure on Southend future". BBC Sport. 20 August 2009. Retrieved 16 July 2012.
12. "White happy again with Us". Sky Sports. 23 September 2009. Retrieved 16 July 2012.
13. "John White in Colchester United plans says John Ward". BBC Sport. 11 November 2010. Retrieved 16 July 2012.
14. "Colchester United hit by Brian Wilson injury". BBC Sport. 30 December 2010. Retrieved 16 July 2012.
15. "Gillespie, White and Bond sign Colchester United deals". BBC Sport. 17 May 2011. Retrieved 16 July 2012.
16. "Michael Rose targets upturn in Colchester United career". BBC Sport. 3 April 2012. Retrieved 16 July 2012.
17. "White set for talks over new contract at U's". Colchester Gazette. 29 April 2013. Retrieved 29 April 2013.
18. "White Ends U's Stay". Colchester United FC. 16 June 2013. Retrieved 16 June 2013.
19. "Southend United to sign defender John White". BBC Sport. 27 June 2013. Retrieved 2 July 2013.
20. "Colchester 2004/2005 player appearances". Soccerbase. Retrieved 9 January 2013. Select season required via dropdown menu.
21. "Colchester 2005/2006 player appearances". Soccerbase. Retrieved 9 January 2013. Select season required via dropdown menu.
22. "Colchester 2006/2007 player appearances". Soccerbase. Retrieved 9 January 2013. Select season required via dropdown menu.
23. "Colchester 2007/2008 player appearances". Soccerbase. Retrieved 9 January 2013. Select season required via dropdown menu.
24. "Colchester 2008/2009 player appearances". Soccerbase. Retrieved 9 January 2013. Select season required via dropdown menu.
25. "Colchester 2009/2010 player appearances". Soccerbase. Retrieved 9 January 2013. Select season required via dropdown menu.
26. "Colchester 2010/2011 player appearances". Soccerbase. Retrieved 9 January 2013. Select season required via dropdown menu.
27. "Colchester 2011/2012 player appearances". Soccerbase. Retrieved 9 January 2013. Select season required via dropdown menu.
28. "Colchester 2012/2013 player appearances". Soccerbase. Retrieved 9 January 2013. Select season required via dropdown menu.
29. "Stevenage 2007/2008 player appearances". Soccerbase. Retrieved 9 January 2013. Select season required via dropdown menu.
30. "Southend 2009/2010 player appearances". Soccerbase. Retrieved 9 January 2013. Select season required via dropdown menu.
31. "Southend 2013/2014 player appearances". Soccerbase. Retrieved 2 July 2013. Select season required via dropdown menu.
32. "Tier Three (League One) Honours". Coludaybyday.co.uk. Retrieved 9 January 2013.

External links

• John White career statistics at Soccerbase