:Charlie Savage (footballer)
{{short description|Wales international footballer (born 2003)}}
{{other people||Charles Savage (disambiguation){{!}}Charles Savage}}
{{Use British English|date=December 2022}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2022}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Charlie Savage
| image = Charlie Savage debut.jpg
| caption = Savage with Manchester United in 2021
| full_name = Charlie William Henry Savage{{cite web |title=Premier League clubs publish 2020/21 retained lists |url=https://www.premierleague.com/news/2163099 |publisher=Premier League |date=4 June 2021 |access-date=8 December 2021 }}
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|2003|5|2|df=y}}
| birth_place = Leicester, England
| height = {{convert|1.82|m|order=flip}}
| position = Midfielder
| currentclub = Reading
| clubnumber = 8
| youthyears1 = {{0|0000}}–2021
| youthclubs1 = Manchester United
| years1 = 2021–2023
| clubs1 = Manchester United
| caps1 = 0
| goals1 = 0
| years2 = 2023
| clubs2 = → Forest Green Rovers (loan)
| caps2 = 15
| goals2 = 1
| years3 = 2023–
| clubs3 = Reading
| caps3 = 85
| goals3 = 8
| nationalyears1 = 2019
| nationalteam1 = Wales U17
| nationalcaps1 = 3
| nationalgoals1 = 0
| nationalyears2 = 2021
| nationalteam2 = Wales U18
| nationalcaps2 = 1
| nationalgoals2 = 0
| nationalyears3 = 2021
| nationalteam3 = Wales U19
| nationalcaps3 = 5
| nationalgoals3 = 1
| nationalyears4 = 2022–2024
| nationalteam4 = Wales U21
| nationalcaps4 = 8
| nationalgoals4 = 0
| nationalyears5 = 2023–
| nationalteam5 = Wales
| nationalcaps5 = 2
| nationalgoals5 = 0
| club-update = 14:16, 6 May 2025 (UTC)
| nationalteam-update = 22:51, 21 November 2024 (UTC)
}}
Charlie William Henry Savage (born 2 May 2003) is a professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for {{English football updater|Reading}} club Reading and the Wales national team.
Early life
Savage was born in Leicester, Leicestershire,{{WorldFootball.net|charlie-savage}} and was educated at Manchester Grammar School.{{cite tweet |user=MGSMagic |number=955778636971495425 |title=MGS's Charlie Savage and Drew Baker have both been selected for the England @isfafootball Under-15s team and will travel to a camp in Scotland this April. Well done to both |date=23 January 2018}} He followed in the footsteps of his father, former Wales international footballer Robbie Savage, by joining the youth ranks of Manchester United.{{cite web |title=Charlie Savage |url=https://www.manutd.com/en/players-and-staff/detail/charlie-savage |website=ManUtd.com |publisher=Manchester United FC |accessdate=4 August 2021 }}{{cite web |first=Laurie |last=Whitwell |title='I want to be known for being me' – Savage Jr making own mark at Manchester United |url=https://theathletic.com/2446447/2021/03/13/i-want-to-be-known-for-being-me-savage-jr-making-own-mark-at-manchester-united/ |website=The Athletic |date=13 March 2021 |accessdate=4 August 2021 }} {{subscription required}}
Club career
Savage signed his first professional contract with Manchester United in April 2021.{{cite web |title=Charlie Savage signs first professional Man Utd deal |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/56668905 |website=BBC Sport |date=7 April 2021 |accessdate=4 August 2021 }}{{cite web |url=https://theathletic.com/news/charlie-savage-manchester-united-contract/KOAesWbfqEbv |title=Robbie Savage's son Charlie signs first professional deal with Manchester United |website=The Athletic |date=7 April 2021 |accessdate=4 August 2021 }} He made his first-team debut for United on 8 December 2021, replacing Juan Mata in the 89th minute of the 2021–22 UEFA Champions League match against Young Boys,{{cite news |first=Simon |last=Stone |title=Man Utd 1–1 Young Boys: Youthful United side held in final Champions League group game |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/59570192 |website=BBC Sport |date=8 December 2021 |accessdate=8 December 2021 }} while his father, Robbie Savage, was co-commentating on the match for BT Sport.{{cite news |title=Charlie Savage: Robbie Savage watches son make his Man Utd debut |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/59588833 |access-date=9 December 2021 |website=BBC Sport |date=9 December 2021 }} On 22 May 2022, Savage was named in a Premier League matchday squad for the first time, against Crystal Palace.{{cite news |title=United team to face Palace confirmed |url=https://www.manutd.com/en/news/detail/man-utd-team-confirmed-for-crystal-palace-finale-2022 |website=ManUtd.com |publisher=Manchester United FC |date=22 May 2022 |access-date=18 July 2022 }}
In January 2023, Savage joined Forest Green Rovers for the remainder of the 2022–23 season,[https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/64388562 Savage loan to Forest Green] making his debut for the club on 14 February 2023 in a home defeat to Charlton Athletic{{cite news |title=Forest Green Rovers 0–1 Charlton Athletic |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/64549560 |access-date=17 June 2023 |work=BBC Sport |date=14 February 2023}} and scoring his first league goal in a 3–1 defeat by Bristol Rovers on 11 March 2023.{{cite news |title=Forest Green Rovers 1–3 Bristol Rovers |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/64845359 |access-date=17 June 2023 |work=BBC Sport |date=11 March 2023}}
On 22 July 2023, Savage signed for Reading on a four-year contract.{{cite web |last1=Nelson |first1=Joe |title=Savage completes permanent transfer |url=https://www.manutd.com/en/news/detail/charlie-savage-completes-permanent-transfer-from-man-utd-to-reading |website=Manchester United F.C. |access-date=22 July 2023 |date=22 July 2023}}{{cite web |title=Savage signs! Charlie becomes newest Royal recruit |url=https://www.readingfc.co.uk/news/2023/july/22/charlie-savage-joins-reading-football-club-from-manchester-united/ |website=Reading F.C. |access-date=22 July 2023 |date=22 July 2023}} He scored his first goal for Reading in a 4–0 win over Millwall in the EFL Cup on 8 August 2023.{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/66368512 |title=Millwall 0–4 Reading |publisher=BBC |date=8 August 2023 |access-date=10 August 2023 }}
International career
Savage has represented Wales at under-17, under-18, under-19 and under-21 levels.{{cite web |title=C. Savage |url=https://www.besoccer.com/player/matches/c-savage-891308 |website=besoccer.com |access-date=21 November 2024}} He was called up to the under-19 team for a friendly tournament in Croatia in September 2021,{{cite web |url=https://www.faw.cymru/en/news/u19-squad-announced-croatia-tournament/ |title=U19 squad announced for Croatia tournament |publisher=Football Association of Wales |date=18 August 2021 |accessdate=14 September 2021 }} and scored in a 3–2 defeat to Austria.{{cite tweet |user=charliesavage84 |number=1434157593019170816 |title=Good experience today vs Austria, was also a proud moment for me to have scored my first goal for Wales 🏴}} In September 2022, Savage was called up to the Wales under-21 squad for the first time.{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/62903530 |title=Matthew Jones: Ex-international midfielder named Wales Under-21 boss |website=BBC Sport |date=15 September 2022 |accessdate=15 September 2022 }}
In October 2023, Savage received his first call-up to the Wales senior national team for a friendly match against Gibraltar and an UEFA Euro 2024 qualifier against Croatia.{{Cite web |last=Ellis |first=Callum |date=2023-10-06 |title=Senior call-ups another proud moment for Matty Jones |url=https://faw.cymru/news/senior-call-ups-another-proud-moment-for-matty-jones/ |access-date=2023-10-07 |website=FAW |language=en-US}}{{Cite news |title=Senior call-ups Beck and Savage in Wales U21 squad |language=en-GB |work=BBC Sport |url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/67014990 |access-date=2023-10-07}} He won his first cap for Wales in the former match, on 11 October, starting in a 4–0 win over Gibraltar.{{cite web|date=11 October 2023|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/live/football/67069604|title=Wales 4–0 Gibraltar: As it happened & reaction|work=BBC.co.uk|access-date=13 June 2024}}
Style of play
A central midfielder like his father, Savage is comfortable both defending and going forward.{{cite web |url=https://www.football365.com/news/savage-open-letter-to-man-utd-son-charlie |title=Savage: Being my son means Charlie will face difficult obstacles at United |first=Paul |last=Okey |website=football365.com |date=10 April 2021 |accessdate=4 August 2021 }} Despite the similarities, Savage has said that he does not see the likeness, stating that he is more of a technical, ball playing midfielder, rather than a tenacious player like his father was.{{cite web |url=https://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/robbie-savages-son-charlie-signs-20337963 |title=Robbie Savage's son Charlie signs professional contract at Man Utd |first=Glen |last=Williams |website=WalesOnline |publisher=Media Wales |date=7 April 2021 |accessdate=4 August 2021 }}
Career statistics
=Club=
{{updated|match played 3 May 2025}}{{Soccerway|charlie-savage/636289|access-date=9 April 2025}}
| class=wikitable style=text-align:center
|+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition !rowspan=2|Club !rowspan=2|Season !colspan=3|League !colspan=2|FA Cup !colspan=2|EFL Cup !colspan=2|Europe !colspan=2|Other !colspan=2|Total | ||||||||||||
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| rowspan=3|Manchester United U21
|2021–22{{soccerbase season|144386|2021|access-date=18 June 2023}} |colspan=3|— | colspan=2|— | colspan=2|— | colspan=2|— | 3{{efn|name=EFLT|Appearances in EFL Trophy}} | 0 | 3 | 0 | |||||
| 2022–23
|colspan=3|— | colspan=2|— | colspan=2|— | colspan=2|— | 4{{efn|name=EFLT}} | 0 | 4 | 0 | |||||
| colspan=2|Total
!colspan=2|—||colspan=2|—||colspan=2|—||colspan=2|—||7||0||7||0 | ||||||||||||
| Manchester United
|0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1{{efn|Appearance in UEFA Champions League}} | 0 | colspan=2|— | 1 | 0 | ||
| Forest Green Rovers (loan)
|2022–23{{soccerbase season|144386|2022|access-date=17 June 2023}} |15 | 1 | colspan=2|— | colspan=2|— | colspan=2|— | colspan=2|— | 15 | 1 | |||||
| rowspan=3|Reading
|2023–24{{soccerbase season|144386|2023|access-date=3 May 2024}} |League One |40 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | colspan=2|— | 2{{efn|name=EFLT}} | 1 | 45 | 5 | ||
| 2024–25{{soccerbase season|144386|2024|access-date=9 April 2025}}
|League One |45 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | colspan=2|— | 2{{efn|name=EFLT}} | 0 | 51 | 7 | ||
| colspan=2|Total
!85||8||4||1||3||2||colspan=2|—||4||1||96||12 | ||||||||||||
| colspan=3|Career total
!100||9||4||1||3||2||1||0||11||1||119||13 |
{{notelist}}
=International=
{{updated|match played 6 June 2024}}{{cite web |url=https://www.worldfootball.net/player_summary/charlie-savage/4/ |title=Charlie Savage Internationals |website=WorldFootball.net |access-date=21 November 2024}}
| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
|+ Appearances and goals by national team and year !National team!!Year!!Apps!!Goals | ||
| rowspan="2"|Wales
|2023 | 1 | 0 |
| 2024 | 1 | 0 |
| colspan="2"|Total||2||0 |
|---|
Honours
See also
References
{{reflist}}
External links
{{Commons category}}
- [https://www.readingfc.co.uk/players/first-team/charlie-savage Profile] at the Reading F.C. website
- {{UEFA player}}
{{Reading F.C. squad}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Savage, Charlie}}
Category:Footballers from Leicester
Category:Welsh men's footballers
Category:21st-century Welsh sportsmen
Category:Men's association football midfielders
Category:Manchester United F.C. players
Category:Forest Green Rovers F.C. players
Category:English Football League players
Category:Wales men's youth international footballers
Category:Wales men's under-21 international footballers
Category:Wales men's international footballers