Óscar Whalley

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Óscar Whalley

| image = Óscar Whalley.jpg

| caption = Whalley with Sporting Gijón in 2017

| full_name = Óscar Alexander Whalley Guardado{{cite news|url=https://resultados.as.com/resultados/ficha/deportista/whalley/25118/|title=Whalley|newspaper=Diario AS|language=es|access-date=3 November 2022}}

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1994|3|29|df=y}}

| birth_place = Zaragoza, Spain

| height = 1.90 m

| position = Goalkeeper

| currentclub = Guadalajara

| clubnumber = 30

| youthyears1 = | youthclubs1 = Amistad

| youthyears2 = 2006–2013 | youthclubs2 = Zaragoza

| years1 = 2013–2015 | clubs1 = Zaragoza B | caps1 = 26 | goals1 = 0

| years2 = 2014–2016 | clubs2 = Zaragoza | caps2 = 22 | goals2 = 0

| years3 = 2015–2016 | clubs3 = → Huesca (loan) | caps3 = 15 | goals3 = 0

| years4 = 2016–2018 | clubs4 = Sporting Gijón | caps4 = 1 | goals4 = 0

| years5 = 2018–2019 | clubs5 = AGF | caps5 = 12 | goals5 = 0

| years6 = 2019–2020 | clubs6 = OFI | caps6 = 10 | goals6 = 0

| years7 = 2020–2021 | clubs7 = Castellón | caps7 = 24 | goals7 = 0

| years8 = 2021–2023 | clubs8 = Lugo | caps8 = 68 | goals8 = 0

| years9 = 2023– | clubs9 = Guadalajara | caps9 = 0 | goals9 = 0

| nationalyears1 = 2014 | nationalteam1 = Spain U21 | nationalcaps1 = 1 | nationalgoals1 = 0

| club-update = 1 May 2023

| nationalteam-update =

}}

Óscar Alexander Whalley Guardado (born 29 March 1994) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Liga MX club Guadalajara.

Club career

Born in Zaragoza, Aragon, to an English father and a Spanish Mexican mother,{{cite news|url=http://www.heraldo.es/noticias/deportes/futbol/real_zaragoza/2014/05/30/el_portero_oscar_whalley_asoma_titularidad_del_real_zaragoza_290969_611027.html|title=El portero Óscar Whalley se asoma a la titularidad del Real Zaragoza|trans-title=Goalkeeper Óscar Whalley eyes Zaragoza's starting spot|newspaper=Heraldo de Aragón|language=es|date=30 May 2014|access-date=8 June 2014}} Whalley spent his first season as a senior with Real Zaragoza's reserves in the Tercera División. On 31 May 2014, as first choice Leo Franco declared his desire to leave the country and understudy Pablo Alcolea was injured, he played his first match as a professional, starting in a 1–1 home draw against Sporting de Gijón in the Segunda División.{{cite news|url=http://www.marca.com/2014/05/31/futbol/2adivision/1401563778.html|title=Los de Abelardo salvan un punto pero no aseguran los 'playoffs'|trans-title=Abelardo's men rescue a point but can not ensure the playoffs|newspaper=Marca|language=es|date=31 May 2014|access-date=8 June 2014}}

The following campaign, Whalley appeared in 19 games as Zaragoza came sixth,{{cite web|url=https://www.eldesmarque.com/zaragoza/real-zaragoza/noticias/1594-el-brexit-posiciona-a-whalley-en-inglaterra?amp=1|title=El 'Brexit' posiciona a Whalley en Inglaterra|trans-title='Brexit' puts Whalley in England|publisher=El Desmarque|language=es|date=25 June 2016|access-date=3 November 2022}} and a further one on 11 June 2015 as they lost their play-off semi-final first leg 3–0 at home to Girona.{{cite news|url=http://futbol.as.com/futbol/2015/06/11/segunda/1434043739_199416.html|title=El Girona sentencia en la noche negra de Óscar Whalley|trans-title=Girona sentence in Óscar Whalley's black night|newspaper=Diario AS|first=Pedro Luis|last=Ferrer|language=es|date=11 June 2015|access-date=21 March 2016}} He was subsequently dropped for Bono for the rest of the tournament, as the team won the tie on away goals and lost the final by the same rule to Las Palmas.{{cite news|url=https://www.elperiodicodearagon.com/deportes/2015/06/27/yassine-bounou-bono-he-sentido-47169523.html|title=Yassine Bounou Bono: "Me he sentido como un zaragocista más y me encantaría volver a jugar allí"|trans-title=Yassine Bounou Bono: "I felt like another zaragocista and I would love to play there again"|newspaper=El Periódico de Aragón|language=es|date=27 June 2015|access-date=3 November 2022}}

On 10 July 2015, Whalley was loaned to neighbouring Huesca also in the second tier.{{cite web|url=http://www.realzaragoza.com/noticias/51652|title=Acuerdo entre Real Zaragoza y S.D. Huesca para la cesión de Óscar Whalley|trans-title=Agreement between Real Zaragoza and S.D. Huesca for the loan of Óscar Whalley|publisher=Real Zaragoza|language=es|date=10 July 2015|access-date=11 July 2015}} On 8 August of the following year he signed with La Liga club Sporting Gijón, as third choice behind Iván Cuéllar and Diego Mariño.{{cite news|url=http://www.lne.es/sporting/2016/08/08/sporting-cierra-porteria-llegada-whalley/1967092.html|title=El Sporting cierra la portería con la llegada de Whalley|trans-title=Sporting complete their goal with the arrival of Whalley|newspaper=La Nueva España|first=Víctor|last=Rivera|language=es|date=8 August 2016|access-date=8 August 2016}}

Whalley moved abroad for the first time in his career on 12 June 2018, joining Danish Superliga side Aarhus Gymnastikforening.{{cite web|url=http://www.agf.dk/klubben/nyhedsarkiv/2018/juni/agf-henter-maalmand-i-spanien/|title=AGF henter målmand i Spanien|trans-title=AGF sign goalkeeper in Spain|publisher=Aarhus Gymnastikforening|language=da|date=12 June 2018|access-date=12 June 2018}} In August 2019, he left for OFI Crete of the Super League Greece.{{cite web|url=https://www.bold.dk/fodbold/nyheder/bekraeftet-agf-sender-keeper-til-kreta/|title=Bekræftet: AGF sender keeper til Kreta|trans-title=Confirmed: AGF send goalkeeper to Crete|publisher=Bold|language=da|date=13 August 2019|access-date=14 August 2019}}

Whalley returned to Spain and its second division on 3 September 2020, after agreeing to a two-year contract with newly-promoted club Castellón.{{cite web|url=http://www.cdcastellon.com/fichaje-oscar-whalley-nuevo-jugador-del-cd-castellon/|title=FICHAJE: Óscar Whalley, nuevo jugador del CD Castellón|trans-title=SIGNING: Óscar Whalley, new player of CD Castellón|publisher=CD Castellón|language=es|date=3 September 2020|access-date=3 September 2020}} On 25 July 2021, after suffering relegation, he joined Lugo in the same league.{{cite web|url=https://www.cdlugo.com/noticia/oscar-whalley-nuevo-jugador-del-cd-lugo|title=Óscar Whalley, nuevo jugador del CD Lugo|trans-title=Óscar Whalley, new player of CD Lugo|publisher=CD Lugo|language=es|date=25 July 2021|access-date=31 July 2021}}

On 12 June 2023, Whalley signed for Guadalajara of the Mexican Liga MX.{{cite web|url=https://www.chivasdecorazon.com.mx/es/noticias/36418/scar-Whalley-es-nuevo-arquero-del-Guadalajara|title=Óscar Whalley es nuevo arquero del Guadalajara|trans-title=Óscar Whalley is a new goalkeeper of Guadalajara|publisher=C.D. Guadalajara|language=es|date=12 June 2023|access-date=7 July 2023}}

International career

Whalley won his only cap for Spain at under-21 level on 12 November 2014, playing the second half of the 4–1 friendly loss to Belgium in Ferrol.{{cite news|url=https://elpais.com/deportes/2014/11/12/actualidad/1415832681_405514.html|title=Tsunami belga a la nueva ola española|trans-title=Belgian tsunami to the new Spanish wave|newspaper=El País|first=Juan Luis|last=Cudeiro|language=es|date=12 November 2014|access-date=5 January 2019}} He stated he would willingly accept a call up to the England national team if asked, as he was eligible through his father, and previously mentioned he preferred to represent them internationally;{{cite web|url=https://www.itv.com/news/update/2014-11-07/spain-call-up-young-english-goalkeeper-whalley/|title=Spain call-up young English goalkeeper Whalley|publisher=ITV|date=7 November 2014|access-date=20 April 2021}}{{cite web|url=https://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/meet-oscar-whalley-england-eligible-spanish-keeper-whos-keen-championship|title=Meet Oscar Whalley: the England-eligible Spanish keeper who's keen on the Championship|publisher=FourFourTwo|first=Andrew|last=Murray|date=5 May 2016|access-date=20 April 2021}} he was likewise eligible for Mexico through his mother.{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com.mx/noticias/nota/_/id/2224503/oscar-whalley-otro-mexicano-que-no-opta-por-la-seleccion-mexicana|title=Oscar Whalley, otro mexicano que no opta por la selección mexicana|trans-title=Oscar Whalley, another Mexican who opts against Mexican national team|publisher=ESPN|first1=Adriana|last1=Terrazas|first2=David|last2=Esquivel|language=es|date=7 November 2014|access-date=29 March 2022}}

Career statistics

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" \|Cup ! colspan="2" \|Total
Division !Apps !Goals !Apps !Goals !Apps !Goals
rowspan="3" \|Zaragoza \|2013–14 \| rowspan="2" \|Segunda División \|2 \|0 \|0 \|0 \|2 \|0
2014–15 \|20 \|0 \|0 \|0 \|20 \|0
colspan="2" \|Total !22 !0 !0 !0 !22 !0
Huesca (loan) \|2015–16 \|Segunda División \|15 \|0 \|2 \|0 \|17 \|0
Sporting Gijón \|2017–18 \|Segunda División \|1 \|0 \|1 \|0 \|2 \|0
rowspan="3" \|AGF \|2018–19 \| rowspan="2" \|Danish Superliga \|10 \|0 \|1 \|0 \|11 \|0
2019–20 \|2 \|0 \|0 \|0 \|2 \|0
colspan="2" \|Total !12 !0 !1 !0 !13 !0
OFI \|2019–20 \|Super League Greece \|10 \|0 \|4 \|0 \|14 \|0
Castellón \|2020–21 \|Segunda División \|24 \|0 \|2 \|0 \|26 \|0
rowspan="3" \|Lugo \|2021–22 \| rowspan="2" \|Segunda División \|30 \|0 \|1 \|0 \|31 \|0
2022–23 \|38 \|0 \|0 \|0 \|38 \|0
colspan="2" \|Total !68 !0 !1 !0 !69 !0
Guadalajara \|2023–24 \|Liga MX \|0 \|0 \|0 \|0 \|0 \|0
colspan="3" \|Career total !152 !0 !11 !0 !163 !0

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" |Cup

! colspan="2" |Total

Division

!Apps

!Goals

!Apps

!Goals