Luke Woolfenden
{{short description|English footballer}}
{{Use British English|date=August 2017}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2021}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Luke Woolfenden
| image = Luke Woolfenden.jpg
| caption = Woolfenden celebrates Ipswich Town's promotion to the Premier League in May 2024
| fullname = Luke Matthew Woolfenden{{cite web |url=https://www.efl.com/siteassets/efl-documents/efl-released-and-retained-list---2016-17.pdf |title=EFL Released and Retained List 2016–17 |publisher=English Football League |accessdate=22 August 2017}}
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1998|10|21|df=y}}{{Soccerbase|106663}}
| birth_place = Ipswich, England
| height = {{convert|1.93|m|order=flip}}
| position = Centre back
| currentclub = Ipswich Town
| clubnumber = 6
| youthyears1 = 2009–2017
| youthclubs1 = Ipswich Town
| years1 = 2017–
| clubs1 = Ipswich Town
| caps1 = 187
| goals1 = 5
| years2 = 2017–2018
| clubs2 = → Bromley (loan)
| caps2 = 20
| goals2 = 1
| years3 = 2018–2019
| clubs3 = → Swindon Town (loan)
| caps3 = 32
| goals3 = 2
| club-update = 23:34, 3 May 2025 (UTC)
}}
Luke Matthew Woolfenden (born 21 October 1998) is an English professional footballer who plays as a defender for {{English football updater|IpswichT}} club Ipswich Town.{{Cite web | url = https://www.itfc.co.uk/teams/first-team/defender/luke-woolfenden/ | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170812094829/https://www.itfc.co.uk/teams/first-team/defender/luke-woolfenden/ | url-status = dead | archive-date = 12 August 2017 | publisher = Ipswich Town F.C. | accessdate = 8 August 2017 | title = Luke Woolfenden }}
Woolfenden is a graduate of the Ipswich Town academy, making his senior debut in 2017. He spent time on loan at Bromley during the 2017–2018 season and Swindon Town during the 2018–2019 season. Primarily a centre back, he can also play as a right back.
Club career
=Ipswich Town=
file:LukeWoolfendenBntIps1.jpg
Woolfenden joined the Ipswich Town academy at the age of 11.{{Cite web | url = https://www.twtd.co.uk/ipswich-town-news/36274/ | title = Woolfenden: Our Aim is to Win the League | publisher = TWTD | date = 15 July 2019 |accessdate = 15 July 2019}} He became a full academy player with Town in July 2015, signing a two-year scholarship. He signed his first professional contract in June 2017, signing a one-year contract with the option of an additional year extension.{{Cite web | url = https://www.twtd.co.uk/ipswich-town-news/31816/trio-sign-first-pro-deals | title = Trio Sign First Pro Deals | publisher = TWTD | date = 29 June 2017 |accessdate = 8 February 2021}} He went on to make his full senior debut in a 2–0 win over Luton Town in the League Cup first round on 8 August 2017.{{Cite web | url = https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/40785846 | title = Luton Town v Ipswich Town | publisher = BBC Sport| date = 8 August 2017|accessdate = 8 August 2017}} In September 2017, Woolfenden signed a new contract with Ipswich, signing a two-year contract with the option of an additional one-year extension.{{Cite web | url = https://www.twtd.co.uk/ipswich-town-news/32350/woolfenden-signs-new-deal | title = Woolfenden Signs New Deal | publisher = TWTD| date = 27 September 2017 |accessdate = 8 February 2021}} On 28 April 2018, Woolfenden made his full Championship debut for Ipswich Town away to Reading. Ipswich went onto win the game 4–0, with Woolfenden playing the full game.{{cite news | url=https://www.twtd.co.uk/ipswich-town-news/33647/woolfenden-buzzing-after-big-win-on-championship-debut | title=Woolfenden Buzzing After Big Win on Championship Debut | date=30 April 2018 | publisher=TWTD | accessdate=6 November 2019}} He also came on as a substitute in the last game of the 2017–2018 season in a 2–2 home draw against Middlesbrough.{{cite news | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/43938862 | title=Ipswich Town 2–2 Middlesbrough | date=6 May 2018 | publisher=BBC Sport | accessdate=24 January 2020}}
==Bromley (loan)==
In December 2017 he joined Bromley on a month's loan. He made his debut for Bromley against Macclesfield Town on 23 December.[https://www.twtd.co.uk/ipswich-town-news/32842/woolfenden-joins-bromley-on-loan Woolfenden Joins Bromley on Loan] Those were the Days, 23 December 2017 On 27 April 2018, Woolfenden was recalled from his loan spell at Bromley. He made 17 starts and three sub appearances, scoring once, for the Ravens having joined them just before Christmas.{{Cite web | url=https://www.twtd.co.uk/ipswich-town-news/33634/woolfenden-recalled-from-bromley-loan | title=Woolfenden Recalled from Bromley Loan – Ipswich Town News}}
==Swindon Town (loan)==
On 31 August 2018, Woolfenden joined League Two side Swindon Town on loan until the end of the season.{{Cite web | url = https://www.itfc.co.uk/news/2018/august/luke-woolfenden-joins-swindon-on-loan/ | title = Woolfenden Signs for Swindon | publisher = Ipswich Town Official Website| date = 23 January 2019|accessdate = 31 August 2018}} He scored his first goal for the club in a 1–2 loss to Bury on 15 September 2018.{{Cite web | url = https://www.swindontownfc.co.uk/news/2018/september/woolfenden-today-needs-to-be-a-blip/ | title = Woolfenden: Today Needs To Be A Blip | publisher = Swindon Town Official Website| date = 15 September 2018|accessdate = 11 April 2019}} On 16 February 2019, Woolfenden signed a new 3-year contract with Ipswich, with the option of an additional years' extension.{{cite news|date=16 February 2019|title=Luke Signs New Deal|publisher=Ipswich Town|url=https://www.itfc.co.uk/news/2019/february/luke-woolfenden-signs-new-contract-at-ipswich/|accessdate=24 January 2020}} Woolfenden made 36 appearances in all competitions during his loan spell at the County Ground, scoring two goals.{{soccerbase season|108557|2018|accessdate=8 June 2019}}
==Return to Ipswich==
===2019–20 season===
After returning from loan, Woolfenden became a regular player for Ipswich during the 2019–20 season following relegation to League One the previous season. On 25 January 2020, he scored his first goal for the club, netting the winner in a 1–0 home win against Lincoln City at Portman Road.{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/51158766 | title=Ipswich Town 1–0 Lincoln City | date=25 January 2020 | publisher=BBC Sport }} He made 36 appearances during his first full season in the Ipswich first-team. Woolfenden signed a new four-year contract with Ipswich on 1 July 2020, keeping him at the club until 2024, with the option of an additional year extension.{{cite web |title=Woolfenden Signs Long-Term Deal |date=July 2020 |url=https://www.itfc.co.uk/news/2020/july/woolfenden-signs-new-deal/ |publisher=Ipswich Town |accessdate=1 July 2020}}
===2020–21 season===
Woolfenden was given the number 6 shirt for the 2020–21 season. He made his first appearance of the season in a 3–0 win over Bristol Rovers in an EFL Cup first round tie in the opening match of the season.{{cite web |title=Ipswich Town 3 – 0 Bristol Rovers |url=https://www.skysports.com/football/ipswich-vs-bristol-r/428557 |publisher=Sky Sports |accessdate=8 February 2021}} He suffered a minor injury in training during the early part of the season, keeping him out of the team for the majority of September.{{cite web |title=Wilson Starts as Woolfenden Misses League One Opener Against Wigan |url=https://www.twtd.co.uk/ipswich-town-news/38706/wilson-starts-as-woolfenden-misses-league-one-opener-against-wigan |publisher=TWTD |date=13 September 2020 |accessdate=8 February 2021}} He made his first league appearance of the season on 27 October, keeping a clean sheet in a 1–0 home win over Gillingham.{{cite news |title=Ipswich Town 1 – 0 Gillingham |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/54610128 |publisher=BBC Sport |accessdate=8 February 2021}} Woolfenden scored his first goal of the season in a 2–0 win over Blackpool on 6 February.{{cite news |title=Ipswich Town 2 – 0 Blackpool |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/55866935 |publisher=BBC Sport |accessdate=8 February 2021}}
Career statistics
{{updated|match played 3 May 2025}}
{{notelist}}
Honours
Ipswich Town
- EFL League One runner-up: 2022–23{{cite web|title=Fleetwood Town 2 - 2 Ipswich Town|url= https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/65439606|publisher=BBC Sport|date=7 May 2023|accessdate=9 May 2023}}
- EFL Championship runner-up: 2023–24{{cite web | url=https://www.itfc.co.uk/news/2024/may/04/ipswich-town-promoted-to-premier-league/ | title=We Are Premier League! | date=4 May 2024 }}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{Commons category}}
- [https://www.itfc.co.uk/players/lukewoolfenden Profile] at the Ipswich Town F.C. website
- {{Soccerway|luke-woolfenden/495663}}
- {{soccerbase|id=108557|name=Luke Woolfenden}}
{{Ipswich Town F.C. squad}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Woolfenden, Luke}}
Category:Footballers from Ipswich
Category:English men's footballers
Category:Men's association football defenders
Category:Ipswich Town F.C. players
Category:Swindon Town F.C. players
Category:English Football League players
Category:National League (English football) players