Paul Whitfield

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Paul Whitfield

| image =

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| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1982|05|06|df=y}}{{cite web|title=Paul Whitfield |url=http://www.soccerbase.com/players/player.sd?player_id=22658 |work=Soccerbase.com |access-date=27 February 2018}}

| birth_place = St. Asaph, Wales{{cite web |title=Paul Whitfield Football Player Statistics |url=https://www.11v11.com/players/paul-whitfield-15839/ |work=11v11.com |access-date=27 February 2018}}

| height = {{height|m=1.83}}

| position = Goalkeeper

| youthyears1 = –2000

| youthclubs1 = Wrexham

| years1 = 2000–2004

| clubs1 = Wrexham

| caps1 = 11

| goals1 = 0

| years2 = 2000

| clubs2 = → The New Saints (loan)

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| years3 = 2001

| clubs3 = → Connah's Quay Nomads (loan)

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| years4 = 2002

| clubs4 = → Newtown (loan)

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| years5 = 2004

| clubs5 = Bangor City

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| years6 = 2004

| clubs6 = Buckley Town

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| years7 = 2004–2005

| clubs7 = Airbus UK

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| years8 = 2005–2007

| clubs8 = Rhyl

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| years9 = 2007–2008

| clubs9 = Cammell Laird

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| clubs10 = Llangefni Town

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| years11 = 2009–2012

| clubs11 = Llandudno

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| years12 = 2013–

| clubs12 = Rhyl

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| clubs13 = Caernarfon Town

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| clubs14 = Llandudno Albion

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| years15 = 2021–2022

| clubs15 = Llandudno

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| nationalyears1 = 2001–2003

| nationalteam1 = Wales U21

| nationalcaps1 = 1

| nationalgoals1 = 0

}}

Paul Whitfield (born 6 May 1982) is a Welsh footballer who played as a goalkeeper. He made appearances in the English Football League with Wrexham, and was part of their promotion-winning 2002–03 season from the Football League Third Division. He is now goalkeeping coach for the under-18 and under-23 teams at Swansea City.

Career

Whitfield started at Wrexham, coming through the youth team. His run with the team however was plagued by injury, needing an operation for a cartilage in his right leg from an injury sustained in the warm-up for a game against Kidderminster Harriers.{{cite web |title=Wrexham Keeper Paul Whitfield Is Having Surgery |url=http://www.thefootballnetwork.net/main/wrexham/s199/st17652/wrexham-keeper-paul-whitfield-is-having-surgery |work=thefootballnetwork.net |access-date=27 February 2018}}

During his time with club he spent time on loan at The New Saints during the 2000–01 season and travelled with the club to Estonia for a Uefa Champions League match against FC Levadia Tallinn.{{cite news |last1=Jones |first1=Dave |title=Paul Whitfield devotes much of his life to the art of goalkeeping |url=https://nwsport.co.uk/2021/05/06/paul-whitfield-devotes-much-of-his-life-to-the-art-of-goalkeeping/ |access-date=16 April 2022 |work=Grassroots North Wales}} He also spent additional loan spells at both Connah's Quay Nomads{{cite news |title=Flynn delighted as youngsters make a point |url=https://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/flynn-delighted-youngsters-make-point-1971559 |access-date=18 April 2022 |work=Wales Online |date=10 September 2001}} and Newtown.{{cite news |title=Keeper Paul stops the rot at Newtown |url=https://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/keeper-paul-stops-rot-newtown-1981650 |access-date=18 April 2022 |work=Wales Online |date=20 January 2002}}

Whilst at Wrexham, Whitfield would earn a Wales under-21 cap against Azerbaijan.{{cite web |title=Wrexham Keeper Shines For Wales |url=http://www.redpassion.co.uk/oldsite/news03/news3103.htm |work=Daily Post |access-date=27 February 2018}} He was named as an unused substitute for another eight Wales under-21 games between 2001 and 2003.

After leaving Wrexham in 2004,{{cite news |title=Smith sets sights on new faces |url=https://www.cheshire-live.co.uk/news/local-news/smith-sets-sights-new-faces-5297685 |access-date=18 April 2022 |work=Cheshire Live |date=18 May 2004}} Whitfield would play for various clubs in the Welsh Premier League including Bangor City, Airbus UK{{cite news |title=Walters at double to shoot down Airbus |url=https://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/walters-double-shoot-down-airbus-2420802 |access-date=18 April 2022 |work=Wales Online |date=31 October 2004}} and Rhyl.{{cite news |title=Belle Vue call for Whitfield |url=https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/local-news/belle-vue-call-for-whitfield-2905023 |access-date=18 April 2022 |work=North Wales Live |date=28 October 2005}} He also played for Buckley Town.{{cite news |title=Football: Whitfield in for Buckley; CYMRU ALLIANCE. |url=https://www.thefreelibrary.com/Football%3A+Whitfield+in+for+Buckley%3B+CYMRU+ALLIANCE.-a0122984031 |access-date=16 April 2022 |work=Free Library}} For the 2007–08 season he moved to Cammell Laird{{cite news |title=Lairds sign Wrexham goalkeeper |url=https://www.wirralglobe.co.uk/sport/1713176.lairds-sign-wrexham-goalkeeper/ |access-date=16 April 2022 |work=Wirral Globe |date=24 September 2007}} where he helped them win promotion to the Unibond Premier League. He returned to Wales playing for Llangefni Town{{cite web |title=News |url=https://steveredfern.tripod.com/id95.html |publisher=Denbigh Town Football Club |access-date=16 April 2022}} and hometown club Llandudno, where in the first season he won the Welsh League Cup in the first season and narrowly missed out on promotion to the Welsh Premier League. In 2013 he re-joined former club Rhyl{{cite news |title=Rhyl FC's manager expresses delight with re-signed goalkeeper |url=https://www.rhyljournal.co.uk/news/15719446.rhyl-fcs-manager-expresses-delight-with-re-signed-goalkeeper/ |access-date=16 April 2022 |work=Rhyl, Prestatyn & Abergele Journal |date=20 February 2013}} and later played for Caernarfon Town{{cite web |title=Inconsistent Cofis out of Cup. |url=https://www.facebook.com/CaernarfonTownFC/posts/inconsistent-cofis-out-of-cupcaernarfon-town-1-5-rhyl-caernarfons-inconsistent-s/10154486421345522/ |website=Facebook |publisher=Caernarfon Town FC |access-date=16 April 2022 |date=7 September 2016}} and Llandudno Albion, helping them reach the FAW Trophy final in the 2019–20 season,{{cite web |last1=Jones |first1=Dave |title=FAW Trophy: Llandudno Albion advance to final |date=9 March 2020 |url=https://nwsport.co.uk/2020/03/09/faw-trophy-llandudno-albion-advance-to-final/ |publisher=Grassroots North Wales |access-date=16 April 2022}} although the final was not played due to the Coronavirus pandemic. During the early part of the 2021–22 season he again played for Llandudno, playing the full-game in a Welsh Cup match against Llay Welfare.{{cite web |last1=Roberts |first1=Wesley |title=Llay Welfare 2-4 Llandudno: Shaun Cavanagh inspires Seasiders comeback |url=https://clwbpeldroed.org/2021/08/14/llandudno-shaun-cavanagh-llay-welfare/ |publisher=Y Clwb Pel-Droed |access-date=18 April 2022 |date=14 August 2021}}

Coaching

Whitfield now works as a coach, having been named goalkeeping coach at Prestatyn Town in August 2017{{cite web |title=Paul Whitfield: 2017/2018 Biography & Statistics|url=http://www.welshpremier.co.uk/Player-Display/65377/2017/2018 |work=Welsh Premier |access-date=27 February 2018}} and having been head coach at Rhyl FC's Academy. He has also worked with the Welsh FA's Under-19's Women's National team and been goalkeeping coach at The New Saints.{{cite web |last1=Bloor |first1=Stewart |title=Meet Paul Whitfield, TNS's goalkeeping coach |url=https://www.tnsfc.co.uk/2019/07/16/meet-paul-whitfield-tns-fcs-goalkeeping-coach/ |publisher=The New Saints |access-date=16 April 2022 |date=16 July 2019}} He returned to Llandudno FC as goalkeeping coach in June 2020{{cite news |last1=Jones |first1=Dean |title=Llandudno FC: Sean Eardley bolsters backroom staff |url=https://www.northwalespioneer.co.uk/sport/18501815.llandudno-fc-sean-eardley-bolsters-backroom-staff/ |access-date=16 April 2022 |work=North Wales Pioneer |date=7 June 2020}} and stayed with the club until January 2022.{{cite web |title=Llandudno FC - Podcast - Paul Whitfield |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9TWi7VlPEyE |website=YouTube |publisher=Llandudno FC |access-date=18 April 2022 |date=23 January 2022}}

Between November 2020 and January 2022 he was also an goalkeeping coach at Liverpool's academy.{{cite web |title=Paul Whitfield |url=https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-whitfield-95272883/ |publisher=LinkedIn |access-date=18 April 2022}} In January 2022 he joined Swansea City's coaching staff as a full-time goalkeeping coach for their under-18 and under-23 teams.{{cite web |title=Swansea, Wales. 19 March, 2022. Swansea City Goalkeeper Coach Paul Whitfield during the pre-match warm-up before the Professional Development League game between Swansea City Under 18s and Colchester United Under 18s at the Swansea City Academy in Swansea, Wales, UK on 19, March 2022|url=https://www.alamy.com/swansea-wales-19-march-2022-swansea-city-goalkeeper-coach-paul-whitfield-during-the-pre-match-warm-up-before-the-professional-development-league-game-between-swansea-city-under-18s-and-colchester-united-under-18s-at-the-swansea-city-academy-in-swansea-wales-uk-on-19-march-2022-credit-duncan-thomasmajestic-media-image465223270.html|publisher=Alamy |access-date=18 April 2022}}

Personal life

Whitfield is an Everton fan.

Career statistics

rowspan=2\|Club !rowspan=2\|Season !colspan=3\|League !colspan=2\|FA Cup !colspan=2\|League Cup !colspan=2\|Other !colspan=2\|Total
class=wikitable style="text-align:center" \|+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
rowspan=6\|Wrexham \|2000–01 \|Second Division \|0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
2001–02 \|Second Division \|0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
\|2002–03 \|Third Division \|8	0	1	0	1	0	3	0	13	0
\|2003–04 \|Second Division \|3	0	0	0	0	0	2	0	5	0
colspan=2\|Total	11	0	1	0	1	0	5	0	18	0