Sam Brotherton

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Sam Brotherton

| image =

| image_size =

| caption =

| fullname = Samuel Edward Brotherton

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1996|10|29|df=y}}

| birth_place = Auckland, New Zealand

| height = 1.87 m{{cite web |title=Sam Brotherton |url=http://www.aucklandcityfc.com/players/premiership/brotherton/ |publisher=Auckland City FC |access-date=26 December 2022}}

| position = Central defender

| currentclub =

| clubnumber =

| youthyears1 =

| youthclubs1 = Westlake Boys High School

| collegeyears1 = 2015–2016

| college1 = Wisconsin Badgers

| collegecaps1 = 33

| collegegoals1 = 3

| years1 = 2014–2015

| clubs1 = Wanderers SC

| caps1 = 16

| goals1 = 1

| years2 = 2016

| clubs2 = Des Moines Menace

| caps2 = 5

| goals2 = 0

| years3 = 2017–2019

| clubs3 = Sunderland

| caps3 = 0

| goals3 = 0

| years4 = 2018

| clubs4 = → Blyth Spartans (loan)

| caps4 = 1

| goals4 = 0

| years5 = 2019–2020

| clubs5 = North Carolina FC

| caps5 = 42

| goals5 = 3

| years6 = 2021–2022

| clubs6 = Auckland City FC

| caps6 = 37

| goals6 = 4

| years7 = 2023

| clubs7 = Forward Madison FC

| caps7 = 15

| goals7 = 0

| nationalyears1 = 2015

| nationalteam1 = New Zealand U20

| nationalcaps1 = 7

| nationalgoals1 = 1

| nationalyears2 = 2015–

| nationalteam2 = New Zealand U23

| nationalcaps2 = 3

| nationalgoals2 = 0

| nationalyears3 = 2015–2023

| nationalteam3 = New Zealand

| nationalcaps3 = 12

| nationalgoals3 = 0

| club-update = 16 October 2023

| ntupdate = 29 January 2019

}}

Samuel Edward Brotherton (born 29 October 1996) is a former New Zealand professional footballer who played as a defender. Brotherton also played with the New Zealand national team.

Club career

Brotherton started his career in the ASB Premiership with Wanderers SC and made his debut in the opening of the 2014–15 ASB Premiership against Waitakere United in the 3–2 loss.{{cite web|url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/football/10690389/Waitakere-Utd-fight-back-to-pip-Wanderers|title=Waitakere Utd fight back to pip Wanderers|date=1 November 2014|publisher=Stuff |accessdate=14 December 2015}} He scored his first goal for the club in a 3–1 win over Canterbury United in round 8.{{cite web|url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/football/63695029/canterbury-dragons-stumble-to-lowly-wanderers|title=Canterbury Dragons stumble to lowly Wanderers|last=Egan|first=Brendan|date=1 December 2014|publisher=Stuff |accessdate=14 December 2015}}

In 2015, he moved to the United States and signed for University of Wisconsin. Playing in the Big Ten Conference during his freshman year, Brotherton would go on to make 17 appearances in 19 games for Wisconsin.{{cite web|url=http://www.uwbadgers.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=2546|title=Sam Brotherton Biography UWB|publisher=University of Wisconsin|accessdate=14 December 2015}}

=Sunderland=

On 1 February 2017, Brotherton completed a deal with English Premier League side Sunderland until the summer of 2019.{{cite web|url=http://www.safc.com/news/team-news/2017/january/brotherton-signs-for-sunderland|title=Brotherton signs for Sunderland|date=February 2017|publisher=safc.com - SAFC|accessdate=1 February 2017}}

=North Carolina FC=

On 29 January 2019, Brotherton joined USL Championship side North Carolina FC.{{Cite web|url=https://www.uslchampionship.com/news_article/show/989974|title = New Zealand's Brotherton Bolsters NCFC's Defense|date = 29 January 2019}}

=Auckland City FC=

Brotherton signed with Auckland City FC of the New Zealand Football Championship on 22 January 2021.{{cite web|url=http://www.aucklandcityfc.com/news/1297/12/Brotherton-and-Vincent-join-Navy-Blues/|title=Brotherton and Vincent join Navy Blues|website=AucklandCityFC.com|date=January 22, 2021|access-date=March 22, 2021}}

=Forward Madison FC=

Brotherton signed with Forward Madison FC of USL League One on 16 January 2023.{{cite web |url=https://www.forwardmadisonfc.com/news/2023/01/16/sam-brotherton-signs-with-forward-madison-fc/ |title=Sam Brotherton Signs With Forward Madison FC |last=Warwick |first=Evan |date=January 16, 2023 |website=ForwardMadisonFC.com |publisher=Forward Madison FC |access-date=January 16, 2023 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230116192440/https://www.forwardmadisonfc.com/news/2023/01/16/sam-brotherton-signs-with-forward-madison-fc/ |archive-date=January 16, 2023}}

Brotherton announced his retirement from professional football after the 2023 season.{{cite instagram |last=Brotherton |first=Sam |author-link=Sam Brotherton |user=sambrothertonz |postid=C18cloEA13I |date=January 10, 2024 |title=Grateful for everything that this game has given me. The highs, the lows, the wins, the losses, the lessons, the places and most importantly, the people. Thankful for everyone who has been a part of the journey. Proud to say that I lived out my childhood dream of being a professional footballer and had the privilege of representing my country. Time to hang up the boots and turn the page for a new chapter and challenge. Thank you ⚽️ |access-date=January 11, 2024 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240111171103/https://www.instagram.com/p/C18cloEA13I/ |archive-date=January 11, 2024}}

International career

Brotherton has represented New Zealand at several levels with his first representation being with the touring New Zealand under-19 schoolboys national team in England and Ireland in which he was vice captain. The team would go on to score wins against the U18 and U19 national teams of Ireland and Wales and draws against Scotland and England.

Brotherton was then announced in the New Zealand national under-20 football team for the 2015 FIFA U-20 World Cup which was to be held in New Zealand.{{cite web|url=http://www.nzfootball.co.nz/bazeley-names-u-20s-squad/|title=Bazeley names U-20s squad|date=15 May 2015|publisher=New Zealand Football|access-date=14 December 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150922154551/http://www.nzfootball.co.nz/bazeley-names-u-20s-squad/|archive-date=22 September 2015}} Brotherton would go on to score his first international goal for New Zealand in the tournament in their 5–1 victory over Myanmar at Wellington Regional Stadium.{{cite web|url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=11460629|title=U-20 FIFA World Cup: New Zealand make history in Wellington|last=Danielson|first=Richard|date=5 June 2015|publisher=The New Zealand Herald |accessdate=14 December 2015}}

Brotherton was part of the New Zealand national under-23 football team that participated in the 2015 Pacific Games, which doubled as qualification for the Football at the 2016 Summer Olympics.{{cite web|url=http://www.3news.co.nz/sport/hudson-names-all-whites-u23-squad-2015062610#axzz3uGAnGv48|title=Hudson names All Whites U23 squad|date=26 June 2015|publisher=3news.co.nz|accessdate=14 December 2015}}

Brotherton's first senior international appearance would also arrive in 2015. He was called up to the squad to face South Korea in March,{{cite web|url=http://www.nzfootball.co.nz/hudson-refreshes-all-whites-squad/|title=Hudson refreshes All Whites squad|date=6 March 2015|publisher=New Zealand Football|access-date=14 December 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151223143423/http://www.nzfootball.co.nz/hudson-refreshes-all-whites-squad/|archive-date=23 December 2015}} however did not make an appearance. He would however be recalled for New Zealand's friendly against Oman in Seeb, Oman. Brotherton played the whole 90 minutes in which New Zealand won 1–0.{{cite web|url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/football/nz-teams/73989151/all-whites-secure-first-victory-under-coach-anthony-hudson-in-oman|title=All Whites secure first victory under coach Anthony Hudson in Oman|date=13 November 2015|publisher=Stuff |accessdate=11 December 2015}}

References

External links

[http://www.uwbadgers.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=2546 University of Wisconsin Badgers] - Sam Brotherton profile at the University of Wisconsin.
{{NFT player|pid=61284}}
{{FIFA player|372073|Sam Brotherton}}

Category:1996 births

Category:Living people

Category:Men's association football defenders

Category:Association footballers from Auckland

Category:Des Moines Menace players

Category:New Zealand men's association footballers

Category:New Zealand expatriate men's association footballers

Category:New Zealand men's international footballers

Category:People educated at Westlake Boys High School

Category:Sunderland A.F.C. players

Category:USL League Two players

Category:Wisconsin Badgers men's soccer players