Joe Allen facts for kids
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Allen lining up for Wales in 2016
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Joseph Michael Allen | ||
| Date of birth | 14 March 1990 | ||
| Place of birth | Carmarthen, Wales | ||
| Height | 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m) | ||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
|
Current team
|
Swansea City | ||
| Number | 7 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1997–2000 | Tenby | ||
| 2000–2007 | Swansea City | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2007–2012 | Swansea City | 127 | (7) |
| 2008 | → Wrexham (loan) | 2 | (1) |
| 2012–2016 | Liverpool | 91 | (4) |
| 2016–2022 | Stoke City | 212 | (18) |
| 2022– | Swansea City | 59 | (4) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2005–2006 | Wales U17 | 10 | (1) |
| 2006–2007 | Wales U19 | 3 | (0) |
| 2007–2011 | Wales U21 | 14 | (2) |
| 2009– | Wales | 76 | (2) |
| 2012 | Great Britain Olympic | 5 | (0) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 23:55, 4 January 2025 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 21:03, 19 November 2024 (UTC) |
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Joseph Michael Allen (born on 14 March 1990) is a Welsh professional footballer. He plays as a midfielder for Swansea City and used to play for the Wales national team.
Joe Allen started his football journey at Swansea City. He made his first team debut in January 2007 when he was just 16. Over six years at Swansea, he played in 150 matches. He also had a short loan spell at Wrexham. During his time with Swansea, the team moved up two leagues, from League One to the top-tier Premier League.
In 2012, Joe also played for Great Britain at the 2012 Olympics. Later that year, he joined Liverpool for £15 million. His former Swansea manager, Brendan Rodgers, signed him. Joe spent four seasons at Anfield, playing 132 games. In July 2016, he moved to Stoke City for £13 million. After playing over 220 games for Stoke, he returned to Swansea in 2022.
Joe Allen played for Wales from 2009. He represented Wales at the UEFA European Championship in 2016 and 2020. He helped the team reach the semi-finals in 2016. He also helped Wales qualify for the FIFA World Cup in 2022. This was Wales' first World Cup appearance since 1958.
Contents
Early Life and Football Start
Joe Allen was born in Carmarthen, Wales. He grew up in Narberth, a town in Pembrokeshire. He went to Narberth Primary School and Ysgol y Preseli. Joe can speak Welsh fluently. He began playing football for his local team, Tenby, until he was ten years old.
Club Career Highlights
Starting at Swansea City
Joe Allen joined the Swansea City youth team when he was nine. In the 2006–07 season, at 16, he was a substitute in an FA Cup match. Two weeks later, manager Kenny Jackett gave him his first game in the FAW Premier Cup. He made his league debut for Swansea on 7 May 2007.
On 14 August 2007, Joe started his first game for Swansea. He helped them win 2–0 against Walsall in the League Cup. He was named the best player of the match. Soon after, he signed his first professional contract with Swansea. He played 14 games that season. Swansea won the League One title.
In the next season, Swansea played in the Championship. Joe found it hard to get into the first team. On 7 October 2008, he joined Wrexham on a one-month loan. He scored a goal in his first game for Wrexham. However, he got an ankle injury after only one more match.
Joe returned to Swansea in December. He came on as a substitute in a game against Barnsley. Even though he only played 25 minutes, he was named man of the match. On 5 April 2009, he scored his first goal for Swansea in a game against Cardiff City. He then signed a new contract until 2012.
After some injuries in the 2009–10 season, Joe became a regular player again in the 2010–11 season. His good performances led manager Brendan Rodgers to play him in a big game against Cardiff City. Joe was again named man of the match in their 1–0 win. He played 40 league games that season and scored twice. Swansea won promotion to the Premier League by beating Reading 4–2 in the play-off final at Wembley Stadium.
Before the 2011–12 Premier League season, Joe signed a new four-year contract. He played in 36 out of 38 Premier League games that season, scoring four goals.
Time at Liverpool
On 10 August 2012, Joe Allen joined Liverpool for £15 million. He made his Premier League debut for Liverpool on 18 August 2012. He was voted man of the match in his second game against Manchester City. He also won Liverpool's Player of the Month award for August 2012.
Joe scored his first goal for Liverpool on 27 January 2013 in an FA Cup game. He scored his first European goal on 21 February in the UEFA Europa League. In March, he had to have shoulder surgery, which ended his season.
On 5 May 2014, Joe scored his first Premier League goal for Liverpool that season. He played 26 games as Liverpool almost won the Premier League title. In the 2014–15 season, he played 32 games. He was praised for his performance in a 2–1 win against Manchester City. On 13 April 2015, he scored his first goal at Anfield against Newcastle United.
Before the 2015–16 season, Joe got injured and was out for a month. On 13 January 2016, he scored a late goal to draw 3–3 against Arsenal. He scored the winning penalty in a shootout against Stoke City. This sent Liverpool to the 2016 League Cup Final. He was a substitute in the final, which Liverpool lost. He also played in the 2016 UEFA Europa League Final, which Liverpool lost to Sevilla. At the end of the season, Joe wanted to play more regularly.
Moving to Stoke City
On 25 July 2016, Joe Allen joined Stoke City on a five-year contract for £13 million. He made his Premier League debut for Stoke on 13 August 2016. He said he "had to move on" from Liverpool to play more often. He scored his first goal for Stoke on 24 September 2016. He then scored against Manchester United on 2 October, helping Stoke get a rare point at Old Trafford. He scored both goals in a 2–0 win against Sunderland. In November 2016, he was considered for the UEFA Team of the Year. He played 39 games in 2016–17, scoring six goals.
In 2017–18, Joe played 38 times and scored four goals. Stoke was relegated to the Championship. Joe said he wanted to stay with the club. He signed a new four-year contract in June 2018. He was the only player to play every Championship game in 2018–19. He scored six goals, including important ones against Leeds United and Swansea.
In the 2019–20 season, Joe was sent off in a game. He scored in Michael O'Neill's first match as manager. He scored twice against Luton Town but got some criticism for his celebration. Joe was ruled out for the rest of the season after tearing his Achilles tendon on 7 March 2020. Stoke avoided relegation without him.
Joe returned from injury in December 2020. He played 19 games in the 2020–21 season. He got another injury in March 2021 while playing for Wales. Before the 2021–22 season, manager Michael O'Neill made Joe captain. Stoke finished 14th that season. Joe left Stoke when his contract ended.
Back to Swansea City
On 8 July 2022, Joe Allen returned to his first club, Swansea City. He signed a two-year contract.
International Career for Wales
Playing for Wales
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After signing his first professional contract in 2007, Joe was called up for the Wales under-21 team. He scored the winning goal in a 4–3 victory against Sweden.
In May 2009, Joe made his debut for the senior Wales team. He came on as a substitute in a friendly game against Estonia. Wales won 1–0. He started his first game for Wales in October 2011 against Switzerland. He was named Wales' Player of the Year in 2012.
Joe captained Wales for the first time on 4 June 2014 against the Netherlands. He played a key role in Wales qualifying for UEFA Euro 2016. At Euro 2016, Joe helped set up a goal in a 3–0 win over Russia. This win helped Wales top their group. Wales reached the semi-finals but lost to Portugal. Joe was named in the team of the tournament for his great performances.
In May 2021, he was chosen for the Wales squad for UEFA Euro 2020. In November 2022, he was part of the Wales squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
On 7 February 2023, Joe Allen announced he was retiring from playing for the Wales national team. However, in October 2024, he was called back to the Wales squad by manager Craig Bellamy due to injuries to other players.
How Joe Allen Plays
Joe Allen is a hard-working and smart midfielder. He helps his team by winning the ball back and moving it from defense to attack. He is a skilled player with quick feet. He can play in different midfield roles. Because he sees the game well, stays calm with the ball, and passes accurately, he has been called the "Welsh Xavi" and the "Welsh Pirlo" by his former manager, Brendan Rodgers.
Personal Life
Joe Allen is married to Lacey, and they have a son. He is inspired by his wife's work in animal welfare. He adopts hens to save them when they can no longer lay eggs. Joe's brother, Harry, lost his hearing at age three. Joe became an ambassador for Action on Hearing Loss Cymru in March 2015. Harry also plays football and became captain of the Welsh deaf futsal team.
Images for kids
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Allen playing for Stoke City in 2016
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Allen with Wales in 2011
See also
In Spanish: Joe Allen para niños
