Willo Flood facts for kids
Flood playing for Dundee United in 2011
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | William Robert Flood | ||
| Date of birth | 10 April 1985 | ||
| Place of birth | Dublin, Ireland | ||
| Height | 5 ft 6 in (1.68 m) | ||
| Playing position | Midfielder | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Cherry Orchard | |||
| Manchester City | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 2002–2006 | Manchester City | 14 | (1) |
| 2004 | → Rochdale (loan) | 6 | (0) |
| 2005 | → Coventry City (loan) | 8 | (1) |
| 2006–2009 | Cardiff City | 25 | (1) |
| 2007–2008 | → Dundee United (loan) | 36 | (1) |
| 2008–2009 | → Dundee United (loan) | 20 | (0) |
| 2009–2010 | Celtic | 6 | (0) |
| 2010–2011 | Middlesbrough | 16 | (1) |
| 2011–2013 | Dundee United | 69 | (3) |
| 2013–2016 | Aberdeen | 80 | (3) |
| 2016–2018 | Dundee United | 62 | (3) |
| 2018 | Dunfermline Athletic | 0 | (0) |
| Total | 342 | (14) | |
| National team | |||
| 2003 | Republic of Ireland U20 | 4 | (0) |
| 2004–2006 | Republic of Ireland U21 | 11 | (2) |
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William Robert Flood (born on April 10, 1985) is a former Irish footballer. He played as a midfielder. Willo, as he is known, played for eight different clubs in England and Scotland. These clubs include Manchester City, Cardiff City, Dundee United, Celtic, Middlesbrough, and Aberdeen. He also played 15 times for his country at the under-20 and under-21 levels.
Contents
- Early Life and Youth Career
- Club Career Highlights
- International Career
- Personal Life
- Career Statistics
- Honours and Awards
- See also
Early Life and Youth Career
Willo Flood was born in Dublin, Ireland. He grew up in the Ballyfermot area of the city. He started his football journey at Cherry Orchard when he was seven years old.
At 14, Flood hurt his knee during a big match. Even with the injury, his team, Cherry Orchard, won the All-Ireland Final. This was his only winner's medal until he won the Scottish League Cup in 2014. Many top clubs like Celtic, Manchester United, and Arsenal were interested in him. However, he chose to join Manchester City.
Club Career Highlights
Starting at Manchester City
After joining Manchester City, Flood went straight into their youth academy. The club's medical team helped him recover from his past injuries. He was very thankful, saying they helped him continue playing football.
Flood made his first team debut in the UEFA Cup qualifying round in 2003. City won the game 7–0. He scored his first goal for the club in the Football League Cup in September 2004, in a big 7–1 win against Barnsley. A few days later, he played his first Premier League match against Arsenal. In November, he scored his first league goal in a 1–1 draw against Norwich City. His manager, Kevin Keegan, was very impressed with his effort. Flood signed a new contract with City, keeping him until 2007.
Loan Spells from Manchester City
In March 2004, Flood was loaned to Rochdale for a month. He played six matches there.
In August 2005, he joined Coventry City on loan. He played in midfield and impressed the club, leading to his loan being extended. He scored one goal for Coventry before returning to Manchester City in October 2005.
Moving to Cardiff City
In 2006, Flood joined Cardiff City for £200,000. He made his debut in the first game of the season, a 2–1 win against Barnsley. He scored his only goal for Cardiff in August 2006, a winning goal against Elland Road. However, he found it hard to get regular playing time due to strong competition and some injuries. He played 28 matches for Cardiff.
First Loans to Dundee United
In 2007, Flood moved to Dundee United on a season-long loan. His debut was tough, as he received a red card. But he quickly became an important player in midfield. His manager, Craig Levein, praised him as a "really good, creative player."
In December 2007, he scored his first goal for Dundee United. This goal later won the SPL Goal of the Season award. He played in the Scottish League Cup final against Rangers. Dundee United lost on penalties, but Flood was named Man of the Match for his great performance. He played 44 matches during this loan spell.
He returned to Dundee United for a second loan spell in July 2008. He continued to play well in midfield. In the Scottish League Cup semi-finals against Celtic, he missed a penalty in the shootout, which led to Dundee United losing. He played 24 matches in his second loan.
Time at Celtic
On January 30, 2009, Flood joined Celtic, the team he supported as a boy. He signed a two-and-a-half-year contract. He was given the number sixteen shirt, which his idol Roy Keane used to wear.
He made his debut for Celtic in a big game against rivals Rangers in February 2009. However, he found it difficult to get regular playing time. By the start of the 2009–10 season, he was not playing much and considered leaving the club. He even said he "regretted" joining Celtic. He left the club in January 2010, having made only nine appearances in total.
Playing for Middlesbrough
On January 13, 2010, Flood joined Championship side Middlesbrough. He was excited to work with manager Gordon Strachan again. He made his debut a few days later. On January 23, he scored his first goal for Middlesbrough with a fantastic 35-yard shot.
However, he suffered a serious knee injury in March 2010, which kept him out for the rest of the season. He recovered for the next season but dislocated his knee again in the first game, an injury he had suffered before. This kept him out for six months. He returned in April 2011 but was released by the club in May 2011. He played 16 matches for Middlesbrough.
First Permanent Spell at Dundee United
On May 24, 2011, Flood returned to Dundee United, signing a two-year contract. He felt he played his best football at Dundee United. He quickly became a key player in midfield again.
In a Scottish League Cup quarter-final, he missed a penalty in a shootout, which led to Dundee United losing. He later apologized to his manager. In April 2012, he scored his first goal in his third spell at the club. He also set up another goal in the same match. He played 39 matches that season.
At the start of the 2012–13 season, Flood scored in a UEFA Europa League qualifying match. He continued to be a strong presence in midfield. He scored two more goals that season, both against rivals Dundee and Hearts. He played 45 matches and was named the supporters' player of the year. He wanted to stay at the club, but his contract ended.
Joining Aberdeen
On May 31, 2013, Flood signed with Aberdeen. He wanted to win trophies with his new club. He scored on his debut in a 2–1 win against Kilmarnock. His manager, Derek McInnes, praised him as an "energetic, passionate" player.
He suffered a hamstring injury early in the season but returned to play. In January 2014, he scored a winning goal against Hibernian, which was named SPFL Goal of the Month. He helped Aberdeen reach the Scottish League Cup final. Aberdeen won the final on penalties, their first trophy in 19 years! Flood played 40 matches that season.
In the 2014–15 season, he played in the UEFA Europa League matches. He signed a contract extension until 2017. However, he faced more hamstring injuries. Despite this, he remained an important midfielder. He played 33 matches that season.
In the 2015–16 season, he captained Aberdeen for the first time. He continued to play regularly, but injuries still affected him. He played 29 matches that season. In July 2016, his contract with Aberdeen was ended because he wanted more regular playing time.
Second Permanent Spell at Dundee United
In July 2016, Flood returned to Dundee United for his fourth time. He signed a one-year deal and even took a pay cut to join them.
He made his fourth debut for the club in a big 6–1 win. He scored two goals in August. He also captained the team several times. In March 2017, he helped Dundee United win the Scottish Challenge Cup final. He played a big role in helping the club try to get promoted back to the Scottish Premiership. They reached the play-off final but lost. He played 47 matches that season.
In the 2017–18 season, he often took on captain duties. He scored two goals, including a last-minute free kick. He also played as a right-back when needed. He helped Dundee United reach the Premiership play-offs again, but they lost in the semi-finals. This was his last professional match. He played 38 matches that season. He was released by Dundee United and turned down a youth coach role to keep playing.
Dunfermline Athletic and Bali United
In June 2018, Flood signed a one-year contract with Scottish Championship club Dunfermline Athletic. However, he left the club just over a week later. He received an offer from an Indonesian club, Bali United. He was announced as a Bali player, but the deal could not be completed due to rules about foreign players.
Retirement from Football
Willo Flood announced his retirement from football in August 2019, at the age of 34. He decided to pursue a new career as a football agent. While playing for Aberdeen, he had also started taking coaching lessons to get his UEFA License badge.
International Career
Willo Flood played for various Republic of Ireland youth teams, including the Under-16, Under-17, Under-18, and Under-19 squads.
In 2003, he was called up to the Republic of Ireland Under-20 squad for the FIFA World Youth Championship in UAE. He played four times in the tournament.
In 2004, he made his debut for the Republic of Ireland Under-21 squad. He played regularly for the U21 team until 2006. In October 2005, he scored his first goal for the U21 team. His good performances led the U21 manager to suggest he could be the next captain. This prediction came true, as he captained the U21 team in September 2006.
His strong performances at Aberdeen later caught the attention of Roy Keane, leading to a call-up to the Republic of Ireland Senior squad.
Personal Life
Willo Flood has a brother named Shane. He grew up in a family who were big supporters of Celtic. In June 2007, he became a father for the first time when his wife Antoinette gave birth to their child.
Career Statistics
| Club | Season | League | National Cup | League Cup | Europe | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Manchester City | 2003–04 | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | |
| 2004–05 | 9 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | — | — | 12 | 2 | ||||
| 2005–06 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 5 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 14 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | 18 | 2 | |||
| Rochdale (loan) | 2003–04 | Third Division | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | |
| Coventry City (loan) | 2005–06 | Championship | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 8 | 1 | ||
| Cardiff City | 2006–07 | Championship | 25 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 28 | 1 | ||
| Dundee United (loan) | 2007–08 | Scottish Premier League | 36 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 44 | 1 | |
| 2008–09 | 20 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 24 | 0 | |||
| Total | 56 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 68 | 1 | |||
| Celtic | 2008–09 | Scottish Premier League | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 5 | 0 | |
| 2009–10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 4 | 0 | |||
| Total | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 9 | 0 | |||
| Middlesbrough | 2009–10 | Championship | 11 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 11 | 1 | ||
| 2010–11 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 5 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 16 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 16 | 1 | ||||
| Dundee United | 2011–12 | Scottish Premier League | 32 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 39 | 1 | |
| 2012–13 | 37 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | — | 45 | 3 | |||
| Total | 69 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 1 | — | 84 | 4 | |||
| Aberdeen | 2013–14 | Scottish Premier League | 33 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | — | 40 | 3 | ||
| 2014–15 | 25 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 0 | — | 33 | 0 | |||
| 2015–16 | 22 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | — | 29 | 0 | |||
| 2016–17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | |||
| Total | 80 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 13 | 0 | — | 104 | 3 | |||
| Dundee United | 2016–17 | Scottish Championship | 32 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 9 | 0 | 47 | 2 | |
| 2017–18 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 2 | 1 | 12 | 1 | |||
| Total | 41 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 11 | 1 | 59 | 3 | |||
| Career total | 289 | 11 | 18 | 0 | 24 | 1 | 20 | 1 | 11 | 1 | 354 | 14 | ||
Honours and Awards
- Aberdeen
- Scottish League Cup: 2013–14
- Dundee United
- Scottish Challenge Cup: 2016–17
- Individual Awards
- Scottish Premier League Goal of the Season: 2007–08
- FAI Under-15 International Player of the Year: 2001
- FAI Under-17 International Player of the Year: 2002
- FAI Under-19 International Player of the Year: 2004
See also
In Spanish: Willo Flood para niños
