Danny Whitaker
Daniel Phillip Whitaker (born 14 November 1980) is an English former professional football player and manager who is the head coach of Northern Premier League Premier Division club Bradford (Park Avenue).
|
Whitaker (in green) playing for Oldham Athletic | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Daniel Phillip Whitaker | ||
| Date of birth | 14 November 1980 | ||
| Place of birth | Wilmslow, England | ||
| Height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | ||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team |
Bradford (Park Avenue) (head coach) | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Manchester United | |||
| Bradford City | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| Wilmslow Albion | |||
| 2001–2006 | Macclesfield Town | 172 | (23) |
| 2006–2008 | Port Vale | 86 | (13) |
| 2008–2010 | Oldham Athletic | 80 | (8) |
| 2010–2013 | Chesterfield | 106 | (21) |
| 2013–2019 | Macclesfield Town | 226 | (37) |
| 2020 | Macclesfield Town | 0 | (0) |
| 2021–2022 | Macclesfield | 1 | (0) |
| Total | 671 | (102) | |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2018 | Macclesfield Town (caretaker) | ||
| 2019 | Macclesfield Town (caretaker) | ||
| 2020 | Macclesfield Town (caretaker) | ||
| 2020–2022 | Macclesfield | ||
| 2023– | Bradford (Park Avenue) | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
A former Manchester United Academy player, Whitaker turned professional with Macclesfield Town in 2001. He spent five years with the club, and made over 200 appearances in all competitions, before he switched to Port Vale in June 2006. He played over 100 games for the Vale in two seasons, before he signed for Oldham Athletic in June 2008. Again a first-team regular, he left after two seasons to join Chesterfield in May 2010. He helped the club to the League Two title in 2010–11, and also won himself a place on the division's PFA Team of the Year. He also helped the club to the Football League Trophy title in 2012. He returned to Macclesfield Town in August 2013, and played in the club's defeat at the 2017 FA Trophy final, before helping the club to win promotion back to the English Football League as champions of the National League. He was appointed as the club's caretaker manager in November 2018, before announcing his retirement in July 2019. He again stepped up to become caretaker manager at Macclesfield in August 2019 and January 2020, before he was appointed as the first manager, in October 2020.
Whitaker led phoenix club Macclesfield to the North West Counties Premier Division title at the end of the 2021–22 season, before losing his job in October 2022. He took charge at Bradford (Park Avenue) in December 2023.