Adam Webster (footballer, born 1995)

Adam Webster

Webster playing for Brighton & Hove Albion in 2022
Personal information
Full name	Adam Harry Webster [1]
Date of birth	(1995-01-04) 4 January 1995 (age 29) [2]
Place of birth	Chichester, England
Height	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) [3]
Position(s)	Centre-back [4]
Team information
Current team	Brighton & Hove Albion
Number	4
Youth career
2007–2012	Portsmouth
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2012–2016	Portsmouth	67	(5)
2013–2014	→ Aldershot Town (loan)	24	(0)
2016–2018	Ipswich Town	51	(1)
2018–2019	Bristol City	44	(3)
2019–	Brighton & Hove Albion	119	(6)
International career
2012	England U18	1	(0)
2012–2013	England U19	6	(0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 23:25, 2 March 2024 (UTC)

Adam Harry Webster (born 4 January 1995) is an English professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Premier League club Brighton & Hove Albion. Webster is a product of Portsmouth's youth academy and made his first-team debut for the club in 2012.

Early life

Webster was born in Chichester, West Sussex ^[5] and was raised in nearby West Wittering. ^[6]

Club career

Portsmouth

Webster joined Portsmouth at 12 years old, following rejections from Southampton, Chelsea and even Portsmouth from the age of 10. ^[7] He signed academy scholarship with the club in the summer of 2011. ^[8]

Under the management of Michael Appleton, Webster was given more first-team opportunities. Following an unused substitute appearance against Chelsea in the FA Cup, ^[9] he made his debut at the age of 17 the following weekend in a Football League Championship match against West Ham United. ^[10] He came on at right back in place of Greg Halford on the 75th minute.

In the following season, Webster received the no. 22 jersey, and had more opportunities in first team, making his breakthrough as a full back. When recalled from Aldershot Town, he was put into the starting line up against Hartlepool United. Webster scored the only goal of the game, and his first senior goal, handing Portsmouth a 1–0 victory. ^[11]

Aldershot Town (loan)

On 6 August 2013, Webster joined Aldershot Town on loan, until January 2014. ^[12] He made his Shots debut four days later, in a 1–1 away draw against Grimsby. ^[13] He returned to Pompey on 4 January, after making 21 appearances, and on the 21st he rejoined the Shots on loan until the end of the season.^{[ citation needed ]}

Ipswich Town

Webster playing for Ipswich Town in 2016

On 6 June 2016, Webster moved to EFL Championship club Ipswich Town from Portsmouth for an undisclosed fee, in a deal which also saw defender Matt Clarke go in the opposite direction. ^[14] He made his debut for the club on 6 August, starting in a 4–2 home win over Barnsley at Portman Road. ^[15] He scored his first goal for Ipswich against Birmingham City on 13 December 2016. ^[16] Webster made 24 appearances in all competitions during the 2016–17 season, scoring once. ^[17]

Webster made his first appearance of the 2017–18 season on the opening day of the season in a 1–0 win over Birmingham City. He formed a defensive partnership with club captain Luke Chambers over the course of the season, making made 29 appearances in all competitions during his second season at the club. ^[18]

Bristol City

On 28 June 2018, Webster transferred to fellow Football League Championship club Bristol City for an initial fee of £3.5 million rising up to £8 million. ^[19]

Brighton & Hove Albion

On 3 August 2019, Brighton completed the signing of Webster, signing him on a four-year deal for an undisclosed fee. ^[20] He made his debut 25 days later on the 27 August in a 2–1 away win against Bristol Rovers in the EFL Cup. ^[21] Webster made his Premier League debut and league debut for the Seagulls starting in the 4–0 away loss to defending champions Manchester City on 31 August. ^[22] Webster scored his first goal for Brighton and his first in the top flight on 19 October in a 2–1 defeat to Aston Villa at Villa Park. ^[23] Throughout Webster's debut season for Brighton he kept his competition in Shane Duffy out of the starting line-up on a regular basis, starting in all 31 league appearances he played in, scoring three goals, assisting one and recording five clean sheets. ^{[24] [25] [26]}

Webster played in Brighton's 1–0 away victory over defending champions Liverpool on 3 February, claiming their first league win at Anfield since 1982. ^[27] He scored his first goal of the season, scoring the equaliser – coming from 2–0 down – in an eventual 3–2 home victory over champions Manchester City on 18 May, with fans returning to football. ^[28]

Webster signed a new five-year contract with Brighton on 2 August 2021, extending his tenure at the club until 2026. ^[29] He went off with a hamstring injury in an eventual 1–0 away win over Brentford on 11 September, which ruled out for four matches. ^{[30] [31]} He scored his first goal of the season on his return on 27 October, with Brighton's first equaliser in an eventual penalty shoot-out loss away at Leicester City in the fourth round of the EFL Cup. ^[32] He made his return to Premier League action on 6 November, coming on as a 75th-minute substitute for Tariq Lamptey in the 1–1 home draw against Newcastle. ^[33] After making a few appearances since his return to fitness Webster suffered a further injury blow as he was forced off with a calf injury in the first half of a 1–1 away draw at West Ham on 1 December. ^{[34] [35]} It was revealed that he would be out until Brentford's visit to Falmer Stadium on 26 December at the earliest. ^[36] Webster did make his return in this match, playing the whole match helping Brighton end their 12-game winless run by beating Brentford 2–0. ^[37] Webster scored his second goal of the season – and first league goal, a header from an Alexis Mac Allister corner scoring the equaliser in the 1–1 home draw against European champions Chelsea on 18 January 2022, in which he captained the side in Lewis Dunk's absence. ^[38] Webster suffered a further injury with his groin in mid February and spent almost two months out injured making his return as a substitute in a 2–1 away win over Arsenal on 9 April, ending Brighton's seven match winless streak. ^{[39] [40]} On 7 May, Webster came on as a substitute to see off Brighton's biggest ever top flight victory, a 4–0 win over Manchester United. ^[41]

On 1 October 2022, after Robert Sánchez misjudged a cross into the box, the ball bounced off Webster into Brighton's net, before Leandro Trossard scored the decisive equaliser in the eventual 3–3 away draw at Liverpool. ^[42] The defender suffered with injuries throughout the season. ^[43] On 19 March 2023, Webster assisted Solly March's powerful header who made a diagonal run into the box as Brighton went on to reach the FA Cup semi-final after winning 5–0 at home to League Two side Grimsby Town. ^[44] He made the starting eleven at Wembley on 23 April, and after a goalless 120-minutes of play he scored Brighton's sixth penalty, as they were eventually defeated in the shootout against Manchester United to be denied a place in the final. ^[45] On 4 May, Webster helped keep a clean sheet to deny Manchester United where Brighton got revenge over the Red Devils, with Alexis Mac Allister scoring a 99th-minute penalty to claim a 1–0 home victory and all three points. ^[46] He made 27 Premier League appearances throughout the season as Brighton finished in sixth place, qualifying for the 2023–24 UEFA Europa League, the club's first ever European qualification. ^[47]

International career

The same week he made his debut for Portsmouth, Webster was called up to the England U17's for a friendly tournament in Portugal. ^[48]

In October 2012, Webster was called up to the England U19, but his manager Michael Appleton blocked the requests from FA due to player shortage in Portsmouth. ^[49] Later in the month, he was called up to England U18's. ^[50]

On 24 October 2012, Webster made his national team debut at under-18 level in a 2–0 win against Italy. ^[51]

On 13 November 2012, Webster made his England Under 19's debut in a 1–0 win over Finland, coming as a second-half substitute for Jack Stephens. ^[52] On 24 May 2013, Webster made his third appearance for the U19's coming on as a substitute in a match against Georgia.^{[ citation needed ]}

Career statistics

As of match played 2 March 2024

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition

Club	Season	League			FA Cup		League Cup		Other		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Portsmouth	2011–12 [53]	Championship	3	0	0	0	0	0	—		3	0
	2012–13 [54]	League One	18	0	1	0	1	0	1 [lower-alpha 1]	0	21	0
	2013–14 [55]	League Two	4	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	4	2
	2014–15 [56]	League Two	15	1	0	0	2	0	1 [lower-alpha 1]	0	18	1
	2015–16 [57]	League Two	27	2	5	0	2	0	1 [lower-alpha 1]	0	35	2
	Total		67	5	6	0	5	0	3	0	81	5
Aldershot Town (loan)	2013–14 [55]	Conference Premier	24	0	0	0	—		4 [lower-alpha 2]	0	28	0
Ipswich Town	2016–17 [17]	Championship	23	1	1	0	0	0	—		24	1
	2017–18 [18]	Championship	28	0	0	0	1	0	—		29	0
	Total		51	1	1	0	1	0	0	0	53	1
Bristol City	2018–19 [58]	Championship	44	3	2	0	1	0	—		47	3
Brighton & Hove Albion	2019–20 [59]	Premier League	31	3	1	0	1	0	—		33	3
	2020–21 [60]	Premier League	29	1	2	0	0	0	—		31	1
	2021–22 [61]	Premier League	22	2	1	0	1	1	—		24	3
	2022–23 [62]	Premier League	27	0	4	0	1	0	—		32	0
	2023–24 [63]	Premier League	10	0	2	0	0	0	1 [lower-alpha 3]	0	13	0
	Total		119	6	10	0	3	1	1	0	133	7
Career total			304	15	19	0	10	1	8	0	341	16

1. Appearance in Football League Trophy
2. Appearances in FA Trophy
3. Appearance in UEFA Europa League

Honours

Individual

• Bristol City Player of the Year: 2018–19 ^[64]

References

1. "Premier League clubs publish 2019/20 retained lists". Premier League. 26 June 2020. Retrieved 9 July 2020.
2. "Adam Webster: Overview". ESPN. Retrieved 9 July 2020.
3. "Adam Webster: Overview". Premier League. Retrieved 9 July 2020.
4. "Adam Webster: Profile". worldfootball.net. HEIM:SPIEL. Retrieved 9 July 2020.
5. "Adam Webster". 11v11.com. AFS Enterprises. Retrieved 9 July 2020.
6. Piercy, James (3 August 2019). "Adam Webster reveals why he has swapped Bristol City for Brighton & Hove Albion". Bristol Live. Local World. Retrieved 9 July 2020.
7. How three-time rejected Webster never gave up on his dream Archived 24 September 2015 at the Wayback Machine ; Portsmouth News, 29 October 2012
8. Nine Offered Scholarships Archived 13 February 2011 at the Wayback Machine ; Portsmouth F.C., 9 February 2011
9. Three Changes at Chelsea; Portsmouth F.C., 8 January 2012
10. Pompey 0 West Ham 1 Archived 16 January 2012 at the Wayback Machine ; Portsmouth F.C., 14 January 2012
11. Pompey 1 Hartlepool 0; Portsmouth F.C., 5 April 2014
12. Webster Loaned To Aldershot; Portsmouth FC, 6 August 2013
13. Grimsby 1–1 Aldershot; BBC Sport, 10 August 2013
14. "Adam Webster: Ipswich sign Portsmouth defender, Matt Clarke goes other way". BBC Sport. 6 June 2016. Retrieved 7 June 2016.
15. "Ipswich Town 4-2 Barnsley". BBC Sport. 6 August 2016. Retrieved 27 January 2020.
16. "Birmingham City 2-1 Ipswich Town". BBC Sport. 13 December 2016. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
17. "Games played by Adam Webster in 2016/2017". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 1 February 2019.
18. "Games played by Adam Webster in 2017/2018". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 1 February 2019.
19. "Adam Webster completes £3.5m transfer from Ipswich Town to Championship rivals Bristol City|Ipswich Town FC and Suffolk & Essex Sport". East Anglian Daily Times. 28 June 2018. Retrieved 28 June 2018.
20. "DEAL DONE FOR WEBSTER". Brighton & Hove Albion. 3 August 2019. Archived from the original on 3 August 2019. Retrieved 3 August 2019.
21. "Bristol Rovers v Brighton & Hove Albion - BBC Sport". BBC Sport. 27 August 2019. Retrieved 27 August 2019.
22. "Manchester City 4–0 Brighton & Hove Albion - BBC Sport". BBC Sport. 31 August 2019. Retrieved 31 August 2019.
23. "Aston Villa 2-1 Brighton: Grealish inspires Villa to late win over 10−man Brighton - BBC Sport". BBC Sport. 5 October 2019. Retrieved 19 October 2019.
24. "Brighton defender Shane Duffy determined to keep his place for Liverpool test". Brighton & Hove Independent. 27 November 2019. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
25. "Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 Brighton & Hove Albion: Harry Kane and Dele Alli complete turnaround for Spurs - BBC Sport". BBC Sport. 26 December 2019. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
26. "Adam Webster Statistics - Premier League". Premier League. 27 November 2019. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
27. "Liverpool 0-1 Brighton & Hove Albion: Steven Alzate scores in shock win". BBC Sport. 3 February 2021. Retrieved 3 February 2021.
28. "Brighton 3-2 Man City: Albion come back from two down to beat 10-man champions - BBC Sport". BBC Sport. 18 May 2021. Retrieved 18 May 2021.
29. "Adam Webster: Brighton defender signs new five-year deal". BBC Sport. 2 August 2021. Retrieved 3 August 2021.
30. "Brentford 0-1 Brighton: Leandro Trossard scores last-minute winner for Seagulls - BBC Sport". BBC Sport. 11 September 2021. Retrieved 27 October 2021.
31. "Adam Webster ruled out of Brighton's next four matches with hamstring injury - The Athletic". The Athletic. 17 September 2021. Retrieved 27 October 2021.
32. "Leicester City 2-2 Brighton & Hove Albion: Foxes win 4-2 on penalties - BBC Sport". BBC Sport. 27 October 2021. Retrieved 27 October 2021.
33. "Brighton & Hove Albion 1-1 Newcastle United: Magpies fight back to draw as Eddie Howe watches from the stands - BBC Sport". BBC Sport. 6 November 2021. Retrieved 6 November 2021.
34. "West Ham 1-1 Brighton: Neal Maupay scores late equaliser after early Tomas Soucek goal for the Hammers - BBC Sport". BBC Sport. 1 December 2021. Retrieved 17 December 2021.
35. "Brighton trio out of match against Southampton after West Ham injuries - The Argus". The Argus. 2 December 2021. Retrieved 17 December 2021.
36. "Brighton without injured Adam Webster until Boxing Day at earliest - The Athletic". The Athletic. 13 December 2021. Retrieved 17 December 2021.
37. "Brighton & Hove Albion 2-0 Brentford: Trossard lob helps Seagulls end winless run - BBC Sport". BBC Sport. 26 December 2021. Retrieved 26 December 2021.
38. "Brighton 1-1 Chelsea: Albion further damage Blues' title hopes - BBC Sport". Brighton & Hove Albion F.C. 18 January 2022. Retrieved 18 January 2022.
39. "Brighton boss Graham Potter delivers injury update ahead of Arsenal, Tottenham and Man City - SussexLive". SussexLive. 7 April 2022. Retrieved 9 April 2022.
40. "Arsenal 1-2 Brighton: Gunners boss Mikel Arteta 'concerned' by performance in home defeat - BBC Sport". BBC Sport. 9 April 2022. Retrieved 9 April 2022.
41. "Brighton 4-0 Manchester United: Big defeat ends United's Champions League hopes - BBC Sport". BBC Sport. 7 May 2022. Retrieved 7 May 2022.
42. "Liverpool 3-3 Brighton: Leandro Trossard scores hat-trick to deny Reds victory - BBC Sport". BBC Sport. 1 October 2022. Retrieved 2 October 2022.
43. "Brighton boss provides Adam Webster injury update ahead of Crystal Palace". SussexWorld. 11 March 2023. Retrieved 21 August 2023.
44. "Wembley next as Albion cruise into FA Cup semi-finals". Brighton & Hove Albion F.C. 19 March 2023. Retrieved 19 March 2023.
45. "It's Wembley heartbreak as Albion are beaten on penalties". Brighton & Hove Albion F.C. 23 April 2023. Retrieved 24 April 2023.
46. "Brighton & Hove Albion 1 Manchester United 0". BBC Sport . 4 May 2023.
47. "Brighton 1-1 Manchester City: Julio Enciso scores stunning equaliser to seal Europa League place". BBC Sport. 24 May 2023. Retrieved 21 August 2023.
48. Webster Gets England Call Archived 19 January 2012 at the Wayback Machine ; Portsmouth F.C., 17 January 2012
49. Portsmouth Michael Appleton backs Adam Webster for international honours; Sky Sports, 5 October 2012
50. Pompey defender called up to England squad; Pompey Pages, 21 October 2012
51. Veevers, Nicholas (24 October 2012). "LIONS VICTORIOUS IN MANSFIELD". The Football Association. Archived from the original on 5 January 2013. Retrieved 25 October 2012.
52. "England 1–0 Finland" The FA.com. 13 November 2012. Retrieved 14 November 2012.
53. "Games played by Adam Webster in 2011/2012". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 1 February 2019.
54. "Games played by Adam Webster in 2012/2013". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 1 February 2019.
55. "Games played by Adam Webster in 2013/2014". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 1 February 2019.
56. "Games played by Adam Webster in 2014/2015". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 1 February 2019.
57. "Games played by Adam Webster in 2015/2016". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 1 February 2019.
58. "Games played by Adam Webster in 2018/2019". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 1 February 2019.
59. "Games played by Adam Webster in 2019/2020". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
60. "Games played by Adam Webster in 2020/2021". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
61. "Games played by Adam Webster in 2021/2022". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 14 August 2021.
62. "Games played by Adam Webster in 2022/2023". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 8 August 2022.
63. "Games played by Adam Webster in 2023/2024". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 14 August 2023.
64. "DOUBLE AWARD FOR WEBSTER". Bristol City Official Website. 26 April 2019. Retrieved 9 May 2019.

External links

• Adam Webster at Soccerbase