Steven Gordon Whittaker (born 16 June 1984) is a Scottish football coach and former professional player, currently serving as the assistant manager of Ayr United. Whittaker played as a defender, primarily at right-back.
In 2012, Whittaker joined Norwich City on a free transfer. After five years in England, he returned to Hibernian in 2017, then concluded his playing career with Dunfermline Athletic in the 2020–21 season.
Following retirement, Whittaker moved into coaching. He briefly served as interim manager of Dunfermline Athletic in 2021, then worked as an assistant coach under his former teammate Scott Brown at Fleetwood Town and currently at Ayr United.
He made his first-team debut for Hibernian on 12 May 2002, in a 1–0 win against St Johnstone.[7] During the 2002–03 season, he made six additional appearances before establishing himself as a regular in the first team the following year. Initially lacking a fixed position, Whittaker struggled for form while being deployed at both right-back and in various midfield roles under manager Bobby Williamson.
The appointment of Tony Mowbray as manager later in 2004 proved pivotal for Whittaker’s development. Mowbray established him as the team’s first-choice right-back, providing much-needed positional stability. As a result, Whittaker’s performances improved significantly, and he became a regular for the Scotland under-21s. He was also instrumental in helping Hibernian secure a third-place finish in the league.
Whittaker remained a key player under both Mowbray and his successor, John Collins, and was part of the team that won the 2007 League Cup.[9] In total, he made 174 appearances in all competitions for Hibernian, scoring five goals.
Rangers
Whittaker completed a £2 million transfer to Rangers on 1 August 2007, signing a five-year contract.[10] He was assigned the number 28 shirt and made his debut on 18 August 2007 against Falkirk in the Scottish Premier League, scoring the second goal in a 7–2 victory.[11]
Initially used mainly as a left-back, Whittaker became the first-choice right-back following Alan Hutton’s transfer to Tottenham Hotspur in January 2008. On 10 April 2008, he scored Rangers’ second goal in a 2–0 away win over Sporting CP in the UEFA Cup quarter-final second leg,[12] picking up the ball near the halfway line and "dancing through the Sporting defence" before finishing.[12]
During the 2009–10 season, Whittaker switched to the number 16 shirt and scored 11 goals in all competitions, contributing to Rangers’ league and League Cup double. His increased goal tally was partly due to taking regular penalties.[13]
In July 2011, Whittaker signed a new five-year contract with Rangers after the club rejected transfer bids from Turkish side Bursaspor.[14] Later that month, during a UEFA Champions League qualifier against Malmö FF, he was sent off for throwing the ball at an opponent following a rough challenge.
In February 2012, Rangers entered administration and were later liquidated. Businessman Charles Green purchased the club’s assets and sought to transfer player contracts to a new corporate entity. Whittaker was among several players who objected to the move.[15] According to PFA Scotland, players were entitled to become free agents if they did not consent to the transfer.[16]
Explaining his decision, Whittaker stated in a press conference: "I'm 28 and I want to play at the top level for as much as I can. It doesn't look like Rangers will be in the SPL, and there's no European football. We owe no loyalty to the new club. There is no history there for us."[15]
Norwich City
Whittaker signed for English Premier League club Norwich City on 30 June 2012, agreeing to a four-year deal.[17] On 20 July, he received provisional international clearance from FIFA that allowed him to play while arbitration over his move from Rangers was ongoing.[18]
Whittaker suffered an ankle injury during a pre-season friendly against Celtic,[19] which caused him to miss the beginning of the 2012–13 Premier League season. Two months later, he described the injury as the worst of his career.[20] He made his competitive debut for Norwich on 31 October, playing at right back in a 2–1 win against Tottenham Hotspur in the League Cup. He then made his league debut a few days later, again at right back, playing the full 90 minutes in a 1–0 win over Stoke City. After the match, Whittaker expressed his satisfaction at starting his Premier League career with a win.[21] On 8 December 2012, he scored his first Premier League goal, assisted by Robert Snodgrass, in a 4–3 victory over Swansea City.[22]
Whittaker scored in the opening match of the 2013–14 Premier League season against Everton. His initial shot struck the post, but he reacted quickly to score on the rebound. He also registered an assist, as his sliced shot fell kindly to debutant Ricky van Wolfswinkel, who headed in the equalizer.[23] Although Norwich were relegated that season, Whittaker played regularly in the 2014–15 campaign as the club earned promotion back to the Premier League via the play-offs. He assisted one of the goals in the play-off final.[24]
Whittaker received his first red card in a league match against Southampton in August 2015. He was booked for preventing Matt Targett from taking a throw-in, and three minutes later received a second yellow card for pulling the shirt of Dušan Tadić.[25] Norwich went on to lose the match 3–0.[26] Norwich were again relegated at the end of the 2015–16 season, and Whittaker saw reduced first-team action in the following campaign. In May 2017, Norwich announced he would leave the club upon the expiry of his contract.[24]
Hibernian (second spell)
On 15 July 2017, Whittaker rejoined Hibernian on a three-year deal.[27] He scored in his second league debut for Hibs, a 3–1 win against Partick Thistle on 5 August 2017.[28]
A hip injury sidelined Whittaker during the latter part of the 2018–19 season.[29]
Following the sacking of head coach Paul Heckingbottom in November 2019, Whittaker assisted caretaker manager Eddie May.[30] After four months out of the team, Whittaker returned in January 2020, playing as a defensive midfielder in both matches of a Scottish Cup tie against Dundee United.[31]
Whittaker was one of three first-team players released by Hibernian at the end of the 2019–20 season.[32]
He was later named in the Scotland B team for a match against a Republic of Ireland B side on 20 November 2007.[37] Whittaker started the game and played 68 minutes before being replaced by Ross McCormack.[38] He had also featured in a goalless draw between the two sides in November 2006.[39]
Whittaker made his debut for the senior Scotland team on 12 August 2009 in a 4–0 defeat against Norway.[40] His second cap came in a 2–0 win over Macedonia on 5 September 2009, when he replaced the injured Callum Davidson.[41]
Whittaker earned 31 caps for Scotland, with his international career spanning from 2009 to March 2016. He was dropped from the squad after losing his place at Norwich City but was recalled in August 2017.[42]
Coaching career
Whittaker, who had been working as a coach at Dunfermline Athletic following his retirement as a player, was appointed joint interim manager—alongside Greg Shields—after the departure of Peter Grant in October 2021.[43] Shields and Whittaker took charge of two matches before John Hughes was appointed as permanent manager.[44]
On 13 May 2022, Whittaker joined Fleetwood Town as assistant manager under his former Hibernian and Scotland teammate Scott Brown. The pair were dismissed by the club in September 2023.[45] They reunited at Ayr United in January 2024, with Brown taking over as manager and Whittaker again serving as his assistant.[46]
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