Dean Whitehead (born 12 January 1982) is an English former professional footballer and coach. A midfielder who occasionally played at right-back, he made 622 league and cup appearances in a 19-year playing career, scoring 29 goals. Whitehead joined his local non-League club Abingdon Town before he signed for Football League club Oxford United in 1999. He played for Oxford in the Second Division until their relegation into the Third Division in 2001. He was signed by Championship club Sunderland in 2004. He won promotion in his first season with Sunderland, although they were relegated from the Premier League after one season. He was made captain by Roy Keane as Sunderland claimed an instant return to the top flight. After two more seasons in the north-east, Whitehead signed for Stoke City in 2009. He helped Stoke reach the 2011 FA Cup Final, where the team finished runners-up to Manchester City. After spending four seasons with Stoke, Whitehead signed for Middlesbrough in 2013. He moved to Huddersfield Town two years later, helping them to promotion from the Championship in 2017 before retiring in 2018. Playing career Oxford United Born in Abingdon, Oxfordshire, Whitehead started his career with Abingdon Town's youth team, before joining the youth scheme of his local professional Football League club, Oxford United as an apprentice. He progressed through the ranks, making his first-team debut in a 2–0 win over Luton Town in the Football League Trophy on 7 December 1999. This turned out to be Whitehead's only appearance of the 1999–00 season, as he spent the rest of the season on the substitute bench. At the end of the 1999–00 season, he signed a contract with the club. In the 2000–01 season, Whitehead soon received a handful of first-team appearances for the club by manager Denis Smith. Although he received his first-team opportunities, he found himself in a competition with Matt Murphy and other midfielders for the central role. Despite being sidelined on two occasions, due to suspensions, Whitehead played in 23 matches in 2000–01 season, as Oxford suffered relegation to the Third Division. At the end of the 2000–01 season, he signed a long–term contract with the club. In the 2001–02 season, Whitehead scored his first goal in the Football League against Rushden & Diamonds on 31 August 2001. He was soon a first-team regular in 2001–02 season, establishing himself in the midfield position. However, halfway through the