since 1980. Towards the end of 2010–11, Whitehead lost his place in the starting eleven to a resurging Glenn Whelan, making a number of cameo appearances from the bench. One of these came at Wembley Stadium in the 2011 FA Cup Final defeat to Manchester City. Ahead of the 2011–12 season, Whitehead said that he was expecting to face new competition in the club's midfield section. He then made his 100th appearance for Stoke on 3 November 2011 in a UEFA Europa League match against Maccabi Tel Aviv, scoring the first goal in a 2–1 victory. He played in 10 of Stoke's 12 European fixtures in 2011–12, and ended the season having played in 47 matches in total. He made a bad start to 2012–13, as on the opening day of the season away to Reading he conceded a 90th-minute penalty and was sent off after picking up a second yellow card. He remained back-up to Glenn Whelan for the remainder of the season, being used mainly as a substitute, although he was assigned as a stand-in right back in the absence of Andy Wilkinson and Ryan Shotton. He was released by Stoke at the end of 2012–13. Middlesbrough Whitehead signed a two-year contract with Championship club Middlesbrough on 2 July 2013. Manager Tony Mowbray revealed that Whitehead's experience of gaining promotion from the Championship twice was the key reason in signing him. Upon joining the club, he was given a number eighteen shirt ahead of a new season. He made his Middlesbrough debut in a 2–1 loss against Leicester City in the opening game of the season. Since joining the club, he quickly established himself in the starting eleven in the midfield position. Despite being in the first-team, Whitehead faced strong competition from other midfielders at the Riverside Stadium. After missing four matches between late–October and late–November, he returned as a late substitute on 30 November 2013, in a 1–0 win over Bolton Wanderers. Whitehead scored his first and what turned out to be only goal for the club in a 2–1 loss away to Derby County on 4 December. Two weeks later, on 21 December, he captained Middlesbrough for the first time, in a 2–0 win over Millwall. Later in the 2013–14 season, Whitehead was suspended on three occasions, including being sent–off for dissent, in a 1–0 loss against Sheffield Wednesday on 1 March. Despite this, he remained