Patrick Almond
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 13 December 2002 | ||
| Place of birth | Northumberland, England | ||
| Height | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Defender | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Whitley Bay | ||
| Number | 5 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2012–2014 | Wallsend Boys Club | ||
| 2014–2021 | Sunderland | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2021–2022 | Sunderland | 0 | (0) |
| 2022 | → Blyth Spartans (loan) | 21 | (1) |
| 2022–2023 | Shildon | 2 | (0) |
| 2022–2023 | Darlington | 2 | (0) |
| 2023- | Whitley Bay | 23 | (2) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 17:03, 03 May 2024 (UTC) | |||
Patrick Joseph Almond (born 13 December 2002) is an English[1] footballer who currently plays as a central defender for Whitley Bay FC.
Professional career[edit]
Sunderland AFC[edit]
Almond is a product of Sunderland's Academy system having been there since the age of 11 and was a regular starter in the Under-23 team during the 2020–21 season.[2] He signed his first Professional Contract in the summer of 2021, which was incorrectly reported as an extension to a previous Contract.[3]
He was an unused first-team substitute for two EFL Trophy games against Fleetwood Town and Lincoln City in the 2020–21 season after impressing for the Under-23s.[4] He gained his senior professional debut in the same competition on 13 October 2021, in a 2–1 win over Manchester United U-23s[5] after also being an unused substitute against Lincoln City the week before, again in the EFL Trophy.
Blyth Spartans (loan)[edit]
On 14 January 2022, Almond joined National League North side Blyth Spartans on loan for the remainder of the 2021–22 season.[6] He made his League debut for Blyth Spartans during the win against Alfreton Town on 22 January 2022.[7] Almond went on to score his first senior goal against Southport FC in a League fixture on the 22 February 2022.[8]
Almond went on to be an every present in the Blyth Spartans team for the remainder of the 2021–22 season, making 24 senior appearances in total, including the Northumberland Senior Cup win against Newcastle United U23's at St James’ Park on 5 May 2022.[9] Almond returned to Sunderland AFC at the end of his loan spell but was released at the end of the 2021–22 season in June 2022.
Return to football[edit]
After being involved in a car accident in June 2022, Almond returned to football in November 2022 playing for Shildon in the Northern Premier League Division One East, making his debut against Grimsby Borough.[10]
On 13 December 2022, Almond was signed on dual registration by Darlington as defensive cover during the remainder of the 2022–23 season.[11] He went on to make his debut as a substitute in the FA Trophy win against Spennymoor Town on 20 December.[12] During an FA Trophy match at Southend United on 14 January 2023, Almond suffered a suspected concussion and was taken to hospital locally, where he was diagnosed with a bleed on the brain and transferred to a London hospital for specialist treatment.[13]
After spending nearly 3 weeks in hospital Almond was discharged to start his recovery at home, with his football career in the balance,[14] but remained hopeful and positive that a return was possible.[15]
Almond signed for Whitley Bay FC in November 2023 and made his debut against Northallerton Town in a Northern Football League Division One fixture on the 11 November 2023. His recovery continued to progress well, with Whitley Bay Manager at the time Nick Gray, giving some positive feedback.[16]
Career statistics[edit]
- As of match played 30 April 2024
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Sunderland | 2021–22[17] | League One | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1[a] | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Blyth Spartans (loan) | 2021–22[18][19] | National League North | 21 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3[b] | 0 | 24 | 1 |
| Shildon | 2022–23[20] | Northern Premier League Division One East | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Darlington | 2022–23[18] | National League North | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2[c] | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Whitley Bay | 2023-24[21] | Northern Football League Division One | 23 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 2 |
| Career total | 48 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 54 | 3 | ||
- ^ Appearance in EFL Trophy
- ^ Appearances in Northumberland Senior Cup
- ^ Appearance in FA Trophy
References[edit]
- ^ Jamieson, Stuart (2021-06-12). "5 Sunderland players who could step up to first-team level". ChronicleLive. Retrieved 2021-10-21.
- ^ "Elliott Dickman has this message as new-look Sunderland Under-23 side start pre-season with a win". www.sunderlandecho.com. Retrieved 2021-10-21.
- ^ Jamieson, Stuart (2021-07-01). "Sunderland sign six youngsters for Under-23 side". ChronicleLive. Retrieved 2021-10-21.
- ^ Hunter, James (2021-02-20). "Lee Johnson predicts 'bright future' for a young Sunderland academy graduate". ChronicleLive. Retrieved 2021-10-21.
- ^ "EFL Trophy (Sky Sports)". Sky Sports. Retrieved 2021-10-21.
- ^ "Loan deal: Almond joins Blyth Spartans". Sunderland AFC. 14 January 2022. Retrieved 14 January 2022.
- ^ Carruthers, Mark (2022-01-22). "Sunderland youngster Almond receives praise after making debut on loan at Blyth Spartans". www.sunderlandecho.com. Retrieved 2022-02-02.
- ^ "Report | Southport 2-3 Blyth Spartans | National League North | 21/22". Blyth Spartans AFC. 2022-02-23. Retrieved 2022-03-11.
- ^ "Report | Newcastle United U23s 2-3 Blyth Spartans | Northumberland Senior Cup Final | 21/22". Blyth Spartans AFC. 2022-05-05. Retrieved 2022-10-14.
- ^ Chris Hughes spoke to Chris Pearce following today's 1-1 draw with Grimsby Borough FC, retrieved 2022-11-21
- ^ "Quakers sign defender Patrick Almond". darlingtonfc.co.uk. 13 December 2022. Retrieved 2022-12-14.
- ^ "Superb Quakers cruise to victory at Spennymoor". darlingtonfc.co.uk. 20 December 2022. Retrieved 2022-12-21.
- ^ Wilson, Scott (14 January 2023). "Darlington: Paddy Almond rushed to hospital with bleed on brain". The Northern Echo. Darlington. Retrieved 15 January 2023.
- ^ "Darlington FC player Paddy Almond says career future is uncertain after suffering bleed on the brain". itv.com. 6 February 2023. Retrieved 6 February 2023.
- ^ "Almond 'fortunate' after life-threatening injury". BBC Sport. Retrieved 2023-02-17.
- ^ Carruthers, Mark (10 January 2024). "Former Sunderland defender tipped for 'great things' after comeback from life-threatening injuries". Sunderland Echo. Retrieved 10 January 2024.
- ^ "Games played by Patrick Almond in 2021/2022". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 21 December 2022.
- ^ a b "P. Almond". Soccerway. Perform Group. Retrieved 21 December 2022.
- ^ For Northumberland Senior Cup appearances, via match reports linked at "Northumberland Senior Cup". Blyth Spartans AFC. Archived from the original on 28 May 2022.
- ^ "Shildon – Appearances – Patrick Almond". Football Web Pages. Retrieved 8 January 2023.
- ^ "PLAYER STATS". Whitley Bay FC. Retrieved 2024-02-19.