Óscar Whalley Explained

Óscar Whalley
Full Name:Óscar Alexander Whalley Guardado[1]
Birth Date:29 March 1994
Birth Place:Zaragoza, Spain
Height:1.90 m
Position:Goalkeeper
Clubnumber:30
Youthclubs1:Amistad
Youthyears2:2006–2013
Youthclubs2:Zaragoza
Years1:2013–2015
Caps1:26
Goals1:0
Years2:2014–2016
Caps2:22
Goals2:0
Years3:2015–2016
Clubs3:Huesca (loan)
Caps3:15
Goals3:0
Years4:2016–2018
Caps4:1
Goals4:0
Years5:2018–2019
Caps5:12
Goals5:0
Years6:2019–2020
Caps6:10
Goals6:0
Years7:2020–2021
Caps7:24
Goals7:0
Years8:2021–2023
Caps8:68
Goals8:0
Years9:2023–
Caps9:0
Goals9:0
Nationalyears1:2014
Nationalcaps1:1
Nationalgoals1:0
Club-Update:1 May 2023

Óscar Alexander Whalley Guardado (born 29 March 1994) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Liga MX club Guadalajara.

Club career

Born in Zaragoza, Aragon, to an English father and a Spanish Mexican mother,[2] Whalley spent his first season as a senior with Real Zaragoza's reserves in the Tercera División. On 31 May 2014, as first choice Leo Franco declared his desire to leave the country and understudy Pablo Alcolea was injured, he played his first match as a professional, starting in a 1–1 home draw against Sporting de Gijón in the Segunda División.[3]

The following campaign, Whalley appeared in 19 games as Zaragoza came sixth,[4] and a further one on 11 June 2015 as they lost their play-off semi-final first leg 3–0 at home to Girona FC.[5] He was subsequently dropped for Bono for the rest of the tournament, as the team won the tie on away goals and lost the final by the same rule to UD Las Palmas.[6] [4]

On 10 July 2015, Whalley was loaned to neighbouring SD Huesca also in the second tier.[7] On 8 August of the following year he signed with La Liga club Sporting Gijón, as third choice behind Iván Cuéllar and Diego Mariño.[8]

Whalley moved abroad for the first time in his career on 12 June 2018, joining Danish Superliga side Aarhus Gymnastikforening.[9] On 13 August 2019, he left for OFI Crete F.C. of the Super League Greece.[10]

Whalley returned to Spain and its second division on 3 September 2020, after agreeing to a two-year contract with newly-promoted club CD Castellón.[11] The following 25 July 2021, after suffering relegation, he joined CD Lugo in the same league.[12]

On 12 June 2023, Whalley joined Liga MX club Guadalajara.[13]

International career

Whalley won his only cap for Spain at under-21 level on 12 November 2014, playing the second half of the 1–4 friendly loss to Belgium in Ferrol.[14] He stated he would willingly accept a call up to the England national team if asked, as he was eligible through his father, and previously mentioned he preferred to represent them internationally.[15] [16] He was likewise eligible to represent Mexico through his mother.[17]

Club statistics

Club

[18]

Club! rowspan="2"
SeasonLeagueCupTotal
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Zaragoza2013–14Segunda División200020
2014–1520000200
Total22000220
Huesca (loan)2015–16Segunda División15020170
Sporting Gijón2017–18Segunda División101020
AGF2018–19Danish Superliga10010110
2019–20200020
Total12010130
OFI2019–20Super League Greece10040140
Castellón2020–21Segunda División24020260
Lugo2021–22Segunda División30010310
2022–2338000380
Total68010690
Guadalajara2023–24Liga MX000000
Career total15201101630

Notes and References

  1. News: Whalley. Diario AS. es. 3 November 2022.
  2. News: El portero Óscar Whalley se asoma a la titularidad del Real Zaragoza. Goalkeeper Óscar Whalley eyes Zaragoza's starting spot. Heraldo de Aragón. es. 30 May 2014. 8 June 2014.
  3. News: Los de Abelardo salvan un punto pero no aseguran los 'playoffs'. Abelardo's men rescue a point but can not ensure the playoffs. Marca. es. 31 May 2014. 8 June 2014.
  4. Web site: El 'Brexit' posiciona a Whalley en Inglaterra. 'Brexit' puts Whalley in England. El Desmarque. es. 25 June 2016. 3 November 2022.
  5. News: El Girona sentencia en la noche negra de Óscar Whalley. Girona sentence in Óscar Whalley's black night. Diario AS. Pedro Luis. Ferrer. es. 11 June 2015. 21 March 2016.
  6. News: Yassine Bounou Bono: "Me he sentido como un zaragocista más y me encantaría volver a jugar allí". Yassine Bounou Bono: "I felt like another zaragocista and I would love to play there again". El Periódico de Aragón. es. 27 June 2015. 3 November 2022.
  7. Web site: Acuerdo entre Real Zaragoza y S.D. Huesca para la cesión de Óscar Whalley. Agreement between Real Zaragoza and S.D. Huesca for the loan of Óscar Whalley. Real Zaragoza. es. 10 July 2015. 11 July 2015.
  8. News: El Sporting cierra la portería con la llegada de Whalley. Sporting complete their goal with the arrival of Whalley. La Nueva España. Víctor. Rivera. es. 8 August 2016. 8 August 2016.
  9. Web site: AGF henter målmand i Spanien. AGF sign goalkeeper in Spain. Aarhus Gymnastikforening. da. 12 June 2018. 12 June 2018.
  10. Web site: Bekræftet: AGF sender keeper til Kreta. Confirmed: AGF send goalkeeper to Crete. Bold. da. 13 August 2019. 14 August 2019.
  11. Web site: FICHAJE: Óscar Whalley, nuevo jugador del CD Castellón. SIGNING: Óscar Whalley, new player of CD Castellón. CD Castellón. es. 3 September 2020. 3 September 2020.
  12. Web site: Óscar Whalley, nuevo jugador del CD Lugo. Óscar Whalley, new player of CD Lugo. CD Lugo. es. 25 July 2021. 31 July 2021.
  13. Web site: 2023-07-05 . Óscar Whalley es nuevo arquero del Guadalajara . 2023-07-07 . www.chivasdecorazon.com.mx . es-mx.
  14. News: Tsunami belga a la nueva ola española. Belgian tsunami to the new Spanish wave. El País. Juan Luis. Cudeiro. es. 12 November 2014. 5 January 2019.
  15. Web site: Spain call-up young English goalkeeper Whalley. ITV. 7 November 2014. 20 April 2021.
  16. Web site: Meet Oscar Whalley: the England-eligible Spanish keeper who's keen on the Championship. FourFourTwo. Andrew. Murray. 5 May 2016. 20 April 2021.
  17. Web site: Oscar Whalley, otro mexicano que no opta por la selección mexicana. Oscar Whalley, another Mexican who opts against Mexican national team. ESPN. Adriana. Terrazas. David. Esquivel. es. 7 November 2014. 29 March 2022.
  18. Web site: Óscar Whalley. Soccerway. 7 July 2023.