| David Atkinson | |
| Fullname: | David Atkinson |
| Birth Date: | 1993 4, df=y |
| Birth Place: | Shildon, England |
| Height: | 1.75m (05.74feet) |
| Position: | Defender |
| Youthyears1: | 20??–2014 |
| Youthclubs1: | Middlesbrough |
| Years1: | 2014–2015 |
| Clubs1: | Middlesbrough |
| Caps1: | 0 |
| Goals1: | 0 |
| Years2: | 2015 |
| Clubs2: | → Hartlepool United (loan) |
| Caps2: | 0 |
| Goals2: | 0 |
| Years3: | 2015 |
| Clubs3: | → Carlisle United (loan) |
| Caps3: | 7 |
| Goals3: | 0 |
| Years4: | 2015–2017 |
| Clubs4: | Carlisle United |
| Caps4: | 25 |
| Goals4: | 0 |
| Years5: | 2016–2017 |
| Clubs5: | → Blyth Spartans (loan) |
| Years6: | 2017 |
| Clubs6: | Blyth Spartans |
| Years7: | 2017 |
| Clubs7: | ÍBV |
| Caps7: | 10 |
| Goals7: | 0 |
| Years8: | 2017–2018 |
| Clubs8: | Blyth Spartans |
| Caps8: | 21 |
| Goals8: | 0 |
| Years9: | 2018 |
| Clubs9: | ÍBV |
| Caps9: | 16 |
| Goals9: | 0 |
| Years10: | 2019 |
| Clubs10: | Blyth Spartans |
| Caps10: | 9 |
| Goals10: | 0 |
| Years11: | 2019–2021 |
| Clubs11: | Darlington |
| Caps11: | 12 |
| Goals11: | 0 |
| Years12: | 2021– |
| Clubs12: | Shildon |
| Caps12: | 50 |
| Goals12: | 2 |
| Club-Update: | 15:10, 6 March 2023 (UTC) |
| Nationalyears1: | 2008–2009 |
| Nationalcaps1: | 4 |
| Nationalgoals1: | 0 |
| Nationalyears2: | 2010 |
| Nationalcaps2: | 2 |
| Nationalgoals2: | 0 |
David Atkinson (born 27 April 1993) is an English footballer who plays as a defender for club Shildon. He played in the Football League for Carlisle United.
Atkinson joined Middlesbrough's academy as an under-nine.[1] He was a member of the Middlesbrough under-15 squad that won the English qualifying competition for the 2007–08 Manchester United Premier Cup,[2] and took up a two-year scholarship with the club in 2009.[3] After the first twelve months, he was given his first professional contract, of four years; at that time, he was recovering from a stress fracture in his back,[2] and his progress was later disrupted by a serious knee injury.[4] He went on to captain Middlesbrough's under-21 team, and in the second half of the 2013–14 season, was a regular member of the first-team squad. After eight consecutive Championship matches on the bench, Middlesbrough manager Aitor Karanka said that Atkinson was training well and was in his thoughts for a debut, but would not force him into a "difficult game" that might adversely affect his confidence.[5] He remained unused, and in September 2014, still without having played first-team football for Middlesbrough, joined League Two club Hartlepool United on a month's loan.[6] He lost time to a hamstring injury, the manager who signed him, Colin Cooper, resigned in the middle of his loan spell, and he made no senior appearances.[7]
He spent time on trial with League One club Walsall in February 2015, brought in by manager Dean Smith to check him out ahead of a possible summer signingaccording to Smith, "He is someone [Middlesbrough] have thought highly of, but has not quite burst onto the first team scene as they would have liked.[8] before signing for Carlisle United of League Two on loan on 26 March.[9] It was with Carlisle that he finally made his Football League debut, on 28 March in a 2–1 loss away to Oxford United, and he made six more appearances. At the end of a 2014–15 season in which Middlesbrough's under-21s won the U21 Premier League Second Division title and added the North Riding Senior Cup, beating Guisborough Town in the final, Atkinson was not offered a new contract.[10]
On 4 June 2015, Atkinson signed a short-term deal with Carlisle United.[11] Six months later, he extended his contract until June 2017.[12]
On 1 December 2016, Atkinson joined Blyth Spartans on loan for a month.[13] The loan was initially extended, and then made permanent when Atkinson left Carlisle by mutual consent.[14] He also spent time playing in Iceland for ÍBV, with which he won the 2017 Icelandic Cup and played in the UEFA Europa League.[15] [16]
Atkinson joined Darlington for the 2019–20 season,[17] but ankle ligaments damaged during pre-season restricted his appearances.[18] He left the club after the abandoned 2020–21 National League North season,[19] [20] and signed for Shildon.[21]
Atkinson made his debut for the England under-16 team on 28 November 2008.[22] He played the first half of the 2–0 win against Scotland that confirmed England as winners of that year's Victory Shield.[23] Although not originally selected for the Montaigu Tournament in 2009, he came into the squad after Nico Yennaris withdrew,[24] and started two of the three group matches and played the whole of the final, in which England U16 beat Germany on penalties to successfully defend their title.[22] [25]
Atkinson was named in the England under-17 squad for matches against France, Ukraine and hosts Portugal at the Algarve Tournament in February 2010.[26] He played in two matches to help England finish as runners-up.[27] He was placed on standby for the England under-18s' friendly against Italy in April 2011, but was not needed.[28] [29]
| Club | Season | League | National cup | League Cup | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||
| Middlesbrough | 2013–14 | Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2014–15 | Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | |||
| Total | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | ||||
| Hartlepool United (loan) | 2014–15 | League Two | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
| Carlisle United (loan) | 2014–15 | League Two | 7 | 0 | — | — | — | 7 | 0 | ||||
| Carlisle United | 2015–16 | League Two | 24 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 29 | 0 | |
| 2016–17 | League Two | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | ||
| Total | 32 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 38 | 0 | |||
| Blyth Spartans | 2016–17 | Northern Premier League (NPL) Premier Division | |||||||||||
| ÍBV | 2017 | Úrvalsdeild | 10 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 12 | 0 | |||
| Blyth Spartans | 2017–18 | National League North | 21 | 0 | — | 21 | 0 | ||||||
| ÍBV | 2018 | Úrvalsdeild | 16 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | 19 | 0 | ||
| Blyth Spartans | 2018–19 | National League North | 9 | 0 | — | 9 | 0 | ||||||
| Darlington | 2019–20 | National League North | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | ||
| 2020–21[30] [31] | National League North | 5 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | |||
| Total | 12 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 15 | 0 | ||||
| Shildon | 2021–22[32] | NPL East Division | 29 | 1 | 3 | 1 | — | 4 | 0 | 36 | 2 | ||
| 2022–23[33] | NPL Division One East | 21 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | 26 | 1 | |||
| Total | 50 | 2 | 5 | 1 | — | 6 | 0 | 61 | 3 | ||||
| Career total | 150 | 2 | 15 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 175 | 3 | |||