Sam Vokes

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Sam Vokes
Sam Vokes 2008.jpg
Vokes playing for Wales in 2008
Personal information
Full name Samuel Michael Vokes[1]
Date of birth (1989-10-21) 21 October 1989 (age 34)[2]
Place of birth Southampton, England
Height Script error: No such module "person height".
Position(s) Striker
Team information
Current team
Burnley
Number 9
Youth career
2005–2006 Bournemouth
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2006–2008 Bournemouth 54 (16)
2008–2012 Wolverhampton Wanderers 47 (6)
2009 Leeds United (loan) 8 (1)
2010–2011 Bristol City (loan) 1 (0)
2011 Sheffield United (loan) 6 (1)
2011 Norwich City (loan) 4 (1)
2011–2012 Burnley (loan) 9 (2)
2012 Brighton & Hove Albion (loan) 14 (3)
2012– Burnley 124 (29)
International career
2007–2010 Wales U21 14 (4)
2008– Wales 37 (6)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 22:17, 12 January 2016 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 20:28, 14 October 2015 (UTC)

Samuel Michael "Sam" Vokes (born 21 October 1989) is a professional footballer who plays as a striker for English club Burnley and the Wales national team.

Vokes began his professional career at then League One Bournemouth, making his debut in 2006. His form there earned a move to Championship side Wolverhampton Wanderers, where he helped them win promotion to the Premier League in his first season.

He has become an established member of the Welsh national team, who he has also represented at under-21 level. Although born and raised in England, Vokes is eligible to represent Wales through a Welsh-born grandfather.[4]

Club career

Early career

Born in Southampton and raised in Lymington,[5] Vokes stepped up into Bournemouth's first team on 5 December 2006 in a 2–0 victory over Nottingham Forest. His first senior goal came in a 1–1 draw at Gillingham on 16 December. This form saw the club give him a three-and-a-half-year professional contract during the following month.[6]

The striker remained at Bournemouth during the 2007–08 season, despite being linked to several other clubs, including Newcastle United, Aston Villa, Everton and Celtic.[7] The youngster was a bright spark in an otherwise tumultuous season for the Cherries as they were embroiled in a club ownership saga. His 12-goal tally could not prevent Bournemouth from being relegated to League Two.[8]

Wolves

He eventually signed a four-year contract with Championship side Wolverhampton Wanderers on 23 May 2008.[9] Vokes marked his debut for the club by coming off the bench to equalise in a 2–2 draw at Plymouth Argyle on the opening day of the 2008–09 season.[10]

With the goalscoring form of Chris Iwelumo and Sylvan Ebanks-Blake firing the club to the top of the table – that they led for almost the entire season – Vokes was mostly only employed as a substitute. Nonetheless he contributed a number of vital goals to help the team win promotion to the Premier League as champions.

To gain playing time, Vokes moved to League One side Leeds United in October 2009 on loan until the New Year,[11] making his Leeds debut in a 2–1 victory over Norwich City on 19 October. He scored once for the club against Bristol Rovers[12] but competition between Leeds strikers meant Vokes returned to Wolves when the deal ended.

Vokes went out on loan once more in August 2010 when he moved to Championship side Bristol City.[13] He endured a miserable stay, tearing his hamstring within minutes of making his debut in a game against Millwall and re-aggravating the injury in a reserve match in December.[14] He returned to Wolves when his loan expired in January having played just 13 minutes of first team football.

Once again fit, he moved on a month-long loan to another Championship side, Sheffield United, in February 2011[15] and made his début the same evening in a 1–1 draw with Reading. With their other attacking options regaining fitness, the Blades elected not to extend Vokes' loan period,[16] meaning he was instead signed up by promotion-chasing Norwich City on 23 March on an emergency loan for the rest of the season.[17] However, an injury to Wolves' leading goalscorer Kevin Doyle saw the club recall him after just four appearances for the Canaries, during which he scored once.[18] Back at Molineux, he made two substitute appearances for the team during the run-in as they narrowly avoided relegation on the final day.

During the 2011–12 season, he made four Premier League appearances for Wolves, but did not start a league game. In November 2011 he once more went out on loan to a Championship side, this time joining Burnley until 15 January.[19]

On 30 January 2012, Vokes joined Championship side Brighton & Hove Albion on loan until the end of the season.[20] He scored on his full home debut in a 2–2 draw with Millwall on 14 February 2012. He scored three goals in total during his 14 appearances for the Seagulls.

Burnley

On 31 July 2012, Vokes joined Championship side Burnley permanently signing a three-year contract for an undisclosed fee, believed to be £350k.[21][22] On 2 December Vokes scored an equalising goal for Burnley in the 89th minute against their fierce rivals Blackburn Rovers a game which ended 1–1. Despite this goal, Vokes struggled to establish himself in the first eleven and was used predominantly as a substitute. This was mainly down to the form of top scorer Charlie Austin, with Manager Sean Dyche often opting to partner Austin with fellow strikers Martin Paterson or Danny Ings, both being quicker and more mobile than Vokes.

On the eve of the 2013 – 2014 SkyBet Championship season, Burnley agreed a deal with Queens Park Rangers for the transfer of Charlie Austin,[23] who had attracted lots of attention from Premier League teams throughout the summer. With Austin moving out of the club, this gave Vokes his long awaited chance in the starting eleven, and he finished the season with 21 goals in 44 games.

On 8 August 2015, on the opening day of the English Championship 2015/16 season, Vokes scored his first goal since a knee injury for Burnley F.C. against his former club Leeds United in a 1–1 draw.[24]

International career

Although born and raised in England, Vokes is eligible to represent Wales through a Welsh-born grandfather.[4] Upon discovering Vokes' eligibility, Wales U21 coach Brian Flynn called him up to the Welsh under-21 team, and he made his debut against Northern Ireland U21 on 6 February 2007. The seventeen-year-old made an instant impression by scoring after 36 seconds, a team record, in a 4–0 victory.[25] He remained in the team and featured in their European U-21 Championship qualifying campaign.

He was soon called up to the senior squad and made his debut in a 1–0 friendly win in Iceland on 28 May 2008. Vokes scored his first senior international goal when he netted the winner in a 1–0 win over Azerbaijan in their opening 2010 World Cup qualifier on 6 September 2008; his second international goal arrived in a friendly against Montenegro on 12 August 2009. In November 2011 Vokes came on as an 85th-minute substitute and scored two goals in a 4–1 win over Norway. In February 2013 scored one goal to Austria and again one year later, in March 2014, scored one goal to Iceland.

Career statistics

Club

As of match played 12 January 2016.
Club statistics
Club Season League FA Cup League Cup Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Bournemouth
2006–07[26]
League One 13 4 1 0 0 0 0 0 14 4
2007–08[27]
League One 41 12 1 0 1 0 2[lower-alpha 1] 0 45 12
Total 54 16 2 0 1 0 2 0 59 16
Wolverhampton Wanderers
2008–09[28]
Championship 36 6 2 2 1 0 39 8
2009–10[29] Premier League 5 0 3 0 1 0 9 0
2010–11[30] Premier League 2 0 2 0 4 0
2011–12[31] Premier League 4 0 3 1 7 1
Total 47 6 7 2 5 1 59 9
Leeds United (loan)
2009–10[32]
League One 8 1 2[lower-alpha 1] 0 10 1
Bristol City (loan)
2010–11[33]
Championship 1 0 0 0 1 0
Sheffield United (loan)
2010–11[34]
Championship 6 1 6 1
Norwich City (loan)
2010–11[35]
Championship 4 1 4 1
Burnley (loan)
2011–12[36]
Championship 9 2 9 2
Brighton & Hove Albion (loan)
2011–12[37]
Championship 14 3 1 0 15 3
Burnley 2012–13[38] Championship 46 4 1 0 2 0 49 4
2013–14[39] Championship 39 20 1 1 4 0 44 21
2014–15[40] Premier League 15 0 2 1 0 0 17 1
2015–16[41] Championship 24 5 1 0 1 0 26 5
Total 124 29 5 2 7 0 136 31
Career totals 267 59 15 4 13 1 4 0 299 64
  1. 1.0 1.1 Appearances in Football League Trophy

International

As of match played 13 October 2015.[42]
International statistics
National team Year Apps Goals
Wales 2008 6 1
2009 8 1
2010 2 0
2011 3 2
2012 5 0
2013 6 1
2014 1 1
2015 6 0
Total 37 6

Honours

Wolverhampton Wanderers

References

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  21. http://www.burnleyfootballclub.com/page/LatestHeadlines/0,,10413~2866164,00.html
  22. http://www.expressandstar.com/sport/wolverhampton-wanderers-fc/2012/07/31/wolves-reject-10m-bid-for-fletcher/
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External links