| PLAYERS |||| CURRENT SQUAD |||| X-PLAYER FILES |||| CHAIRBOYS DREAM TEAM |||| HOME |
|
DAVID WHEELER (Midfield) Born: 4 October 1990 Where: Brighton |
Joined Wycombe: July 2019 - Signed from Queens Park Rangers Wycombe debut: Wycombe 2 Bolton 0 - 3 Aug 2019 - League One First Wycombe goal: Wycombe 2 Burton 0 - 14 Dec 2019 - League One Final Wycombe game: Wycombe 2 Portsmouth 0 - 10 Jan 2025 - FA Cup 3 Left Wycombe: 5 Feb 2025 - mutual consent - later joined Shrewsbury Town | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Career summary at Wycombe.209 appearances - 19 goals |
Wanderers' eighth signing of the summer of 2019 was announced at around 1pm on Tuesday 30th July 2019 when 28-year-old midfielder David Wheeler arrived on a three-year deal following a free transfer from Queen Park Rangers. He was allocated the No.7 in the Wanderers squad. Prior to joining Wanderers, Wheeler was best known for a successful four season spell at Exeter City between 2013 and 2017 where he netted 38 goals in 171 appearances in all competitions. Included in that time were two goals in victories over Wycombe (October 2014 and January 2017). He was voted Player of the Season at Exeter for the 2016/17 season. His early football career started in the youth system at Brighton and Hove Albion but he moved on to play his first senior football at Lewes - debuting at the age of 17 during the 2007/8 season before enjoying a succesful three seasons playing at Conference National and South levels and also making eight appearances for the England Under 18 schoolboy side. At this stage he was combining studying for a Sports Science degree at Brunel University in West London and for convenience made the switch to play for Staines Town in Conference South. He finished his first season with nine goals and also earned Player of the Season awards. He bettered his goal-scoring total the following season with 14 strikes to his name and again won the Player of the Season awards on his way to helping the Club avoid relegation. The move to Exeter City in August 2013 came after impressing in pre-season trials for The Grecians. He went on to make his Football League debut in a 2-1 'League Two' victory over Bristol Rovers on 5 August 2013. He would score his first Football League goal in a 2-2 draw against Bury on 30 November 2013. In his four seasons he would become a firm favourite with the fans at St James Park. His 20 goals in all competitions during the 2016/17 alerted the attention of higher league clubs and he would join QPR at the end of the August 2017 transfer window for an undisclosed fee on a three-year deal. However, despite scoring on his full debut QPR in September 2017, he was unable to hold down a regular First Team spot at Loftus Road and was loaned to both Portsmouth and MK Dons during the 2018/19 season – the latter spell re-uniting him with his former boss at Exeter City, Paul Tisdale. He scored four times for MK Dons as they won promotion to ‘League One’. Commenting at the time of his move to Adams Park, Wycombe Manager Gareth Ainsworth said: “David was an outstanding player in an excellent Exeter City side a couple of years ago, and always caught the eye when he played against us, so we know exactly what he’s all about and I’m delighted to be able to bring him into the fold. He’s a goalscoring midfielder who can play in a number of positions, and also a fantastic character to have around the place which is so important to our success.” Wheeler would go on to quickly establish himself as a respected player at Adams Park, along with earning the 'Swiss Army Knife' moniker due to his adapability in playing more forward or attacking roles from his regular midfield slot. At the end of his first season with Wanderers he was in the winning side that earned promotion to the Championship via a 'behind closed doors' play-off final with Oxford United at Wembley. On 5th February 2025, after five and half seasons with Wycombe, the then 34-year-old was confirmed to have had his contract with Wanderers cancelled by mutual consent prior to the transfer deadline to allow him to join a new club. He later penned an open letter to Wycombe fans, that read as follows: "It was 13th July 2020 at approximately 9.25pm that I collapsed to the ground in complete physical and emotional exhaustion. As I lay on the turf looking up in the sky I could see the bright lights flickering and bouncing through a film of light rain. I could hear Intro by The XX blaring out of the speakers and yelps of joy and celebration echoing around this vast, historic, and largely empty arena. This was the moment we had all been working so hard for, against all the odds, little Wycombe had made it to The Championship! I would like to say it was a moment of pure joy, but in truth, I was overcome with a sense of relief. Relief that we'd managed to silence all the doubters, and also the doubts in my own mind. Relief that we'd finally achieved something that many never thought possible. And relief that no more running was required! Of course in the following hours and days the magnitude of what we had achieved sunk in and the relief was indeed gradually replaced by joy, gratitude, pride, and contentment. So I thought it fitting to remenisce on one of my fondest memories in a Wycombe shirt on the day I announce that I won't be pulling it on again. Because those same feelings of joy, gratitude, pride, and contentment that I felt under that famous Wembley arch is what I feel now at the culmination of my time at this special club. To have achieved promotion to The Championship, the highest ever position of the club (so far!), 3 Wembley visits, and over 200 appearances for Wycombe is a great source of pride for me and will perhaps always be the first things mentioned when looking back on my time at the club. However, for me, there was so much more than the on-pitch success that made my time as a Chairboy special. I got to experience a culture where every player was valued and appreciated for exactly who they are. Where differences were celebrated. Where everyone felt empowered and given license to grow and develop both as players and people and where bonds for life were formed. I couldn't wait to get to training and I always found an excuse to stay late and chat about football, life, and everything in-between. I was also incredibly lucky to be given license by the club to pursue something much bigger than myself. What started with reusable bottles and shampoo dispensers turned into electric car chargers, carbon auditing, and a comprehensive sustainability strategy which now puts the club in a position of leadership in the football industry which is a legacy I am also immensely proud of. However, this is certainly not an individual achievement of mine. Many of the club stuff and many of our fans have generously volunteered their time and expertise to getting us to this point, and it is these people that will continue to lead the way long after I have gone. To be a footballer is undoubtedly a privilege, but it is not always the dream job that it is perceived to be. I count myself extraordinarily lucky that, for a time, I experienced the very best of what it is to be a footballer. I will be eternally grateful to my teammates, the staff, and fans at Wycombe Wanderers for contributing to one of the happiest periods of my life, and I will look to recreate this culture and bring these life lessons to whatever challenge I take on next. I wish everyone connected with the club the very best for the future. I'm sure it won't be long until I see you all down Adams Park again. Best wishes, David Wheeler" On 20th February 2025 is was announced that he had teamed-up again with former boss Gareth Ainsworth at Shrewsbury Town References and further reading: Wikipedia Soccerbase |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| © Chairboys on the Net 2019-2025 - www.chairboys.co.uk - all rights reserved. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
All there is to say and know about Wycombe Wanderers on the Internet
|