Jonathan Woodgate, also known as Jonathan Simon Woodgate, was born on January 22nd, 1980 in Middlesbrough and is an English defender footballer for Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur. Jonathan Woodgate was previously played at Leeds United, Newcastle United, Middlesbrough, and Real Madrid. Jonathan’s career began at Middlesbrough and later moved to Leeds United at the age of sixteen after familial disagreements over his future at Middlesbrough. In 1997, Jonathan Woodgate helped Leeds United win the FA Youth Cup in 1997. In November 1998, Jonathan made his debut for the senior side. In January 2000, following an incident when a student suffered severe bodily injuries, Jonathan Woodgate and fellow teammate Lee Bowyer were charged with causing grievous bodily harm with intent and affray. Jonathan Woodgate was convicted of affray and sentenced to community service. In January 2003, Jonathan Woodgate signed a contract with Newcastle United for £9 million. Jonathan Woodgate impressed his fans quickly and became a favourite, but a serious injury caused him to end his final season quickly.
In April 2004, Jonathan Woodgate signed for Real Madrid for a £13.4 million transfer fee, which surprised many of his football fans, due to his frequent absences due to injury at his previous club. In his first season in Spain, Jonathan Woodgate did not make any appearances for Real Madrid. Jonathan Woodgate did not have a good 2004/2005 season, especially in his debut on September 22, 2005 in a league match against Athletic Bilbao when he scored an own goal and was sent off for his second offence. Jonathan scored his first goal for Real Madrid in the 4-1 UEFA Champions League defeat. By Woodgate’s 2005/06 season, he had established himself as a first-team player, rotating among Sergio Ramos, Ivan Helguera, Francisco Pavon, and Álvaro Mejía. Unfortunately, further injuries to his back caused some setback for Jonathan Woodgate who was considered to have a chance to make the England squad for Germany 2006. On August 30th, 2006, Jonathan Woodgate signed a one-year loan move to his hometown club – Middlesbrough. Jonathan Woodgate made his debut against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium on September 9th and was later voted Man of the Match by Century FM. On April 26th, 2007, Jonathan Woodgate was the first transfer of the summer for a fee of £7 million. Three years after winning his fifth cap, Jonathan Woodgate won his sixth cap and his first start in the international game against Spain in February 2007.
