Willo Flood

Football player infobox
playername = Willo Flood


fullname = William Flood
height = height|ft=5|in=6
nickname =
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1985|4|10|df=y
cityofbirth = Dublin
countryofbirth = Ireland
currentclub = Dundee United
(on loan from Cardiff City)
clubnumber = 6
position = Midfielder
youthyears =
youthclubs = Cherry Orchard
Manchester City
years = 2002–2006
2004
2005
2006–
2007–2008
2008–
clubs = Manchester City
→ Rochdale (loan)
→ Coventry City (loan)
Cardiff City
→ Dundee United (loan)
→ Dundee United (loan)
caps(goals) = 14 (1)
06 (0)
08 (1)
25 (1)
36 (1)
06 (0)
nationalyears = 2003
2004–2006
nationalteam = Republic of Ireland under-20
Republic of Ireland under-21
nationalcaps(goals) = 04 (0)
11 (2)
pcupdate = 17:07, 6 October 2008 (UTC)
ntupdate = 11:22, 17 February 2008 (UTC)

William 'Willo' Flood (born April 10, 1985 in Dublin) is an Irish footballer currently playing for Dundee United, where he is on loan from Cardiff City.

Club career

Flood played his junior football for Cherry Orchard before his move to England. He made his first team debut for Manchester City in a UEFA Cup tie against TNS in 2003, although his first regular first team football came in spring 2004, with a loan spell at Rochdale.

A right sided midfielder with tricky dribbling skills, Flood scored his first goal for Manchester City in a September 2004 League Cup tie against Barnsley, and made a total of 12 appearances in the 2004-05 season.

At the start of the 2005-06 season Flood had a three month loan spell at Coventry, but on his return to Manchester City an injury ruled him out for several months. He returned to the fringes of the Manchester City team in March 2006, making a handful of appearances at the end of the season, predominantly as a substitute.

Dundee United

Flood joined Cardiff City for a fee of £200,000, paid in separate instalments,Cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/c/cardiff_city/5235828.stm|title=Flood completes move to Cardiff|publisher=BBC Sport|accessdate=2007-12-08] in 2006 and made twenty-five appearances for the Bluebirds. He has just scored once, a memorable winning goal at Elland Road. However, after struggling to settle at Ninian Park, he joined Dundee United on a season-long loan for the 2007-08 seasoncite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/d/dundee_utd/6693581.stm|title=Tangerines take Cardiff's Flood|publisher=BBC Sport|date=25 May, 2007] as Cardiff manager Dave Jones wished to see how Flood would perform over a long season of first-team football. [cite web|url=http://icwales.icnetwork.co.uk/footballnation/football-news/2007/05/25/dundee-united-offer-flood-lifeline-of-a-season-s-first-team-football-91466-19195932/|title=Dundee United offer Flood lifeline of a season's first team football|author=Phillips, Terry|date=2007-05-25|publisher=WalesOnline.co.uk] Flood's début resulted in a red card before half time on the opening day of the season, after collecting two cautions and his second match, for the reserves, saw him receive the same fate. On this occasion, Flood was "bizarrely sent off...for taking a quick free kick when the referee was apparently not ready."cite web|url=http://www.dundeeunitedfc.co.uk/index.asp?tm=10&cd=231&Date=2007&cd1=1|publisher=Dundee United FC|title=Kilmarnock v Dundee United|date accessed=August 16, 2007]

On 15 December 2007, he scored his first goal for Dundee United against St Mirren in a 3-0 win. This goal – his only goal for Dundee United – earned him the SPL Goal of the Season award. [cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/scot_prem/7347583.stm|title= Rangers land SPL awards hat-trick|date=2008-04-15|publisher=BBC Sport website|accessdate=2008-04-16] In follow-up interviews the next day, Flood said he would be disappointed to leave United at the end of the season, admitting he would be "gutted because I have loved it here." [cite news|url=http://www.thecourier.co.uk/output/2008/04/16/sportstory11215944t0.asp|title=Flood teased over 'super' goal|last=Roache|first=Ian|publisher=The Courier|language=2008-04-16|accessdate=2008-04-16] Despite returning to Cardiff at the end of the season, a second season-long loan was agreed in July. [cite news|url=http://sport.setanta.com/en/Sport/News/Football/2008/07/01/SPL-Dundee-United-re-sign-Flood/|title=Agent confirms Flood return|last=Etherson|first=Brian|date=2008-07-01|publisher=Setanta Sports|accessdate=2008-07-01]

International career

Flood, a previous under-17 Irish Footballer of the Year, [cite web|url=http://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2003/0428/duffd.html|title=Duff wins FAI's senior Player of the Year award|date=2003-04-28|publisher=RTÉ|accessdate=2008-04-17] is a former Republic of Ireland under-21 international who represented his country at the 2003 FIFA World Youth Championship, starting all four of Ireland's matches before their second round exit.

Club stats

:"After 2008-05-26"

Honours

Dundee United

*
*

References

* [http://www.dundeeunitedfc.co.uk/index.asp?tm=124&ID=307 Official Dundee United website profile]
*soccerbase|id=36241

ee also

* Dundee United F.C. season 2007-08
* Dundee United F.C. season 2008-09