Zain Sam Westbrooke (born 28 October 1996) is an English professional footballer who plays as a central midfielder for EFL League One club Bristol Rovers. He is a graduate of the Brentford academy and made his professional breakthrough with Coventry City, before transferring to Bristol Rovers in 2020.
Personal information | |||
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Full name | Zain Sam Westbrooke[1] | ||
Date of birth | (1996-10-28) 28 October 1996 (age 26) | ||
Place of birth | Chertsey, England[2] | ||
Height | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)[2] | ||
Position(s) | Central midfielder | ||
Club information | |||
Current team | Bristol Rovers | ||
Number | 8 | ||
Youth career | |||
0000–2011 | Chelsea | ||
2011–2015 | Brentford | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
2015–2018 | Brentford | 1 | (0) |
2017 | → Solihull Moors (loan) | 2 | (0) |
2017–2018 | → Leyton Orient (loan) | 5 | (0) |
2018–2020 | Coventry City | 32 | (4) |
2020– | Bristol Rovers | 46 | (2) |
2022 | → Stevenage (loan) | 12 | (0) |
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 13:53, 5 October 2022 (UTC) |
Westbrooke began his career in the academy at Chelsea, before moving to West London neighbours Brentford in 2011 and signing scholarship forms at the end of the 2012–13 season.[3][4][5] By the completion of his scholarship in April 2015, he had made 55 appearances and scored four goals for the youth team,[6][7][8] in addition to scoring two goals in eight matches for the Development Squad during the 2014–15 season.[9] Westbrooke signed a one-year Development Squad contract for the 2015–16 season and by November 2015 he had impressed sufficiently to sign a one-year extension.[10][11] He finished the 2015–16 season with 23 appearances and one goal.[12]
Westbrooke was named captain of the new B team for the 2016–17 season and signed a new one-year contract on 17 February 2017.[4] He topped the B team's appearance-chart during the 2016–17 season, making 38 appearances and scoring six goals.[13] He also voted the B Team Players' Player of the Year.[14] Westbrooke was called into the first team squad for the final two matches of the 2016–17 season and made his debut in the West London derby with Fulham as a 76th-minute substitute for Konstantin Kerschbaumer on 29 April 2017.[2]
Mounting injuries led to Westbrooke's inclusion on the first team bench for a league match versus Ipswich Town on 19 August 2017, but he remained an unused substitute during the 2–0 defeat.[2] Westbrooke subsequently spent much of the first half of the 2017–18 season away on loan at National League clubs Solihull Moors and Leyton Orient,[15][16] for both of whom he appeared sparingly.[13][17][2] After his return on 10 January 2018,[13][17] Westbrooke spent the remainder of the 2017–18 season with the B team.[18] He departed Griffin Park on 10 May 2018, having made just one first team appearance.[19]
On 10 May 2018, Westbrooke joined Coventry City on a two-year contract on a free transfer, with the option of a further year, effective 1 July 2018.[20] The club's victory in the 2018 League Two play-off Final, after the announcement of his transfer, meant that he began his time with the club in League One.[21] After a substitute appearance in an EFL Trophy group stage match, Westbrooke made his full debut for the club with a start in a 1–0 win over Southend United on 29 December 2018.[22] He had a short run in the team in late-January and early-February 2019 and finished the 2018–19 season with eight appearances.[22][23]
Westbrooke broke into the team and made 33 appearances and scored four goals during the truncated 2019–20 season,[24] which ended with promotion to the Championship as League One champions.[25] After making 41 appearances and scoring four goals during his two seasons with Coventry City,[26] Westbrooke transferred away from the club in August 2020.[27]
On 3 August 2020, Westbrooke signed a three-year contract with League One club Bristol Rovers for an undisclosed fee.[27] He made 49 appearances and scored three goals during a 2020–21 season which culminated in relegation to League Two.[28][29] After appearing in the first two matches of the 2021–22 season,[30] manager Joey Barton dropped Westbrooke from the matchday squad and revealed that he was free to leave the club.[31] A move did not materialise before the end of the summer transfer window and Westbrooke remained at the Memorial Stadium.[32] He made a further seven appearances, predominantly in cup competitions,[30] before joining League Two club Stevenage on loan until the end of the 2021–22 season on 17 January 2022.[33] Westbrooke made 12 appearances during his spell and in his absence,[30] Bristol Rovers were automatically promoted back to League One.[29]
Returning to the Memorial Stadium for the 2022–23 pre-season, manager Joey Barton stated that Westbrooke's performances in training and matches had "done nothing but enhance his claim" for a first team place.[34] Though he started in the opening match of the regular season versus Forest Green Rovers,[35] Westbrooke was subsequently barred from first team training and was told he was free to leave the club.[36] A move did not materialise before the end of the summer transfer window.[37]
Westbrooke attended Woking High School.[3] In December 2020, Westbrooke tested positive for COVID-19 and missed one match.[38][39]
Club | Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Other | Total | ||||||
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Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
Brentford | 2016–17[40] | Championship | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | |
2017–18[41] | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | ||||
Total | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | |||
Solihull Moors (loan) | 2017–18[41] | National League | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 2 | 0 | |||
Leyton Orient (loan) | 2017–18[2] | National League | 5 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | |
Coventry City | 2018–19[22] | League One | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1[lower-alpha 1] | 0 | 8 | 0 |
2019–20[42] | 25 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1[lower-alpha 1] | 0 | 33 | 4 | ||
Total | 32 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 41 | 4 | ||
Bristol Rovers | 2020–21[28] | League One | 42 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3[lower-alpha 1] | 1 | 49 | 3 |
2021–22[30] | League Two | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3[lower-alpha 1] | 1 | 9 | 1 | |
2022–23[35] | League One | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1[lower-alpha 1] | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
Total | 46 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 2 | 60 | 4 | ||
Stevenage (loan) | 2021–22[30] | League Two | 12 | 0 | — | — | — | 12 | 0 | |||
Career total | 98 | 6 | 14 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 9 | 2 | 124 | 8 |
Coventry City
Individual
Bristol Rovers F.C. – current squad | |
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