Dickinson: Carl Matthew (Carl)

2009-2009 (Leeds Player Details)(Player Details)

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Born: Swadlincote, Derbyshire: 31-03-1987

Debut v Brighton and Hove Albion (a): 17-01-2009

6’1” 12st 0lb (2009)

Dickinson started his football career at Derby County where he was an Academy player. He became a Stoke City Academy player in 2002 and for three seasons was one of the mainstays of the Potters' Under-Nineteen and Reserve sides. He made his full first-team start against Sheffield United on 1st April 2004, at Britannia Stadium. His performance earned him a Man of the Match nomination. Two days later, on 3rd April 2004, he signed a professional contract with the club. Dickinson was then sent on loan to Icelandic club Víkingur until pre-season 2006–07, along with teammate Keith Thomas, but only played twice. On 20th October 2006, Dickinson then joined Blackpool on a month's loan. On 9th November 2006, it was announced that he would be staying with Blackpool for another month. This was extended to a third month on 23rd November 2006, finally staying until 10th December 2006. He made seven League, two FA Cup, and one other appearances in his time at Bloomfield Road under the supervision of Simon Grayson. After returning to Stoke, Dickinson put in a series of impressive and wholehearted performances at left-back. A physical and determined player, comfortable at left-back, left midfield or central midfield, his commitment and ability led to him becoming a firm favourite with the club's supporters. He made one substitute appearance in 2004-05, fourstarts and one game from the bench in 2005-06, one start in the League Cup and five starts and eight substitute appearances in the League in 2006-07, before 2007-08 saw him make nineteen starts and eight games from the bench and one start and one game from the bench in the FA Cup as well as one game in the League Cup and he was considered one of the reasons for Stoke’s promotion to the EPL that season. The return of Danny Higginbotham saw him lose his left-back berth. He had made six full appearances for Stoke in 2008-09 in the EPL before, on 15th January 2009, Dickinson joined Leeds United, on a one month loan. He made his first appearance for the club on 17th January 2009 at Brighton where Leeds United won 2-0. He started seven games for United before returning to Stoke City after the game at Hereford United on 17th February 2009. After rumoured interest from Leeds, Dickinson went on Loan to Barnsley on 23rd September 2009, along with team-mate Ryan Shotton, initially for three months, it was extended for the rest of the season, which saw him score once in twenty-eight League appearances, one of which was as a substitute and he also played one game in the F.A. Cup, while at Oakwell. Dickinson clearly felt on the outer at Stoke and was looking for regular football and it was rumoured that Preston North End had shown an interest in July 2010. However he finished up going on a season's loan with Portsmouth and started twenty-three League games and came on for another thirteen games as a substitute in the League and started one F.A. Cup and two League Cup games during his time at Fratton Park. He had been at Stoke for seven years, but had only started Thirty-one League games and come off the bench twenty times, made two starts and one substitute appearance in the F.A. Cup and six starts in the League Cup, without scoring. On 29th July 2011 the twenty-four-year-old Dickinson signed for Watford on a three year contract. The fee for the deal was undisclosed, though it was thought to be in the region of Ł250,000. He went straight into the Hornets' first team and had scored twice and made more than twenty appearances by the end of November 2011.