Gavin Whyte

Gavin Whyte (born 31 January 1996) is a Northern Irish professional footballer who plays for League of Ireland Premier Division club Derry City and the Northern Ireland national team.

Club career Crusaders Whyte's Crusaders team won three league titles in four years between 2015 and 2018 and he attracted interest from Scotland and England, most notably in trials with Premier League side Everton and Scottish side Celtic during the summer of 2016.

Whyte received the Player of the Round after his performance in the Scottish Challenge Cup quarter-finals in a game against defending champions Dundee United, when he netted an injury-time winner to send Crusaders into the semi-finals against Inverness Caledonian Thistle.

During the 2017–18 season he scored 24 goals in 49 games, and also the County Antrim Shield with Crusaders, and was voted the Ulster Footballer of the Year award for 2017–18 and also the Northern Ireland Football Writers' Association Player of the Year award for 2017–18.

Oxford United On 13 July 2018, Oxford United announced the signing of Whyte on a three-year deal, for an undisclosed transfer fee. He made his debut as an 82nd-minute substitute in Oxford's opening league match of the season, a 4–0 away defeat at Barnsley. His first start, and first goal, came in the first round of the EFL Cup against Coventry City ten days later; Whyte scored the second goal in a 2–0 win for Oxford. His first league goal followed in the next game, when he scored the opener in a 2–3 home defeat to Accrington Stanley. On 22 April 2019, Whyte scored his first hat-trick for the club, in a 2–3 away win against Shrewsbury Town. By the end of his first and only season with Oxford, he had scored 9 times in 47 appearances (7 of them in League One matches). He made his debut on the opening day of the 2019–20 season as a substitute in place of Josh Murphy during a 3–2 defeat to Wigan Athletic.

Whyte joined League One club Hull City on a six-month loan deal on 14 January 2021. He made his debut on 16 January 2021 in a 1–1 draw at home to Blackpool. The following match on 19 January 2021, he scored in the 3–0 home win against Accrington Stanley.

On 31 July 2021, Whyte signed a one-year loan deal with Oxford United.

Portsmouth Whyte joined EFL League One club Portsmouth in the summer of 2023, making his debut in the opening match at home against Bristol Rovers. In his first season he played 33 matches, with his only goal coming in the EFL Trophy.

Derry City On 11 January 2025 Whyte signed a three-year contract with Derry City.

International career

On 14 March 2018, after impressing for Crusaders, Whyte was called up the Northern Ireland U21 squad by Manager Ian Baraclough for matches against Spain U21s and Iceland U21s in the European Under-21 Championships qualifying group stage fixtures. He impressed on 26 March 2018, as Northern Ireland U21 played out a goalless draw with Iceland.

On 16 May 2018, after impressing at club level and for the U21s, Whyte was named in Northern Ireland's squad ahead of friendlies against Panama and Costa Rica.

On 11 September 2018 Whyte scored on his Northern Ireland senior debut, scoring after 108 seconds in a 3–0 win against Israel at Windsor Park.

Career statistics Club + Appearances and goals by club, season and competition

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2013–14 NIFL Premiership

2019–20

Scores and results list Northern Ireland's goal tally first.

+ List of international goals scored by Gavin Whyte No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition 1 11 September 2018 Windsor Park, Belfast, Northern Ireland 3–0 3–0 Friendly 2 4 September 2020 Arena Națională, Bucharest, Romania 1–1 1–1 2020–21 UEFA Nations League B 3 30 May 2021 Wörthersee Stadion, Klagenfurt, Austria 2–0 3–0 Friendly 4 25 March 2022 Stade de Luxembourg, Luxembourg City, Luxembourg 3–1 3–1 Friendly 5 24 September 2022 Windsor Park, Belfast, Northern Ireland 1–1 2–1 2022–23 UEFA Nations League C

Honours Crusaders NIFL Premiership: 2014–15, 2015–16, 2017–18 County Antrim Shield: 2017–18

Hull City EFL League One: 2020–21 Portsmouth

EFL League One: 2023–24

Individual Ulster Footballer of the Year: 2017–18 NIFWA Player of the Year: 2017–18