Noel David Whelan (; born 30 December 1974) is an English football coach, former professional footballer and radio co-commentator.
As a player, he was a striker who notably played in the Premier League for Leeds United, Coventry City, and Middlesbrough. He also played in the Scottish Premier League with Aberdeen, Livingston, and Dunfermline Athletic, and in the Football League for Crystal Palace, Millwall, Derby County, Boston United, and Darlington. He also had spell in Non-league football with Harrogate Town and was capped twice by England U21, scoring once.
He now works as a matchday co-commentator for all Leeds United games on BBC Radio Leeds. He was also a former academy coach for Derby County.
Playing career
Leeds United
Born in Leeds, Whelan started off with his professional career at home town team Leeds United. Whelan revealed he had held out for Leeds to sign him (the club he supports) after having trials at Arsenal, Manchester United, and Everton, coming through the Leeds youth team with a number of other talented youngsters who beat a Manchester United team boasting David Beckham, Paul Scholes, Nicky Butt, Keith Gillespie, Phil Neville and Gary Neville both home and away in the FA Youth Cup Final. Turning professional in March 1993, he made his debut in the first season of the FA Premier League, in a 1–1 draw at Sheffield Wednesday on 4 May 1993. The following season, he made 16 league appearances but failed to score.
He had a promising 1994–95 season, finishing among the club's highest scorers where he scored seven goals in 23 league games, but lost his place to new signing Tony Yeboah halfway through the season. During his time at Leeds, he was capped twice by the England U-21 side in 1994, scoring once.
Coventry City
On 16 December 1995, after making eight goalless appearances in the league 1995–96 season, Whelan was signed by Coventry City manager Ron Atkinson for £2million. Atkinson's assistant Gordon Strachan, who had joined Coventry from Leeds the previous season, played a big role in securing the signing. Whelan made his debut in midfield in a 4–1 local derby defeat against Aston Villa at Villa Park. In his second game, against Everton at Coventry's Highfield Road stadium, Whelan played as a striker alongside Dion Dublin, and scored the winning goal with a cool finish, which would become his trademark for the rest of the season. Further goals came in the away win at Burnden Park against Bolton Wanderers, and in the New Year's Day home draw with Southampton. The latter was a "Goal of the Month" contender on the BBC's Match of the Day. It saw Whelan dribble the ball from just inside the Southampton half, and beat several players before shooting past the keeper. By the end of that season, he had managed eight goals from 21 league games for the Sky Blues, who secured Premier League safety by finishing 16th.
Whelan played regularly for the Sky Blues throughout the 1996–97 season without providing the spark of the previous season, as the club again struggled to avoid relegation, with Ron Atkinson becoming director of football and Gordon Strachan being promoted to the manager's seat in November. His reputation as the bright young thing was usurped by his new strike partner Darren Huckerby. Whelan still managed six goals from 35 league games that season.
The Sky Blues' form improved markedly in the 1997–98 season as they rose to mid-table respectability in the Premiership under manager Gordon Strachan, with Noel Whelan playing a key role in midfield. With Dublin and Huckerby scoring regularly upfront, Whelan played in a wide left midfield role, scoring the opener in a notable home win over Manchester United, and the home draw with Arsenal.