Aaron Cresswell

Aaron William Cresswell (born 15 December 1989) is an English professional footballer who plays as a left back for Premier League club West Ham United and the England national team.

Aaron Cresswell

Cresswell playing for West Ham United in 2019
Personal information
Full name	Aaron William Cresswell[1]
Date of birth	(1989-12-15) 15 December 1989[2]
Place of birth	Liverpool, England
Height	5 ft 7 in (1.70 m)[2]
Playing position(s)	Left back
Club information
Current team	West Ham United
Number	3
Youth career
0000–2004	Liverpool
2004–2008	Tranmere Rovers
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2008–2011	Tranmere Rovers	70	(5)
2011–2014	Ipswich Town	132	(6)
2014–	West Ham United	188	(8)
National team^‡
2016–	England	3	(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 19:55, 22 July 2020 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 8 October 2017

Cresswell made his first-team debut for Tranmere Rovers in 2008 and made 70 league appearances for the club before signing for Ipswich Town in 2011, following a tribunal to agree the value of the transfer. He made 138 appearances for Ipswich scoring six goals, before joining West Ham United in July 2014. He made his international debut for England in November 2016 in a friendly against Spain at Wembley Stadium.

Club career

Tranmere Rovers

Born in Liverpool, Merseyside, Cresswell started his career with Liverpool, working his way through the academy before being released at the age of 15.[3] Following his release from Liverpool he joined the Tranmere Rovers' youth system before signing his first professional contract in July 2008.[2] He made his first-team debut on 1 November 2008 in a League One match with Milton Keynes Dons which ended in a 1–0 loss.[4]

Although he was offered a new contract by the club at the end of the 2010–11 season,[5] Tranmere manager Les Parry expected Cresswell to turn down the contract offer saying "Aaron has got four or five Championship clubs trying to sign him; if I had to guess I would say Aaron might be leaving us this summer."

Ipswich Town

Cresswell playing for Ipswich Town in 2011

In June 2011, the media reported that Ipswich Town had won the race to sign the player beating the likes of West Brom and Doncaster Rovers for his signature, although the clubs had failed to agree a fee and resolution of this was expected to go to a transfer tribunal.[6] A three-year contract was later announced to have been signed.[7] He made his debut for the club on 6 August 2011, starting in a 0–3 away win over Bristol City at Ashton Gate.[8] He scored his first goal for the club on 17 March, netting a late winner in a 3–2 home win over Peterborough United at Portman Road.[9] He made 46 appearances in all competitions during his first season at Portman Road, scoring once.[10] He won the club's Player of the Year award for the 2011–12 season.[11]

In the summer of 2012, fine performances for Ipswich Town, led to Cresswell being linked with Premier League clubs such as Aston Villa.[12]

He continued to keep his place as a first team regular during the 2012–13 season. He scored his first goal of the season in a 3–1 win over Bristol Rovers in a League Cup first round tie.[13] He made 49 appearances over the course of the season, scoring 4 goals.[14] He also won the club's goal of the season award for his strike in a 3–0 win over Crystal Palace on 16 April.[15]

He scored his first goal of the 2013–14 season on 17 September, scoring the winning goal in a 2–1 win over Yeovil Town. He made 43 appearances during the season, scoring 2 goals and earning a place in the PFA Championship Team of the Year.[16]

West Ham United

Cresswell in 2014

On 3 July 2014, Cresswell joined West Ham United on a five-year contract for an undisclosed fee believed to be in the region of £3.75 million, plus add on clauses.[17][18] He made his West Ham debut on 16 August 2014 in a 1–0 home defeat to Tottenham Hotspur.[19] On 29 November he scored his first goal for the club, in the 1–0 victory over Newcastle United at the Boleyn Ground.[20] In May 2015, Cresswell was named Hammer of the Year and Player's Player of the Year.[21] Cresswell played all 38 league matches and all four FA Cup matches for West Ham in 2014–15.[22] In June 2015, Cresswell signed a new contract which would keep him with West Ham until 2020, with the option for a further two years.[23]

Cresswell made the highest number of appearances of any West Ham player in 2015–16, playing in 47 matches. He featured in 37 of the possible 38 Premier League matches scoring two goals, away to Aston Villa on 26 December, and at eventual champions Leicester City in a 2–2 draw on 17 April.[24]

In July 2016, Cresswell was injured in a 3–0 pre-season victory over Karlsruher SC. Suffering a knee-ligament injury, Cresswell was initially expected to be out of action for four months.[25] Cresswell recovered in time to make his return in West Ham's 1–0 victory away at Crystal Palace on 15 October, assisting Manuel Lanzini for the winning goal, however his comeback was cut short after he was sent-off for two yellow cards within a minute.[26]

In September 2019, Cresswell scored a 25-yard free kick against Manchester United to seal a 2-0 victory. Less than a week later Cresswell scored the final goal in a 2-2 draw against Bournemouth. He scored in consecutive league appearances for the first time in his professional career.[27][28] In October 2019 he signed a new contract until 2023 with West Ham. In November 2019, he scored a late winner against Chelsea, to seal West Ham a 1-0 away victory.[29]

International career

On 7 November 2016, Cresswell received his first international call-up to the England squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifier with Scotland and a friendly with Spain, following Danny Drinkwater's withdrawal from the squad due to injury.[30] He made his debut on 15 November, replacing Danny Rose in a 2–2 draw with Spain at Wembley Stadium.[31]

Career statistics

Club

As of match played 22 July 2020

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition

Club	Season	League			FA Cup		League Cup		Other		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Tranmere Rovers	2008–09[4]	League One	13	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	14	1
	2009–10[32]	League One	14	0	0	0	2	0	1[lower-alpha 1]	0	17	0
	2010–11[33]	League One	43	4	1	1	2	0	3[lower-alpha 1]	0	49	5
	Total		70	5	2	1	4	0	4	0	80	6
Ipswich Town	2011–12[10]	Championship	44	1	1	0	1	0	—		46	1
	2012–13[14]	Championship	46	3	1	0	2	1	—		49	4
	2013–14[34]	Championship	42	2	1	0	0	0	—		43	2
	Total		132	6	3	0	3	1	—		138	7
West Ham United	2014–15[22]	Premier League	38	2	4	0	0	0	—		42	2
	2015–16[35]	Premier League	37	2	6	0	1	0	3[lower-alpha 2]	0	47	2
	2016–17[36]	Premier League	26	0	1	0	2	0	0	0	29	0
	2017–18[37]	Premier League	36	1	1	0	2	0	—		39	1
	2018–19[38]	Premier League	20	0	0	0	2	0	—		22	0
	2019–20[39]	Premier League	31	3	1	0	1	0	—		33	3
	Total		188	8	13	0	8	0	3	0	212	8
Career total			391	19	18	1	15	1	7	0	430	21

1. Appearance(s) in Football League Trophy
2. Appearances in UEFA Europa League

International

As of match played 8 October 2017[40]

Appearances and goals by national team and year

National team	Year	Apps	Goals
England
	2016	1	0
	2017	2	0
Total		3	0

Honours

Individual

• Ipswich Town Player of the Year: 2011–12[11]
• Ipswich Town Goal of the Season: 2012–13[15]
• PFA Team of the Year: 2013–14 Championship[16]
• West Ham United Players' Player of the Year: 2014–15[21]
• West Ham United Hammer of the Year: 2014–15[21]

References

1. "Premier League clubs publish 2019/20 retained lists". Premier League. 26 June 2020. Retrieved 12 July 2020.
2. Hugman, Barry J., ed. (2010). The PFA Footballers' Who's Who 2010–11. Edinburgh: Mainstream Publishing. p. 100. ISBN 978-1-84596-601-0.
3. "Aaron Cresswell: I was left devastated by Liverpool rejection". Sky Sports. 9 November 2016. Retrieved 11 May 2020.
4. "Games played by Aaron Cresswell in 2008/2009". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 17 November 2016.
5. "Rovers Offer Six New Contracts". Tranmere Rovers F.C. 9 May 2011. Archived from the original on 13 May 2011. Retrieved 10 May 2011.
6. "Town win race for Cresswell". TWTD.co.uk. 30 June 2011. Retrieved 1 July 2011.
7. "Ipswich Town sign Tranmere defender Aaron Cresswell". BBC Sport. 1 July 2011. Retrieved 1 July 2011.
8. "Bristol City 0-3 Ipswich Town". BBC Sport. 6 August 2011. Retrieved 19 December 2019.
9. "Ipswich Town 3-2 Peterborough United". BBC Sport. 17 March 2012. Retrieved 19 December 2019.
10. "Games played by Aaron Cresswell in 2011/2012". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 23 June 2014.
11. Gooderham, Dave (22 April 2012). "Aaron Cresswell wins Supporters Player of the Year". East Anglian Daily Times. Ipswich. Retrieved 5 December 2017.
12. "Villa line up young Ipswich full-back Cresswell". Daily Mirror. London. 24 July 2012. Retrieved 26 July 2012.
13. "Ipswich Town 3-1 Bristol Rovers". BBC Sport. 14 August 2012. Retrieved 19 December 2019.
14. "Games played by Aaron Cresswell in 2012/2013". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 23 June 2014.
15. "Chambers Players' Player of the Year". TWTD. 13 April 2019. Retrieved 24 April 2013.
16. "Luis Suarez: Liverpool striker wins PFA Player of the Year award". BBC Sport. 28 April 2014. Retrieved 15 December 2017.
17. "Transfer news: West Ham boss Sam Allardyce delighted with Aaron Cresswell deal". Sky Sports.
18. "Hammers snap up Cresswell". West Ham United F.C. Archived from the original on 7 July 2014. Retrieved 3 July 2014.
19. Rose, Gary (16 August 2014). "West Ham United 0–1 Tottenham Hotspur". BBC Sport. Retrieved 11 April 2017.
20. Chowdhury, Saj (29 November 2014). "West Ham United 1–0 Newcastle United". BBC Sport. Retrieved 11 April 2017.
21. "Aaron completes Player Awards hat-trick!". West Ham United F.C. 6 May 2015. Archived from the original on 10 May 2015.
22. "Games played by Aaron Cresswell in 2014/2015". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 26 May 2015.
23. "Aaron Cresswell: West Ham defender signs five-year contract". BBC Sport. 29 June 2015. Retrieved 11 April 2017.
24. "Welcome to the Wonderful World of West Ham United Statistics Premier League 2015–16". West Ham Stats. Retrieved 26 July 2016.
25. "Aaron Cresswell: West Ham defender out for four months with knee injury". BBC Sport. 25 July 2016. Retrieved 26 July 2016.
26. "Crystal Palace 0–1 West Ham United". BBC Sport.
27. "Left-back Aaron Cresswell fired in a late equaliser at the Vitality Stadium as West Ham stretched their unbeaten Premier League run to six matches". BBC Sport. Retrieved 10 June 2020.
28. Hytner, David (22 September 2019). "Aaron Cresswell seals victory for West Ham over toothless Manchester United". The Guardian. Retrieved 10 June 2020.
29. "Aaron Cresswell: West Ham United left-back signs contract to 2023". 9 October 2019 – via www.bbc.co.uk.
30. "England call up Aaron Cresswell and Jordan Pickford for Scotland qualifier". The Guardian. London. 7 November 2016. Retrieved 8 November 2016.
31. McNulty, Phil (15 November 2016). "England 2–2 Spain". BBC Sport. Retrieved 17 November 2016.
32. "Games played by Aaron Cresswell in 2009/2010". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 23 June 2014.
33. "Games played by Aaron Cresswell in 2010/2011". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 23 June 2014.
34. "Games played by Aaron Cresswell in 2013/2014". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 23 June 2014.
35. "Games played by Aaron Cresswell in 2015/2016". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 17 November 2016.
36. "Games played by Aaron Cresswell in 2016/2017". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 19 July 2017.
37. "Games played by Aaron Cresswell in 2017/2018". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 3 January 2018.
38. "Games played by Aaron Cresswell in 2018/2019". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 29 August 2018.
39. "Games played by Aaron Cresswell in 2019/2020". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 30 August 2019.
40. "Cresswell, Aaron". National Football Teams. Benjamin Strack-Zimmerman. Retrieved 30 August 2019.

External links

• Profile at the West Ham United F.C. website
• Aaron Cresswell at Soccerbase