Former Sheffield Wednesday goalkeeper David Stockdale has joined National League side York City less than 48 hours after his departure from Hillsborough.
Stockdale was one of a number of players to leave the Owls at the end of their contracts following the club’s promotion to the Championship, along with Dennis Adeniran, Jaden Brown, Sam Durrant, Ryan Galvin, Ben Heneghan and Jack Hunt.
Why did Sheffield Wednesday release Stockdale?
The 37-year-old joined Wednesday from Wycombe Wanderers last summer and began the season as Darren Moore’s number one, but he was dropped for Cameron Dawson in December.
Stockdale regained his place in March after Dawson’s unconvincing performances, but he was dropped just three games later after some high-profile errors, with Dawson remaining as first choice for the rest of the campaign.
He made 27 appearances for the Owls in all competitions, keeping 12 clean sheets.
Stockdale has now joined York in a move which will see him return to the club where he started his career and he will combine playing duties with a role as Head of Recruitment at the LNER Community Stadium.
The Minstermen narrowly avoided relegation from the National League last season, recording a 19th-placed finish in their first year back in the division.
Stockdale reacts to York return
Stockdale revealed that he always had a desire to return to York and reflected on how far the club have progressed since his first spell.
“It was one of the things I wanted to do, to come back here,” Stockdale told the club’s official website.
“I didn’t express that to anybody but my family, but 20 years after I made my debut, to come back and try and help while I can, I’m really pleased.”
“What a place this is to have York City and York RLFC,” Stockdale added.
“I remember them talking about it years back when I was carrying buckets around Bootham Crescent trying to save the club.
“Those feelings lay deep when you’re stood outside a club trying to save its existence.”
The club say that Stockdale “will prove a useful advisor to first-team manager Michael Morton with his extensive contacts and knowledge of the game” and he says that the opportunity to take on the job as Head of Recruitment convinced him to turn down interest from the EFL.
“I could have stayed just playing in the EFL, but I also wanted to go into that side of it,” Stockdale said.
“I’ve been getting experience of it alongside doing my FA courses. So it’s something that I’ll be doing in between helping the gaffer, and basically trying to put in place things for the future of this club.”
Is David Stockdale a good signing for York City?
Stockdale is an outstanding addition for York.
While he did make some costly mistakes towards the end of his time with Wednesday, there is no doubt he is still more than capable of playing in the EFL, so it is a real coup for the Minstermen to land his signature.
Stockdale could often be seen encouraging his team-mates from the sidelines during his time at Hillsborough and his leadership qualities will be invaluable to York, particularly to a young manager like Morton.
It is a sensible move for Stockdale to take on the Head of Recruitment role as he comes towards the end of his playing career, and he will certainly be a huge asset to the Minstermen both on and off the field.
