Five professional footballers who are from Aylesbury

Wherever you go, kids are having a kick about in their local parks, friends are talking about the weekend’s results and many people are bickering over who is better than who.

But away from that, are you aware that several footballers who have played at the top level both domestically and internationally are from Aylesbury?

Here are five professional footballers from the town.

Number 5: Rob Hall: 240 career appearances, 32 career goals

Rob Hall (left) and Watford's Nathaniel Chalobah battle for the ball during the Carabao Cup match at the Kassam Stadium (David Davis)

Bursting onto the scene in the early 2010s, Rob Hall, who attended the Grange School in Aylesbury, has made appearances in each of the top four divisions in the country, representing six different clubs.

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The 27-year-old is currently in his third spell at Oxford United, where he has played 97 games since re-joining the club in the summer of 2016.

His two previous spells for the U’s came during the 2011/12 season, where he played 14 games in all competitions, scoring five goals.

Hall was on loan at the club from West Ham United who were playing in the Championship at the time, and following his impressive form, he was recalled to the Hammers at Christmas 2011, and played four matches under Sam Allardyce that season.

He was again loaned out by the club, this time to Milton Keynes Dons in the spring of 2012, but he only made two appearances for the club.

Rob Hall is currently in his third spell at Oxford United (David Davies/PA)

After West Ham’s promotion back to the Premier League that summer, Hall was included in several matchday squads and played in two League Cup ties, which were sandwiched between his Premier League debut on September 1, 2012, playing the final 12 minutes as a second-half substitute in a 3-1 win over Fulham.

Two more loan spells for Hall followed that season at Birmingham and Bolton before he joined the latter permanently in the summer of 2013.

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His time at the Trotters was indifferent as he only played 34 matches in three seasons, but he spent the final year-and-a-half on loan at MK Dons, playing 36 games in that time.

A move back to Oxford followed and despite a loan spell at Forest Green Rovers last season, he has played 17 matches this campaign.

Number 4: Matt Phillips: 471 career appearances, 71 career goals

Matt Phillips has played 16 games for Scotland (PA)

A reliable winger/striker, Matt Phillips has played nearly 500 career games since making his professional debut in 2008.

Starting his footballing journey at Wycombe Wanderers, Phillips was part of the Chairboys side that earned promotion to League One in 2009.

They were relegated a year later but his displays caught the eye of Premier League new boys, Blackpool in 2010, who signed Phillips that summer.

In the top-flight, he played 27 games, scoring once, as the Seasiders were relegated back down to the Championship after a season.

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He left to join QPR in 2013, helping Rangers get promoted back to the Premier League, and during their sole campaign back in the top-flight in 2014/15, he scored three PL goals in 25 PL matches.

Matt Phillips has played in the Premier League for three clubs in Blackpool, QPR and West Brom (PA)

A year later in 2016, he joined West Brom and played 60 top-flight matches, before the Baggies were relegated in 2018.

They were promoted after two seasons out and so far this year, Phillips has played 22 matches.

He has also played for Scotland on 16 occasions, scoring once.

Number 3: Sam Ricketts: 621 career appearances, 19 career goals

Sam Ricketts was previously the manager of Shrewsbury Town (Martin Rickett/PA)

Playing in all five leagues from the National League to the Premier League, Aylesbury-born Sam Rickets has enjoyed a very well-travelled career across the UK as a player.

Slowly going up the football pyramid, Rickets started his career with Oxford United where he also had loan spells with Nuneaton and Telford in the non-league in the early 2000s.

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His breakthrough in the EFL came in 2004 when he signed for Swansea City, playing for the Welsh side for two seasons, before joining Hull City – a side he helped achieve promotion to the Premier League in 2008.

Sam Ricketts also played in the Premier League for Hull City and Bolton Wanderers (Martin Rickett/PA)

A move to fellow PL side in Bolton Wanderers followed in 2009 before successful spells at Wolverhampton Wanderers, Swindon Town and Coventry City.

He hung up his boots in 2006 and has since turned to management, taking the reigns at Wrexham and most recently, Shrewsbury Town.

Number 2: Ellen White: 243 career appearances, 120 career goals

Ellen White has played 93 games for England (PA)

One of England Women’s most prolific strikers, Ellen White has had a very decorated career which currently shows no sign of stopping.

The Aylesburian played for the ‘Mini Dux’ team at Aylesbury United as a child before playing for Aylesbury Town.

She was scouted by Arsenal before the age of 10 but left the Gunners in 2005 to join Chelsea.

Spells at Leeds, a return to Arsenal, Notts County, Birmingham City, and now Manchester City have seen White win nine trophies since 2010.

Ellen White was the joint-top goalscorer at the 2019 World Cup (PA)

Her domestic success propelled her to international fame, as she has been a regular face at England’s last five major tournaments, which saw her win the Golden Boot at the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup, where the Three Lions finished in fourth place in France.

She captured the hearts of the nation and on Aylesbury High Street, a mural of White was painted due to her stellar performances at the tournament two years ago.

Number 1: Emmerson Boyce: 625 career appearances, 27 career goals

Emmerson Boyce (left) was at Wigan for nine seasons and won the FA Cup in 2013

Emmerson Boyce grew up in the town and attended Quarrendon School (now known as the Aylesbury Vale Academy).

He made his professional debut as a footballer for Luton Town in the 1998/99 season, where he played 212 games and scored nine goals in six seasons.

A big move to Premier League new boys Crystal Palace happened in the summer of 2004 and despite some very good performances, the Eagles were relegated after one season in the top-flight.

He stayed for another season before making a move in the summer of 2006 which defined his career.

Boyce joined Wigan Athletic and played 298 games in nine years for the club.

He was the first captain for the Latics to lift a major trophy, as the Greater Manchester side won the FA Cup in 2013, defeating the former Premier League champions and 2011 cup winners, Manchester City, in the final.

He ended his career at Blackpool, spending a year with the Tangerines in the 2015/16 season, before hanging up his boots.

Boyce also represented Barbados at international level, as his parents, Melvin and Lucille, were born in the Caribbean country.

He scored three goals 12 matches for the Bajan Tridents.