Hatfield: William Henry (Will)

2009-2012 (Leeds Player Details)(Player Details)

Midfield

Born: Dewsbury: 10-10-1991

Debut: Nil

Height & Weight: Unknown

Hatfield attended Woodhouse Grove School and was taken on a full-time contract by Leeds United in July 2008, after being a regular with the Leeds United Academy since he was eight years old. At school he excelled also at Rugby and Cricket but Football was always his prime objective. He had already played for Leeds at Under-Eighteen level before signing full-time after leaving school. He progressed to the Reserve team in his first year and became a regular in the 2009-10 season and was made captain in preference to several more senior players. As Captain he led the Leeds Reserves to their second League title in successive season's as they pipped Middlesborough for the title on the final day of the season after a string of six consecutive victories. He was in the United first-team squad for the F.A. Cup 4th Round Replay against Tottenham Hotspur at Elland Road on 3rd February 2010 but, not unsurprisingly, he remained an unused substitute. He had also taken part in the prestigeous Emirates Airlines Dubai Sevens, in early March 2010. Although beaten in the Final by Greek side Olympiakos United had beaten, Celtic, Arsenal and Blackburn Rovers in getting to the Final, and Hatfield had been a major contributor, scoring the winner against the Gunners. Although he was not included in the Leeds squad for the 2010-11 pre-season tour of Slovakia, he was chosen for a strong Leeds team in a 3-0 win over Gainsborough Trinity, which included several senior players. Hatfield was loaned to York City on 28th January 2011 until the end of the 2010-11 season. During that time he made one start and came on three times as a substitute. Despite having the option to sign him on a permanent basis, York did not take it up. Returning to Leeds he was loaned to Accrington Stanley on 14th October 2011 on a one month loan, making his debut for them the following day as an half-time substitute in a 0-2 home defeat by Swindon Town. He made his starting debut for Stanley on 21st October 2011 in a 0-1 defeat by Cheltenham Town, but came off after seventy-one minutes and was also substituted, this time after fifty-nine minutes on 25th October 2011 in a 0-1 defeat at Shrewsbury Town and his final game of his stay was as a eighty-fifth minute substitute in a 1-1 draw at Crawley on 29th October 2011. He again returned to Elland Road until 29th December 2011, when he and Sanchez Payne both went on trial to Lincoln City with a view to going on loan there in January 2012. Neither player was taken on by the Imps. On 12th January 2012 Leeds and Hatfield came to a mutual agreement to terminate the player's contract and being a free agent Hatfield joined Conference North side FC Halifax Town on a non-contract basis following a trial period with the Shaymen. He was an unused substitute on 21st January 2012 at Vauxhall Motors, a substitute at home to Gainsborough Trinity three days later and on his starting debut at home to Guiseley he was the "Man of the Match". However, he only played twice for Halifax as, on 10th February 2012, he re-signed with League Two club Accrington Stanley on a short-term contract until the end of the season. He was an eighty-fifth minute substitute on 3rd March 2012 in a 2-2 home draw with Port Vale and still had time to score in the eighty-eigth minute. He repeated this achievement three days later when scoring in the ninetieth minute, after being once more an eighty-fifth minute substitute in a 1-1 draw at Valley Parade against Bradford City. Four days later he again came off the bench, in the seventy-ninth minute on 10th March 2012, when Stanley came away from Roots Hall with a 2-2 draw against Southend United.