Tonge: Michael William Eric (Michael)

2012-2015 (Leeds Player Details) (Player Details)

Midfield

Born: Manchester, Lancashire: 07-04-1983

Debut: Cardiff City (a): 15-09-2012

6’0” 11st 10lb (2012)

Tonge began his career in Manchester United's youth team before joining Old Trafford legend Steve Bruce at Sheffield United in 2001. He soon made the first team, firstly coming on as a sixty-eighth minute substitute for Darren Bullock in the 0-1 loss to Wimbledon at Bramall Lane on 17th April 2001, before starting his first game in the final game of the 2000-01 season in a 1-1 draw at the Reebok Stadium against Bolton Wanderers on 6th May 2001, when he was substituted in the seventy-seventh minute by Nick Montgomery. He scored his first competitive goal for the Blades on 27th October 2001, netting the winner in a 1–0 home win against Crewe Alexandra. He then became a vital player for Neil Warnock's Blades. He gained two England Under-Twenty Caps in 2002, the first in a 3-5 defeat by Italy at Roker Park, Sunderland, on 27th November and the second in a 0-2 defeat by Switzerland at Upton Park on 12th December when he came on as a half-time substitute for Darren Carter. He then played twice at Under Twenty-One level in the 2003-04 season. His first game was as a seventy-first minute substitute for Jermain Defoe in the 1-2 loss to Macedonia in Skopje on 5th September 2003 and in the second he started in the 2-2 draw with Sweden in Kristiansund on 30th March 2004 but was replaced by Darren Ambrose after sixty-three minutes. During his time at Bramall Lane he helped them achieve promotion to the Premier League in 2006 and attracted interest from several top clubs including Liverpool in that time. Liverpool's interest had been prompted by his display in scoring two goals to help the Blades to a 2–1 win in the first leg of the League Cup semi-final on 8th January 2003 against them. However, Sheffield were relegated after one season back in the top flight, and, after an unsuccessful attempt to gain an instant return, Tonge signed for Stoke City 1st September 2008 for £2 million. While at Bramall Lane he scored twenty-one League goals from two hundred and thirty-eight starts and twenty-eight games from the bench. He also scored three goals in fifteen starts and three from the bench in the League Cup and also made seventeen starts and two substitute appearances in the F.A. Cup and three starts in the Championship play-offs, without scoring. He made his debut for Stoke in a 2-3 home loss to Everton on 14th September 2008. He failed to establish himself in the Stoke squad and only made a further nine appearances in the 2008–09 season. After failing to fully settle at Stoke, Tonge was loaned to Preston North End on 20th November 2009. He made his Preston debut on 23rd November 2009 in a 0-1 defeat at Deepdale by Newcastle United. He started seven League games before returning on 1st January 2010. He was next loaned to Derby County on 1st February 2010 for the rest of the season, scoring twice in the League in eighteen starts and making a further start in the F.A. Cup. His first goal for the Rams came in a 2–0 home win over Watford on 6th March 2010. He showed up well in Stoke's pre-season games, scoring in the seventy-first minute on 24th July 2010 in a 6-0 win at Newcastle Town and in the sixty-seventh minute in a 2-1 win at Burnley on 31st July 2010. This resulted in him being called into the first team for the first three games of the season. Firstly as a sixty-seventh minute substitute at Wolverhampton Wanderers on 14th August 2010, then as an eighty-eighth minute substitute at home to Tottenham Hotspur a week later and a start in the Carling Cup home game with Shrewsbury Town, three days later, which saw him substituted in the eightieth minute. He was sent on a month's loan to Preston North End, coincidentally, along with Stoke and later Leeds team-mate, Danny Pugh on 19th November 2010. He made his debut the following day in a 1-3 loss at Loftus Road against Queens Park Rangers. His loan was later extended to 1st January 2011 and he scored his only goal for the Lilywhites when he scored the opening goal in the twenty-sixth miinute of a 1-1 draw at Cardiff City on 4th December 2010. In his loan term he scored one League goal from five starts. Tonge completed a full pre-season prior to the 2011–12 season, playing in all but one of Stoke's games and scoring in the 3–1 friendly win at Austrian side SV Thal on 14th July 2011. On 18th August 2011, he made his first start of the season, and his European debut, in Stoke's 1–0 Europa League play-off win at FC Thun, Switzerland. On 2 September 2011, Tonge was left out of the Stoke Twenty-five-man Premier League and Twenty-Three-man Europa League squads for the first half of the season, which meant he was only eligible to play in domestic cup and reserve games. On 24th January 2012 he was loaned to Barnsley for the rest of the 2011-12 season and in that time he started seven League games and also made a further three appearances from the bench. His Barnsley debut came in a 3-2 home win over Derby County on 31st January 2012 and he was substituted in the sixty-sixth minute. Tonge was again left out of Stoke's Twenty-five-man squad for the 2012–13 season. On 13th September 2012 he went on a three month loan to Leeds United to December 2012, thereby rejoining his former Manager Neil Warnock. Leeds were having injury problems with both Michael Brown and David Norris unavailable. He was allocated the number Eighteen Shirt at Elland Road and went straight into the team at Cardiff City on 15th September 2012. His first goal came in the eighty-third minute of the 3-2 away win at Bristol City on 29th September 2012. By the time his loan spell ended on 21st December 2012 he had scored four League goals in eighteen starts and one game from the bench as well as one goal in three starts in the League Cup. After his loan deal expired on 23rd December 2012, Leeds manager Neil Warnock revealed he wanted to sign Tonge permanently. Tonge also wanted to join Leeds on a permanent deal. New Leeds director, Salem Patel said Leeds were in negotiations to sign Tonge on a permanent deal in January 2013. He joined Leeds on a two and an half-year contract on 9th January 2013. While with Stoke City Tonge started just one League game but made eleven substitute appearances. He aso started one and came off the bench in one game in the F.A. Cup as well as starting three League Cup games and coming on as a substitute in one more. He made his second debut for Leeds on 12th January 2013 in the "Yorkshire Derby" defeat at Oakwell by 0-2 against Barnsley. By the end of the 2012-13 season he had added a further fourteen League starts and two substitute appearances and a further one from the bench in the F.A. Cup. He was included in the Leeds team under Dave Hockaday and then Neil Redfearn but fell out of favour after one game under Darko Milanic. Neil Redfearn did include him in his squad but he sat unused the majority of the time, making just one start in that time. He was loaned to Millwall for the rest of the season on 2nd February 2015. He made his debut for the Lions in a 1-0 win at Birmingham City on 10th February 2015 and started five League games and came off the bench once before returning to Elland Road at the end of his loan term. He had brought his Leeds details to four goals in eighteen starts and one game as a substitute in the League and one goal in three starts in the League Cup, since signing permanently for the club. He was not retained by Leeds at the end of his contract.