Rob Holding
Holding playing for Arsenal in 2018
Personal information
Full name Robert Samuel Holding[1]
Date of birth (1995-09-20) 20 September 1995 (age 28)[2]
Place of birth Stalybridge, England
Height 6 ft 2 in (1.89 m)[3]
Position(s) Centre-back[4]
Team information
Current team
 Crystal Palace
Number 4
Youth career
2003–2014 Bolton Wanderers
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2014–2016 Bolton Wanderers 26 (1)
2015 → Bury (loan) 1 (0)
2016–2023 Arsenal 98 (2)
2023– Crystal Palace 0 (0)
International career
2016–2017 England U21 5 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 2 May 2023 (UTC)

Robert Samuel Holding (born 20 September 1995) is an English professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Premier League club Crystal Palace.

Holding progressed through the Bolton Wanderers youth system, making his senior debut in April 2015 while on loan at Bury. After one season in the Bolton first team, he signed for Premier League club Arsenal in July 2016. He has won the FA Cup twice and the FA Community Shield three times with the club. At Arsenal, he earned a reputation as a dogged defender, with good tackling and aerial ability. Holding has also represented England at under-21 level and was part of the team that won the Toulon Tournament in 2016.

Early life

Holding was born and raised in Stalybridge, Greater Manchester.[5][6] He attended West Hill School in the town.[7]

Club career

Bolton Wanderers

Holding played for Stalybridge Celtic Juniors[8] before joining the Bolton Wanderers youth system at the age of seven.[9] He joined League Two club Bury on loan on 26 March 2015 for rest of the 2014–15 season.[10] Holding made his only Bury appearance on 3 April 2015 as a 79th-minute substitute in a 2–0 away win against Cambridge United.[11] On his return to Bolton, he signed his professional contract with the club.[12]

He made his Bolton debut on 11 August 2015 as a starter in a 1–0 home defeat to Burton Albion in the League Cup.[13] He scored his first goal for the club on 23 January 2016 in the seventh minute of a 3–1 home win against Milton Keynes Dons.[14] Holding was voted as Bolton Wanderers' Player of the Year for the 2015–16 season.[15] He made 30 appearances, scoring one goal,[13] as the team finished bottom of the Championship and were relegated to League One.[16]

Arsenal

Holding signed for Premier League club Arsenal on 22 July 2016 for a fee of around £2 million.[17] Following injuries to centre backs Per Mertesacker and Gabriel Paulista, he was called upon to make his Arsenal debut in the 2016–17 Premier League season opener on 14 August 2016 against Liverpool, which Arsenal lost 4–3 at home.[18] After his performance in the game against Leicester City, former Arsenal manager, Arsène Wenger, once famously said in the post match press conference, "Unfortunately no one speaks about the performance of Rob Holding. You should be happy, he is English and 20 years old. I am sorry he didn't cost £55 million, so he can't be good."[19] In the final two months of the season, Holding became a regular member of Arsenal's starting line-up, with the team winning all six of the matches he played in the Premier League.[20] He played the full 90 minutes in Arsenal's 2–1 victory over Chelsea on 27 May in the 2017 FA Cup Final at Wembley Stadium.[21]

Holding played in the 2017 FA Community Shield against Chelsea on 6 August, which Arsenal won 4–1 on penalties after a 1–1 draw.[22] He scored his first Arsenal goal on 28 September 2017 with a close-range shot in their 4–2 away win over BATE Borisov in the UEFA Europa League.[23] He signed a new long-term contract with the club on 1 May 2018.[24]

On 5 December 2018, Holding suffered a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee during a 2–2 draw against Manchester United. Holding would undergo surgery and was expected to be out for about six to nine months.[25]

Holding made his return to first team action on 24 September 2019 in Arsenal's 5–0 EFL Cup home victory against Nottingham Forest. He marked his return from injury with his first goal at Emirates Stadium, scoring Arsenal's third from a Reiss Nelson corner-kick.[26] On 1 August 2020, Holding was selected to start in the FA Cup final against Chelsea, and went on to win his second winners' medal as Arsenal won their 14th FA Cup.[27]

On 28 August 2020, Holding was in the starting 11 in the 2020 FA Community Shield, which Arsenal clinched a 5–4 victory over Liverpool in the penalty shootout after the match was 1–1 after 90 minutes.[28] On 12 January 2021, Holding committed his future to Arsenal by signing a new three and a half year deal.[29][30] He earned his 100th appearance for the Arsenal in the 3–1 victory over Southampton two weeks later.[31]

On 1 May 2022, Holding scored his first Premier League goal on his 81st appearance in the competition, netting Arsenal's first goal via a Bukayo Saka corner-kick in an eventual 2–1 away victory against West Ham United at the London Stadium.[32] Eleven days later, Holding received his first career red card, picking up a second yellow away against rivals Tottenham Hotspur in the 33rd minute of the North London derby after two bookable offences both on Son Heung-min, with Arsenal going on to lose 3–0.[33][34]

On 26 April 2023, Holding scored his second Premier League goal in a 4–1 away loss against Manchester City.[35]

Crystal Palace

On 1 September 2023, Premier League club Crystal Palace signed Holding for a reported £4 million on a three-year deal.[36][37] He made his debut on 26 September, away to Manchester United in the EFL Cup, playing the whole match and receiving a yellow card in a 3–0 defeat.[38]

International career

Holding was called up to the England under-21 squad for the Toulon Tournament May 2016 as a replacement for Everton defender Brendan Galloway.[39] He made his debut for Gareth Southgate's team when starting against Guinea on 23 May.[40] England won the tournament with Holding making two appearances,[40] and was an unused substitute in the final on 29 May as England beat France 2–1.[41] He was selected for England's squad for the 2017 UEFA European Under-21 Championship in Poland,[42] but did not make an appearance with England eliminated in the semi-finals.[40] Holding made five appearances for the under-21s from 2016 to 2017.[40]

Career statistics

Club

As of match played 26 September 2023
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League FA Cup League Cup Europe Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Bolton Wanderers 2014–15[11] Championship 0 0 0 0 0 0 — — 0 0
2015–16[13] Championship 26 1 3 0 1 0 — — 30 1
Total 26 1 3 0 1 0 — — 30 1
Bury (loan) 2014–15[11] League Two 1 0 — — — — 1 0
Arsenal 2016–17[20] Premier League 9 0 5 0 3 0 1[a] 0 — 18 0
2017–18[43] Premier League 12 0 1 0 4 0 8[b] 1 1[c] 0 26 1
2018–19[44] Premier League 10 0 0 0 1 0 5[b] 0 — 16 0
2019–20[45] Premier League 8 0 5 0 2 1 3[b] 0 — 18 1
2020–21[46] Premier League 30 0 1 0 2 0 5[b] 0 1[c] 0 39 0
2021–22[47] Premier League 15 1 1 0 5 0 — — 21 1
2022–23[48] Premier League 14 1 2 0 1 0 7[b] 1 — 24 2
Total 98 2 15 0 18 1 29 2 2 0 162 5
Crystal Palace 2023–24[49] Premier League 0 0 0 0 1 0 — — 1 0
Career total 125 3 18 0 20 1 29 2 2 0 194 6
  1. ^ Appearance in UEFA Champions League
  2. ^ a b c d e Appearances in UEFA Europa League
  3. ^ a b Appearance in FA Community Shield

Honours

Arsenal

England U21

Individual

References

  1. ^ "Squads for 2017/18 Premier League confirmed". Premier League. 1 September 2017. Archived from the original on 29 June 2021. Retrieved 8 September 2017.
  2. ^ "Rob Holding: Overview". ESPN. Archived from the original on 3 June 2021. Retrieved 30 August 2020.
  3. ^ "Rob Holding: Overview". Premier League. Archived from the original on 1 August 2016. Retrieved 14 June 2018.
  4. ^ "Rob Holding". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 14 June 2018.
  5. ^ "Arsene Wenger to 'let Arsenal up-and-coming star leave – but only if he gets £15m fee for defender'". Daily Mirror. London. 4 February 2018. Archived from the original on 14 June 2018. Retrieved 14 June 2018.
  6. ^ "Is Rob Holding an Arsenal fan now? | One on One". Arsenal F.C. 25 April 2017. Archived from the original on 5 October 2017. Retrieved 14 June 2018 – via YouTube.
  7. ^ Phillip, Mark (1 May 2018). "Holding signs Arsenal contract extension". Tameside Reporter. Ashton-under-Lyne. Archived from the original on 14 June 2018. Retrieved 14 June 2018.
  8. ^ Whitehead, Liam (2 May 2018). "Former Celtic Junior signs new contract at Arsenal". Stalybridge Celtic Juniors F.C. Archived from the original on 14 June 2018. Retrieved 14 June 2018 – via LeagueRepublic.
  9. ^ Iles, Marc (30 January 2018). "Bolton set for windfall if Burnley sign Rob Holding from Arsenal". The Bolton News. Archived from the original on 22 June 2018. Retrieved 22 June 2018.
  10. ^ "Rob Holding: Bury sign Bolton defender on loan". BBC Sport. 26 March 2015. Archived from the original on 14 June 2018. Retrieved 14 June 2018.
  11. ^ a b c "Games played by Rob Holding in 2014/2015". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 14 June 2018.
  12. ^ "Four youngsters sign professional deals". Bolton Wanderers F.C. 14 May 2015. Archived from the original on 14 June 2018. Retrieved 14 June 2018.
  13. ^ a b c "Games played by Rob Holding in 2015/2016". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 14 June 2018.
  14. ^ "Bolton Wanderers 3–1 Milton Keynes Dons". BBC Sport. 23 January 2016. Archived from the original on 14 June 2018. Retrieved 14 June 2018.
  15. ^ a b "Rob Holding wins Player of the Year for 2015/16". Bolton Wanderers F.C. 29 April 2016. Archived from the original on 5 January 2018. Retrieved 14 June 2018.
  16. ^ "Championship: 2015/16: Latest table". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Archived from the original on 21 September 2015. Retrieved 14 June 2018.
  17. ^ "Arsenal: Defender Rob Holding signs from Bolton for £2m". BBC Sport. 22 July 2016. Archived from the original on 14 June 2018. Retrieved 14 June 2018.
  18. ^ Chowdhury, Saj (14 August 2016). "Arsenal 3–4 Liverpool". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 14 June 2018. Retrieved 14 June 2018.
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  20. ^ a b "Games played by Rob Holding in 2016/2017". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 14 June 2018.
  21. ^ Murray, Scott (27 May 2017). "Arsenal 2–1 Chelsea: 2017 FA Cup final – as it happened". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on 14 June 2018. Retrieved 14 June 2018.
  22. ^ Nakrani, Sachin (6 August 2017). "Olivier Giroud seals Community Shield win for Arsenal as Chelsea pay penalty". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on 14 June 2018. Retrieved 14 June 2018.
  23. ^ Begley, Emlyn (28 September 2017). "BATE Borisov 2–4 Arsenal". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 14 June 2018. Retrieved 14 June 2018.
  24. ^ "Arsenal: Rob Holding signs new long-term contract at Premier League club". BBC Sport. 1 May 2018. Archived from the original on 14 June 2018. Retrieved 14 June 2018.
  25. ^ "Arsenal's Rob Holding ruled out for up to nine months with knee injury". BBC Sport. 7 December 2018. Archived from the original on 8 December 2018. Retrieved 7 December 2018.
  26. ^ "Arsenal 5–0 Nottingham Forest: Unai Emery praises Gabriel Martinelli after League Cup brace". 24 September 2019. Archived from the original on 24 September 2019. Retrieved 25 September 2019.
  27. ^ a b McNulty, Phil (1 August 2020). "Arsenal 2–1 Chelsea". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 30 April 2021. Retrieved 1 August 2020.
  28. ^ "Arsenal 1-1 Liverpool (5-4 on pens): Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang secures Community Shield shootout win". Sky Sports. Archived from the original on 8 February 2021. Retrieved 29 January 2021.
  29. ^ "Rob Holding signs new long-term contract". Archived from the original on 12 January 2021. Retrieved 12 January 2021.
  30. ^ "Rob Holding signs new Arsenal deal to stay at club until 2024". Archived from the original on 23 January 2023. Retrieved 12 January 2021.
  31. ^ "'It's a proud moment... here's to another 100!'". www.arsenal.com. Archived from the original on 27 January 2021. Retrieved 29 January 2021.
  32. ^ "Premier League: Arsenal back in top four after win over West Ham". BBC Sport. 30 April 2022. Archived from the original on 2 May 2022. Retrieved 1 May 2022.
  33. ^ "Kane double sinks Arsenal in crucial North London derby win for Spurs". ABC News. 12 May 2022. Archived from the original on 12 May 2022. Retrieved 12 May 2022.
  34. ^ "Spurs boost top-four hopes with win over Arsenal". www.premierleague.com. Archived from the original on 12 May 2022. Retrieved 12 May 2022.
  35. ^ "Manchester City 4–1 Arsenal: Kevin de Bruyne scores two and makes one in dominant display". BBC Sport. 26 April 2023. Retrieved 2 September 2023.
  36. ^ "Rob Holding: Arsenal defender makes £4m move to Crystal Palace". BBC Sport. 1 September 2023.
  37. ^ "Crystal Palace sign defender Rob Holding". Crystal Palace F.C. 1 September 2023.
  38. ^ "Man Utd 3 Palace 0". Crystal Palace F.C. 26 September 2023. Retrieved 1 October 2023.
  39. ^ "Rob Holding called into Under-21s squad for Toulon trip". The Football Association. 15 May 2016. Archived from the original on 21 July 2020. Retrieved 14 June 2018.
  40. ^ a b c d "England's matches: The under 21's: 2010–20". England Football Online. 9 June 2018. Archived from the original on 14 October 2019. Retrieved 21 July 2018.
  41. ^ a b Veevers, Nicholas (29 May 2016). "England under-21s lift Toulon title after win over France". The Football Association. Archived from the original on 14 November 2016. Retrieved 14 June 2018.
  42. ^ "European Under-21 Championship: Ruben Loftus-Cheek out of England squad". BBC Sport. 5 June 2017. Archived from the original on 5 June 2017. Retrieved 6 June 2017.
  43. ^ "Games played by Rob Holding in 2017/2018". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 14 June 2018.
  44. ^ "Games played by Rob Holding in 2018/2019". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 4 December 2022.
  45. ^ "Games played by Rob Holding in 2019/2020". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  46. ^ "Games played by Rob Holding in 2020/2021". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 4 December 2022.
  47. ^ "Games played by Rob Holding in 2021/2022". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 4 December 2022.
  48. ^ "Games played by Rob Holding in 2022/2023". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 4 December 2022.
  49. ^ "Games played by Rob Holding in 2023/2024". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 4 December 2022.
  50. ^ McNulty, Phil (27 May 2017). "Arsenal 2–1 Chelsea". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 8 May 2019. Retrieved 14 June 2018.
  51. ^ Rostance, Tom (6 August 2017). "Arsenal 1–1 Chelsea". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 6 August 2017. Retrieved 14 June 2018.
  52. ^ Sanders, Emma (29 August 2020). "Arsenal 1–1 Liverpool". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 24 March 2021. Retrieved 30 August 2020.
  53. ^ Rose, Gary (6 August 2023). "Arsenal 1–1 Manchester City (4–1 on pens): Gunners win shootout to secure Community Shield". BBC Sport. Retrieved 6 August 2023.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Rob Holding.
Crystal Palace F.C. – current squad
Bolton Wanderers F.C. – Player of the Year
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