Noel Whelan

Leeds United

Born in Leeds, Whelan started off with his professional career at home town team Leeds United. Whelan revealed he had held out for Leeds to sign him (the club he supports) after having trials at Arsenal, Manchester United, and Everton, coming through the Leeds youth team with a number of other talented youngsters who beat a Manchester United team boasting David Beckham, Paul Scholes, Nicky Butt, Keith Gillespie, Phil Neville and Gary Neville both home and away in the FA Youth Cup Final. Turning professional in March 1993, he made his debut in the first season of the FA Premier League, in a 1–1 draw at Sheffield Wednesday on 4 May 1993. The following season, he made 16 league appearances but failed to score.

He had a promising 1994–95 season, finishing among the club's highest scorers where he scored seven goals in 23 league games, but lost his place to new signing Tony Yeboah halfway through the season. During his time at Leeds, he was capped twice by the England U-21 side in 1994, scoring once.

Coventry City

On 16 December 1995, after making eight goalless appearances in the league 1995–96 season, Whelan was signed by Coventry City manager Ron Atkinson for £2million. Atkinson's assistant Gordon Strachan, who had joined Coventry from Leeds the previous season, played a big role in securing the signing. Whelan made his debut in midfield in a 4–1 local derby defeat against Aston Villa at Villa Park. In his second game, against Everton at…

Whelan holds a UEFA B coaching Licence. Whelan first started his coaching career as a player coach at Dunfermline Athletic. After his playing career came to an end Whelan worked as a youth team coach at one of his former clubs Derby County, but after more than 12 months as a coach at Derby, Whelan decided that his commute from Harrogate was too much of a strain. Since leaving his role at Derby Whelan has been involved in the hospitality circuit at another of his former clubs Coventry City.

On 17 November 2010, Whelan revealed he has put his name forward for a role working within Leeds United's academy. Leeds are the club who Whelan supports and also who gave him the chance to become a professional footballer.

After playing and captaining Leeds United in the Yorkshire Masters Tournament, which Leeds won. Whelan revealed he was going to help coach at Derby County's academy after turning down a coaching role at Nottingham Forest.

In April 2019, Whelan joined EFL Championship side Leeds United as a coach for Leeds United Development Hub for elite player development scholarship.

Whelan competed in an episode of Celebrity MasterChef broadcast in 2008, but was eliminated in the first round.

From the 2013–14 football season, he became the co-commentator alongside Commentator Adam Pope and Katherine Hannah for BBC Radio Leeds coverage of all Leeds United games, with Whelan becoming synonymous for a catchphrase of 'Get in' every time Leeds scored.

During the 2017–18 season, Whelan as well as working for BBC, Whelan also sporadically featured on Sky Sports News as an in-studio summariser for football matches.

On 31 January 2018, Whelan also featured in a two part documentary exclusive to Leeds United's TV channel LUTV called 'I Wore The Shirt'.

Whelan is a father of two sons and three daughters. He is also an uncle to two boys.