Today’s Player of the Day is the new Liverpool midfielder Joe Allen. The Welshman signed for the Merseyside club on the 10th August 2012 and has impressed in his first three games. Known for his superb passing ability, Joe is being compared to some great Liverpool ‘pass masters’ including the likes of Xabi Alonso, Jamie Redknapp and Jan Molby.
Allen was part of the Swansea City youth set-up from the age of nine. As a first-year scholar in the youth team in the 2006–2007 season, he featured as an unused first-team substitute in a 3–0 away win over then Premiership side Sheffield United in the 3rd round of the FA Cup. Two weeks later, when Allen was just 16, Swansea manager Kenny Jackett gave Allen his debut in the FAW Premier Cup away tie to local Welsh Premier League side Port Talbot Town. Allen played the first half of the match, as Swansea lost 2–1 after extra time. Allen made his league debut for Swansea as a substitute in a 6–3 defeat to Blackpool on the final day of the Football League One season, as Swansea missed out on a play-off position under new manager and former team captain Roberto Martínez.
A change of manager and injuries limited Allen’s appearances the following couple of seasons but Allen returned to regular first-team football at the start of the 2010–2011 season. A string of impressive performances prompted manager Brendan Rodgers to play Allen in the South Wales derby in November 2010, with Allen receiving the man-of-the-match award in the 1–0 win. That season Swansea went on to gain promotion to the Premier League for the first time in the club’s history.
Allen was instrumental in Swansea’s successful first season in the Premier League in 2011-12 and alongside the likes of Leon Britton and Scott Sinclair earned many plaudits for their playing style. His impressive performances were enough to earn Joe a call up to the Team GB Olympic squad for the London 2012 games. He also followed ex-Swansea manager Brendan Rodgers to Liverpool at the start of the 2012-13 season in a £15 million deal.
On 10 August 2012 after passing a medical at Melwood, Allen signed a long-term contract with Liverpool in a deal worth £15 million. He made his Premier League debut on 18 August 2012, starting in a 3-0 loss against West Bromwich Albion at The Hawthorns. He started Liverpool's next game of the league campaign against the league champions Manchester City. He was voted man of the match on the club's official website by fans and journalists.
Become a fan of Joe on Facebook by liking his Official PFA Page:
http://www.facebook.com/JoeAllenFootball
Source: DSG
