- published: 10 Oct 2015
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Philip Nikodem "Phil" Jagielka (born 17 August 1982) is an English professional footballer who plays for Everton as a defender.
He played regularly in central midfield for his previous club Sheffield United, but generally plays in central defence for Everton. Jagielka started his career with Sheffield United, joining current team, Everton, in 2007 for a fee of £4 million. He is a former England under-21 international, having been capped six times and scoring two goals for the team. He has also gained recognition for both the England B team and the full England team.
An England international with 11 caps, Jagielka was also eligible to represent Poland through his Polish-born grandfather Nikodem.
Jagielka was born in Sale, Greater Manchester, and played for Holy Family Football Club, a Sunday team affiliated with, although not directly linked to, the school of the same name, from the ages of eight to eleven. He played as a right winger, as he possessed great pace, and even played in games against boys of the school year older than he. However, he first impressed youth scouts whilst playing for his local team Hale Barns United in Altrincham. He predominantly played midfield during his time with the club. He spent time training with clubs such as Stoke City, Everton and Manchester City, before joining Sheffield United in 1998 at 15 years of age.