David Atkinson

David Atkinson (born 27 April 1993) is an English footballer who plays as a defender for club Shildon. He played in the Football League for Carlisle United. Club career Atkinson joined Middlesbrough's academy as an under-nine. He was a member of the Middlesbrough under-15 squad that won the English qualifying competition for the 2007–08 Manchester United Premier Cup, and took up a two-year scholarship with the club in 2009. After the first twelve months, he was given his first professional contract, of four years; at that time, he was recovering from a stress fracture in his back, and his progress was later disrupted by a serious knee injury. He went on to captain Middlesbrough's under-21 team, and in the second half of the 2013–14 season, was a regular member of the first-team squad. After eight consecutive Championship matches on the bench, Middlesbrough manager Aitor Karanka said that Atkinson was training well and was in his thoughts for a debut, but would not force him into a "difficult game" that might adversely affect his confidence. He remained unused, and in September 2014, still without having played first-team football for Middlesbrough, joined League Two club Hartlepool United on a month's loan. He lost time to a hamstring injury, the manager who signed him, Colin Cooper, resigned in the middle of his loan spell, and he made no senior appearances. He spent time on trial with League One club Walsall in February 2015, brought in by manager Dean Smith to check him out ahead of a possible summer signingaccording to Smith, "He is someone [Middlesbrough] have thought highly of, but has not quite burst onto the first team scene as they would have liked.before signing for Carlisle United of League Two on loan on 26 March. It was with Carlisle that he finally made his Football League debut, on 28 March in a 2–1 loss away to Oxford United, and he made six more appearances. At the end of a 2014–15 season in which Middlesbrough's under-21s won the U21 Premier League Second Division title and added the North Riding Senior Cup, beating Guisborough Town in the final, Atkinson was not offered a new contract.