Tyler-Jay Dibling (born 17 February 2006) is an English professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Premier League club Southampton.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Tyler-Jay Dibling[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 17 February 2006 | ||
| Place of birth | Exeter, England[2] | ||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Southampton | ||
| Number | 33 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Axminster Town | |||
| 2011–2013 | Millwey Rise | ||
| 2012–2013 | Southampton | ||
| 2013–2014 | Exeter City | ||
| 2014–2022 | Southampton | ||
| 2022 | Chelsea | ||
| 2022– | Southampton | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2023– | Southampton | 1 | (0) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2021–2022 | England U16 | 4 | (1) |
| 2022–2023 | England U17 | 15 | (3) |
| 2023– | England U18 | 5 | (0) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 18:12, 13 January 2024 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 10:34, 26 March 2024 (UTC) | |||
Club career
Born in Exeter, Dibling started his career with local side Axminster Town AFC, where his father Sam played for the men's team.[3] He joined Millwey Rise FC at the age of five, spending two years with the youth side.[4] He joined Southampton in 2012, also spending a year with Exeter City at the age of seven, before signing a professional contract with The Saints in October 2021.[3][4] In April 2022, he scored a hat-trick of near-identical goals in a Premier League 2 game against Newcastle United, with a video of the goals going viral.[2]
Having been named on the bench for a Premier League game against Brentford, in which he did not feature, Dibling drew attention from Newcastle United and Chelsea.[2][5] He joined the latter in July 2022, after ten years with Southampton, with the promise of a professional contract once he turned seventeen.[2][6][7] However, after failing to settle at Chelsea, making only two appearances for the club's under-18 side, he returned to Southampton in September 2022.[2]
Dibling signed a scholarship deal with Southampton on 17 September 2022, stating that the club felt like a "second home" to him.[8][9][10] He is seen as one of the brightest prospects in Southampton's academy.[2][11] On 22 February 2023, Dibling signed his first professional contract.[12] On 18 December 2023, he signed a new contract, keeping him at the club until 2026.[13]
Dibling made his first professional appearance on 8 August 2023 in a 3–1 defeat to Gillingham in the EFL Cup, replacing Jayden Meghoma in the 85th minute.[14] On 13 January 2024, he made his first league appearance for the club in a 4–0 victory against Sheffield Wednesday, coming on as a substitute for Ryan Fraser in the 88th minute.[15]
International career
Dibling has represented England at under-16, under-17 level and under-18 level.[1]
On 17 May 2023, Dibling was named in the England squad for the 2023 UEFA European Under-17 Championship.[16]
On 6 September 2023, Dibling made his England under-18 debut during a 2–0 defeat to France in Limoges.[17]
On 2 November 2023, Dibling was included in the England squad for the 2023 FIFA U-17 World Cup.[18] He scored in their opening group game against New Caledonia.[19]
Career statistics
Club
- As of match played 6 February 2024[20]
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | EFL Cup | Europe | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Southampton U23 | 2022–23[21] | — | — | — | — | 2[a] | 0 | 2 | 0 | |||||
| Southampton | 2023–24[22] | Championship | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 5 | 0 | ||
| Career total | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 0 | ||
Honours
England U18