Happy birthday to diminutive playmaker and promotion winner, Alex Pritchard, who was born on this day in 1993.
Before coming here, he'd spent time as a youth player at Spurs where he'd been farmed out on loan plenty of times. He was (mostly) liked at Norwich who signed him permanently, but not liked so much at Huddersfield. He cost the Terriers £11 million under David Wagner, and would have expected to play a part in a long-term project at the John Smith’s Stadium. However, Wagner was sacked in 2019, and overall Pritchard played under three different managers during his time with the Terriers.
He became a figure of huge frustration after Huddersfield’s relegation in 2019. He tended to spend more time on the treatment table than the pitch, with fans claiming he was a lazy player with a bad attitude. From reports, Pritchard’s time at Huddersfield seems similar to the signing of Jack Rodwell at Sunderland...
In 2021, after running down his contract with Huddersfield, Pritchard came to Wearside on a free transfer. Fans were apprehensive of the signing at first. A down-hearted player in awful form, with an inconsistent injury record. It was a signing that we would have made in the Premier League, and reminded us of times we’d rather have forgotten. Not to mention, a player of his size might easily struggle against some of the behemoths we faced in League One.
Things got off to a slow start for Pritchard, who tested positive for Covid soon after his arrival. It meant he had no pre-season, and had barely spoken to any of his teammates since joining. However, Lee Johnson put his faith in Pritchard, praising the “sacrifices” he’d made to come down to League One.
His first start for the club came against AFC Wimbledon, showing glimpses of quality without creating anything of note. As the season wore on though, Pritchard quickly became one of our most influential players. His first goal for the club came with a curled effort away to Shrewsbury, and since then he simply went from strength to strength.
Pritch secured four goals and nine assists, in his first season at the club. He also got both assists in our 2-0 playoff final win over Wycombe Wanderers. Needless to say, he played a big role in getting the Lads to the Championship.
He was a regular in our Championship side who were battling for the play-offs. Despite not having the biggest numbers, and sometimes struggling to find a place in the side due to the quality of Clarke, Diallo and Roberts, he still contributed to the side's success massively. Everyone played well in the last game of the season against Preston, but his expert finish on the hour mark doubled our lead and ultimately earned us the top six finish.
That summer, when the likes of Danny Batth and Lynden Gooch were being forced out of the club, it seemed a certainty that Pritch would also be on his way. However to his credit he stayed, fought for his spot and soon became one of the most influential players in the squad once again. His experience and match intelligence meant he would buzz around the pitch, nick those loose balls in tight situations and demand more from his younger teammates. Particularly against the Mags, he was one of the very few players who didn't roll over and let them bully him.
That being said, his actions on the day of the Stoke game divided opinion among our fanbase. A lot of supporters said they didn't blame him for going on strike and forcing a move from the club, because it was obvious he wasn't going to get a (well-earned) new deal, and he clearly hated Michael Beale. Other fans said he'd turned his back on the club and downed tools, similar to at Huddersfield, and that if he doesn't want to play for the badge then so be it.
He got his wish, joining Tony Mowbray's Birmingham City for a nominal fee on deadline day. However, the fans really don't like him there - they've suggested he went to Birmingham for one final big payday. With Tony falling ill and taking time away from the club, perhaps the midfielder is just missing that arm around his shoulder. Who knows. Sometimes it's just a perfect fit between club and player, and it certainly felt like that for most of Pritch's time at SAFC.
