William Edward Buckley (born 21 November 1989) is an English former professional footballer who played as a winger.
In a career playing in all top four English leagues he started at local side, Rochdale, then going on to play for Watford, Brighton & Hove Albion and Sunderland, and had brief loan spells with Leeds United, Birmingham City and Sheffield Wednesday, finishing his career with Bolton Wanderers after a three-year spell.
Buckley started his career at Rochdale, becoming a youth scholar in 2006. Prior to that, Buckley started out at Oldham Athletic before being released. Following this, Buckley was rejected by clubs, such as, Bolton Wanderers, Bury and Accrington Stanley after going on trial before settling at Rochdale.
Having played in the club's reserve side, he went on to make his first league appearance in Rochdale's 4–2 home defeat against Hereford United on 12 February 2008. He made a second substitute appearance in a 2–1 away at Bradford City on 16 February, before making his first start for the club in a 1–0 defeat against Wycombe Wanderers on 23 February. Buckley made four more appearances, all as a substitute, in the regular season as Rochdale finished fifth. Buckley did not feature in either leg of Rochdale's League Two play-off semi-final victory over Darlington. However, he made an appearance in the final at Wembley, where Rochdale played Stockport County for a place in League One. Buckley came on as a 73rd-minute substitute for Nathan D'Laryea with Rochdale 3–1 down. They went on to lose 3–2.
After not playing in the first four games of the 2008–09 season, Buckley started a run of seven consecutive league starts. In the third of these, a 2–2 draw away at Rotherham United on 13 September 2008, Buckley scored his first professional goal. He then scored in the two subsequent games on 20 September and 28 September 2008 against Chesterfield and Accrington Stanley. By the end of 2008, Buckley went on to score three more goals. In January 2009, Buckley was named in a Times newspaper article about rising stars in the game. After being sidelined for two matches, Buckley scored on his return to the first team from absent, as well as, assisting one of the goals, in a 3–1 win over Accrington Stanley on 3 January 2009. Later in the 2008–09 season, Buckley scored five more goals, adding the total of making 41 appearances and scored 10 goals in the regular season. Rochdale finished sixth to again qualify for the play-offs. Buckley started the first leg of the semi-final, a 0–0 draw at home to Gillingham, before being substituted for Joe Thompson. In the second leg Buckley came off the bench to replace Thompson with all the goals in the 2–1 defeat already scored.
Despite attracted interests from clubs ahead of the 2009–10 season, Buckley started the opening game of the season well when he set up a goal for Joe Thompson in a 1–1 draw against Port Vale. Then in September 2009, Buckley scored three goals in a spell of three consecutive games against Northampton Town, Hereford United and Darlington. Despite suffering from injuries, Buckley made 18 appearances for Rochdale in 2009–10, scoring 3 goals in a spell of 3 consecutive games in September 2009.
On 26 January 2010, Buckley transferred to Championship club Watford, signing a three-and-a-half-year contract. At his time of departure Rochdale were nine points clear at the top of League Two. The move was reported to be £300,000, as well as adding a sell on clause.
On signing, Watford manager Malky Mackay said of Buckley:
Will's an exciting young talent who has impacted upon Rochdale ... There's a lot of growth and potential in him. ... Will's an attacking player who is comfortable on either wing and can play up and off a forward as well, he's definitely someone who is attack-minded ... we don't have the financial luxury of signing players from the Championship and the Premiership on the whole, therefore we need to look to see where the best young talent is coming through in the lower leagues, the Conference and up in Scotland as well.
After recovering from a thigh strain, Buckley was eventually given his Watford debut (following 90 minutes and a goal for the reserves) on 21 March 2010 in a 3–1 defeat at Cardiff City, replacing Don Cowie in the 67th minute. After coming on as a 90th-minute substitute for his home debut on 24 March 2010, Buckley made his full debut in a 1–1 draw against Middlesbrough on 27 March. He scored his first Watford goal on 3 April against Preston North End and Watford drew the game 1–1. However, Buckley suffered another injury that kept him out of action for the rest of the season. In his first half season at Watford, Buckley made six appearances and scoring once.
Ahead of the 2010–11 season, Buckley switched number shirt from 22 to 11. After scoring a hat-trick against Boreham Wood in the pre-season friendly, Manager Malky Mackay hope the partnership of Buckley and Danny Graham for their performance. At the start of the season, Buckley scored his first goal of the season on 14 August 2010, in a 2–2 draw against Coventry City. From that moment on, Buckley had a handful of first team appearances, playing in the wide man position and appeared on the substitute bench throughout October and November before regaining his first team place. It wasn't until on 4 December 2010 when he scored his second goal of the season, in a 3–2 win over Leicester City. He then scored two goals in two matches between 15 January 2011 and 22 January 2011 against Derby County and Cardiff City. His performance saw him being named Football League Young Player of the Month for December. Despite suffering from ankle injury and appearing on the substitute, Buckley went on to finish the season, making thirty-seven appearances and scoring four times in all competitions. Following this, Buckley was named the Young Player of the Year Award.
On 6 June 2011, Buckley signed for Brighton & Hove Albion for a then club record fee of £1 million. It came after when Watford rejected bids from Brighton & Hove Albion for him last month. Upon signing for the club, Buckley stated his time at Watford saw the lack the best of him, but nevertheless thanked the club's supporters when he under performed.
Buckley scored his first and second league goals for Brighton in a dramatic 2–1 victory against Doncaster Rovers. His second goal came 8 minutes into second-half stoppage time and earned Brighton their first win at their new stadium at Falmer. In his first start for Brighton, in the League Cup, he earned a penalty in a 1–0 victory against Gillingham. However, at the start of the season, Buckley struggled with injuries.
It wasn't until 3 December 2011, that Buckley again came off the bench to score an injury-time winner – a 92nd-minute goal in a 1–0 victory over Nottingham Forest. His fourth goal of the season, in a 2–0 win over Bristol City on 14 January 2012, was his first Brighton goal not scored after coming on as a substitute. In the next league game, Buckley found the net twice more to win away at Peterborough United – his second coming in the 88th minute. Against Newcastle United in the FA Cup fifth round, Buckley's shot was deflected to cause the own-goal that gave Brighton a shock 1–0 win. His performance throughout saw him being nominated for January's Player of the Month, but lost out to Birmingham City's defender Curtis Davies. On 4 February, his scoring run continued with another late winner, a 90th-minute goal at home to Leicester City, and in April, the eighth goal of Buckley's Brighton career came against former club Watford, with a late equaliser to make the score 2–2.
In his first season at Brighton & Hove Albion, Buckley made thirty-five appearances and scoring eight times in all competitions.
At the start of the 2012–13 season, Buckley missed out for rest of August when he suffered a hamstring injury in a friendly match. After returning to the first team against Burnley, Buckley scored his first goal of the 2012–13 campaign in a 3–0 victory over Sheffield Wednesday. Now established as a first-team starter, he scored further goals against Ipswich Town (another late equaliser), Wolverhampton Wanderers in a 3–3 draw, and a brace at Huddersfield Town which secured a 2–1 Brighton win.