{{short description|English footballer}} {{Infobox football biography | name = Michael Stickland | image = | full_name = Michael George Stickland<ref> {{cite web|url=https://s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/gc-media-assets.gc.eflservices.co.uk/9b015b30-e880-11ef-8abf-f91ad331f5ec.pdf|title=SQUAD LIST 2024/25 & U21 REGISTERED CONTRACT PLAYERS|publisher=English Football League|date=11 February 2025|accessdate=9 March 2025}}</ref> | birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=y|2003|11|9}}<ref>{{cite tweet|url=https://x.com/ReadingFC/status/1722566305562189975|user=ReadingFC|author=Reading Football Club|author-link=Reading F.C.|number=1722566305562189975|title=Quite a few Royals-related birthdays to acknowledge today!|date=9 November 2023|access-date=21 May 2024}}</ref> | birth_place = Surrey, England | height = 1.85m<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.worldfootball.net/person/pe635524/michael-stickland/|title=Michael Stickland|website=worldfootball.net}}</ref> | position = Centre-back | currentclub = Reading | clubnumber = 22 | youthyears1 = {{0|0000}}–2021 | youthclubs1 = Reading | years1 = 2021–2026 | clubs1 = Reading | caps1 = 10 | goals1 = 0 | years2 = 2026 | clubs2 = → Farnborough (loan) | caps2 = 14 | goals2 = 1 | club-update = 07:10, 6 May 2026 (UTC) }}
'''Michael George Stickland''' (born 9 November 2003) is an English professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for {{English football updater|Reading}} club Reading. He will join {{English football updater|AldershT}} club Aldershot Town on 1 July 2026.
==Career== ===Reading=== Stickland made his professional debut with Reading in a 3–0 EFL Cup loss to Swansea City on 10 August 2021.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://int.soccerway.com/matches/2021/08/10/england/league-cup/reading-fc/swansea-city-afc/3524381/|title=Reading vs. Swansea City - 10 August 2021 - Soccerway|website=int.soccerway.com}}</ref> On 24 June 2025, Stickland signed a new one-year contract with Reading.<ref>{{cite web |title=Stickland signs new Royals deal |url=https://www.readingfc.co.uk/news/2025/june/24/stickland-signs-new-deal/ |website=readingfc.co.uk |publisher=Reading F.C. |access-date=24 June 2025 |date=24 June 2025}}</ref>
On 21 February 2026, Stickland joined National League South club, Farnborough on a one-month loan deal.<ref>{{cite web |title=Stickland arrives on loan |url=https://farnboroughfc.co.uk/2026/02/stickland-arrives-on-loan/ |website=farnboroughfc.co.uk |access-date=22 February 2026 |date=21 February 2026}}</ref> On 18 April 2026, Reading decided to recall Stickland from his loan at Farnborough. He returned to Berkshire after making 14 appearances and scoring once during his two-month stint with the club.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Michael Stickland recalled |url=https://farnboroughfc.co.uk/2026/04/michael-stickland-recalled/ |website=farnboroughfc.co.uk |date=18 April 2026 |accessdate=20 April 2026}}</ref>
On 5 May 2026, Reading announced that Stickland would leave the club once his contract expires on 30 June 2026.<ref>{{cite web |title=Released and Retained List 2026: First-Team |url=https://www.readingfc.co.uk/news/2026/may/05/released-and-retained-list-2026/ |website=readingfc.co.uk |publisher=Reading F.C. |access-date=5 May 2026 |date=5 May 2026}}</ref>
===Aldershot Town=== On 15 May 2026, Stickland agreed to join National League club Aldershot Town.<ref> {{cite web|url=https://www.theshots.co.uk/welcome-michael-stickland/|title=WELCOME MICHAEL STICKLAND|website=www.theshots.co.uk|date=15 May 2026|accessdate=15 May 2026}}</ref>
== Career statistics == === Club === {{updated|match played 11 April 2026}}<ref>{{Soccerway|michael-stickland/627123}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" |+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition |- !rowspan="2"|Club !rowspan="2"|Season !colspan="3"|League !colspan="2"|FA Cup !colspan="2"|EFL Cup !colspan="2"|Other !colspan="2"|Total |- !Division!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals |- |rowspan="6"|Reading |2021–22 |Championship |1||0||1||0||1||0||colspan="2"|—||3||0 |- |2022–23 |Championship |0||0||0||0||0||0||colspan="2"|—||0||0 |- |2023–24 |League One |0||0||0||0||0||0||1{{efn|name=EFL|Appearances in EFL Trophy}}||0||1||0 |- |2024–25 |League One |5||0||0||0||0||0||1{{efn|name=EFL}}||0||6||0 |- |2025–26 |League One |4||0||1||0||3||0||3{{efn|name=EFL}}||0||11||0 |- !colspan="2"|Total !10!!0!!2!!0!!4!!0!!5!!0!!21!!0 |- |Farnborough (loan) |2025–26 |National League South |14||1||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||14||1 |- !colspan="3"|Career total !24!!1!!2!!0!!4!!0!!5!!0!!35!!1 |} {{notelist}}
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * {{Soccerway|michael-stickland/627123}}
{{Reading F.C. squad}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Stickland, Michael}} Category:2002 births Category:Living people Category:English men's footballers Category:Men's association football defenders Category:Reading F.C. players Category:Farnborough F.C. players Category:English Football League players Category:National League (English football) players Category:Place of birth missing (living people) Category:21st-century English sportsmen