View source for Martin Aspinwall

{{short description|English rugby league footballer}}
{{EngvarB|date=August 2016}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2016}}
{{Infobox rugby league biography
|name           = Martin Aspinwall
|fullname       = 
|image          = Martin Aspinwall Barrow.jpg 
|image_size     = 285
|position       = {{rlp|WG|CE|LF}}
|birth_date     = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1981|10|21}}
|birth_place    = [[Wigan]], [[Greater Manchester, England]]
|height         = {{convert|6|ft|1|in|cm|abbr=on}}
|weight         = {{convert|15|st|2|lb|kg|abbr=on}}
|club1          = [[Wigan Warriors]]
|year1start     = 2001
|year1end       = 05
|appearances1   = 113
|tries1         = 33
|goals1         = 0
|fieldgoals1    = 0
|points1        = 132
|club2          = {{nowrap|[[Huddersfield Giants]]}}
|year2start     = 2006
|year2end       = 10 
|appearances2   = 82
|tries2         = 22
|goals2         = 0
|fieldgoals2    = 0
|points2        = 88
|club3          = [[Castleford Tigers]]
|year3start     = 2011
|year3end       = 
|appearances3   = 19
|tries3         = 2
|goals3         = 0
|fieldgoals3    = 0
|points3        = 8 
|club4          = [[Hull F.C.]]
|year4start     = 2012
|year4end       = 
|appearances4   = 27
|tries4         = 0
|goals4         = 0
|fieldgoals4    = 0
|points4        = 0
|club5          = [[Leigh Centurions]]
|year5start     = 2013
|year5end       = 15
|appearances5   = 36
|tries5         = 3
|goals5         = 0
|fieldgoals5    = 0
|points5        = 12
|club6         = [[Barrow Raiders]]
|year6start    = 2016
|year6end      = 21
|appearances6  = 50
|tries6        = 4
|goals6        = 0 
|fieldgoals6   = 0 
|points6       = 16
|teamA          = [[England national rugby league team|England A]]
|yearAstart     = 2003
|yearAend       = 
|appearancesA   = 3
|triesA         = 2
|goalsA         = 0
|fieldgoalsA    = 0
|pointsA        = 8
|teamB          = [[Lancashire rugby league team|Lancashire]]
|yearBstart     = 
|yearBend       = 
|appearancesB   = 
|triesB         = 
|goalsB         = 
|fieldgoalsB    = 
|pointsB        = 
|retired        = 
|source              = <ref name="Statistics at loverugbyleague.com">{{cite web|url=https://www.loverugbyleague.com/stats/players/martin-aspinwall/|title=Statistics at loverugbyleague.com|publisher=loverugbyleague.com|date=31 December 2017|access-date=1 January 2018}}</ref><ref name="Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org">{{cite web|url=http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/players/martin-aspinwall/summary.html|title=Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org|publisher=rugbyleagueproject.org|date=31 December 2017|access-date=1 January 2018}}</ref>
|updated        = 8 February 2018
}}

'''Martin Aspinwall''' (born 21 October 1981) is an English [[rugby league]] footballer who plays as a {{rlp|lf}} for the [[Barrow Raiders]] in [[RFL League One|League 1]].<ref name="Statistics at loverugbyleague.com"/><ref name="Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org"/>

He played as a {{rlp|wg}}er and {{rlp|ce}} earlier in his career, playing in the [[Super League]] for the [[Wigan Warriors]], the [[Huddersfield Giants]], the [[Castleford Tigers]] and [[Hull F.C.|Hull F.C]].<ref name="Castleford RLFC A to Z Player List (All Time)">{{cite web|url=http://www.thecastlefordtigers.co.uk/alltime.php|title=Castleford RLFC A to Z Player List (All Time)|date=31 December 2014|access-date=1 January 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120216084010/http://www.thecastlefordtigers.co.uk/alltime.php|archive-date=16 February 2012 }}</ref><ref name="Statistics at thecastlefordtigers.co.uk">{{cite web|url=http://www.thecastlefordtigers.co.uk/playerprofile.php?pid=1077|title=Statistics at thecastlefordtigers.co.uk|date=31 December 2014|access-date=1 January 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120216084416/http://www.thecastlefordtigers.co.uk/playerprofile.php?pid=1077|archive-date=16 February 2012 }}</ref>

==Career==
Born in [[Wigan]], Aspinwall started his career with hometown club [[Wigan Warriors|Wigan]] as a top junior and was the first player to be signed onto their now pioneering scholarship scheme that was set up by Brian Foley and Dean Bell. On 8 July 2001, he made his début against Huddersfield at 19 years old and made six further substitute appearances in the same season. The 2002 Super League season proved to be a break-through year for him, as several injuries in the backs left the way open for him to establish himself in the first team. He played in at centre and wing during Wigan's league run-in and during the playoff series. Before the St. Helens Final Elimination clash, Aspinwall commented, "My goal at the beginning of the season was to get eight to ten games, maybe come off the bench, but because of the injury crisis that we've had, especially in the backs, I've found myself in the Semis now and one game away from a Grand Final.”

Coach [[Stuart Raper]] played Aspinwall alongside several other up and coming youngsters during the 2002's [[Super League VII]]. "It's quite exciting for me to be able to play these guys," said Raper. "The Aspinwalls and Briscoes are {{sic|chomping}} at the bit to get on that paddock. Aspinwall continued his good form for the club and, in July 2003, signed a new two-year contract with the club, turning down strong interest from Warrington.

Aspinwall was selected for the England A squad to face New Zealand at Brentford in November 2002 but had to withdraw due to a viral illness. In 2003, he played and scored a try for England A in a 22–26 defeat against [[Australia national rugby league team|Australia]],<ref>{{cite web|title=Aussies hold off England A|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_league/3222509.stm|work=BBC Sport|access-date=20 November 2013|date=28 October 2003}}</ref> and made a further two appearances against [[Wales national rugby league team|Wales]] and [[France national rugby league team|France]] in the [[2003 European Nations Cup]].<ref>{{cite web|title=England meet goal|url=http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/all-clubs/england-meet-goal-1-2532268|work=Yorkshire Post|publisher=Johnston Press|access-date=20 November 2013|date=9 November 2003}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Whalley|first=John|title=Leeds duo ready to take next step|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/2425296/Leeds-duo-ready-to-take-next-step.html|work=The Telegraph|access-date=20 November 2013|date=17 November 2003}}</ref> He was also picked to represent Lancashire in the 2003 Origin match.

Aspinwall became a first team regular in the next two years, and played for [[Wigan Warriors|Wigan]] at centre in the [[2003 Super League Grand Final]] which was lost to [[Bradford Bulls]].

At the end of his contract, which ran out in October 2005, Wigan allowed Martin to become a free-agent. He had made 107 competitive appearances for Wigan, scoring 24 tries. He quickly signed for Super League rivals Huddersfield, where he played in the [[2006 Challenge Cup]] Final defeat by St. Helens at Twickenham. He was also Giants top try scorer in his first season with 15.

In October 2006, Aspinwall was named in the 25-man Great Britain [[2006 Rugby League Tri-Nations|Tri-Nations]] squad to tour Australia and New Zealand. His 2007 season was cut short in July when he suffered an horrific cruciate knee injury against Warrington, ruling him potentially 12 months on the sidelines.

However he made a very speedy recovery and has been named in the [[2008 Rugby League World Cup squads#England|England training squad]] for the [[2008 Rugby League World Cup]].<ref name="Myler gets England call">{{cite web|url=http://www.englandrl.co.uk/article.php?id=11890 |title=Myler gets England call |publisher=England Rugby League |date=29 September 2008 |access-date=3 October 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081007232803/http://www.englandrl.co.uk/article.php?id=11890 |archive-date=7 October 2008 }}</ref>

Aspinwall was not offered an extension to his contract beyond the end of 2010, and linked up with Super League side [[Castleford Tigers|Castleford]]. In June 2011, Aspinwall was jailed for four months for dangerous driving.<ref>{{cite web|title=Castleford Tigers' Aspinwall jailed for police pursuit crash|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leeds-13799703|work=BBC News|access-date=20 November 2013|date=16 June 2011}}</ref> After serving his sentence, he moved to [[Hull F.C.]] for the 2012 season, and played 27 games for the club before signing a one-year contract with [[Leigh Centurions|Leigh]] at the end of the season. Aspinwall played till the end of the 2014–2015 season with [[Leigh Centurions|Leigh]] before being released.

For the start of the 2016 season Aspinwall signed for [[Barrow Raiders]] one a one-year deal with the option of a second.

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

==External links==
{{commons category}}
* [http://wigan.rlfans.com/readarticle.php?article_id=122 Statistics at wigan.rlfans.com]
*{{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120518154425/http://www.thecastlefordtigers.co.uk/playerprofile.php?pid=1077|date=18 May 2012|title=Profile at thecastlefordtigers.co.uk }}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20160304062846/http://www.hullfc.com/first-team/profile/224336/martin-aspinwall Statistics at hullfc.com]

{{Great Britain 2006 Rugby League Tri Nations squad}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Aspinwall, Martin}}
[[Category:1981 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Barrow Raiders players]]
[[Category:Castleford Tigers players]]
[[Category:English rugby league players]]
[[Category:Huddersfield Giants players]]
[[Category:Hull F.C. players]]
[[Category:Lancashire rugby league team players]]
[[Category:Leigh Leopards players]]
[[Category:Rugby league wingers]]
[[Category:Rugby league players from Wigan]]
[[Category:Wigan Warriors players]]