Background and career
Antonee Robinson (born August 8, 1997) is a professional soccer player who plays as a left-back for Premier League club Fulham. Born in England, he represents the United States national team. Previously a youth player with Everton, he went on loan spells to several EFL Championship clubs until signing with Premier League club Fulham in 2020 for £2 million. Following relegation after his first season, he won the 2021–22 EFL Championship and was listed on the 2021–22 Team of the Season. He won the 2023–24 Fulham Player of the Season award. Robinson represented the United States across several youth levels and made his debut for the senior team in May 2018. He won the U.S. Player of the Year award for 2024.
Antonee Robinson was born in Milton Keynes, England on August 8, 1997, to father Marlon, who had emigrated to the United States, settling in White Plains, New York, and later naturalizing as a US citizen. Robinson was raised in Liverpool.
Robinson came through Everton's academy, having been with the academy since the age of 11. In June 2013, he signed a scholarship with the club, becoming a full-time player.
While with Everton's U18 side, Robinson suffered injuries that saw him sidelined most of the time. He appeared for the U21 side toward the end of the 2014–15 season. As a result, he was awarded the club's Under-18 Players' Player of the Season. At the end of the 2014–15 season, he signed his first professional contract with the club after being offered a new contract. However, Robinson spent most of the 2015–16 season sidelined by torn cartilage under his kneecap, resulting in knee surgery. Despite this, he signed a one-year contract extension on July 15, 2016. Robinson then played all three matches in the EFL Trophy, which saw Everton U23s eliminated in the Group stage. He also became a regular for the U23 side. At the end of the 2016–17 season, Robinson signed a two-year contract extension with the club.
On August 4, 2017, it was announced that Antonee Robinson had signed on loan with Bolton Wanderers until January 2018. Five days after joining the club, on August 9, 2017, he made his debut in a 2–1 League Cup win at Crewe Alexandra. Two weeks later, on August 22, 2017, he set up a goal for Jem Karacan to score the club's third goal in a 3–2 win over Sheffield Wednesday in the League Cup. He made his league debut for the side on September 9, 2017, in a 3–0 loss against Middlesbrough, playing the full 90 minutes. Robinson then established himself in the left-back position, beating out competition from Andrew Taylor. It was announced on January 5, 2018, that Robinson had agreed to stay at Bolton for the remainder of the season.
On July 15, 2019, Robinson joined Wigan Athletic on a permanent three-year contract. He made his debut for Wigan against Rotherham United and scored his first goal for the club in a 2–2 draw at Millwall on November 26, 2019. After impressing for Wigan in the EFL Championship as one of the league's top left backs, Robinson was set to sign with Serie A side AC Milan for US$13 million before the transfer deadline of January 31, 2020. However, the deal fell through when Robinson's medical examination at Milan revealed a heart rhythm irregularity for which further testing could not be completed before the deadline, and for which he would undergo an ablation procedure as treatment.
