An in-depth look into Sutton’s latest recruit: Will Tizzard.
Born in Bristol in the South-West of England, Will Tizzard’s footballing journey began 104 miles east, having been scouted by Southampton at a young age.
Starting out at his local side Coalpit Heath, Tizzard has credited coaching received from his dad and grandfather early on in his career as a reason for being spotted by the Saints, with who he ended up spending over ten years with.
The defender rose through the ranks at St Mary’s and played at every age group in the club’s academy as well as their Under-18 and B teams, where he was recognised as the Saints’ 2020/21 Scholar of the Year award after an impressive season.
He was subsequently rewarded with his first professional contract in July 2021 and went on to make ten appearances under David Horseman in the Premier League 2 during the 2021/22 campaign, before gaining experience on loan with Chippenham Town, heading out for a first taste of senior football as he linked up with the National League South outfit on a short-term deal.
Returning to the South-West, Tizzard joined a Bluebirds’ side who sat 20th in the sixth tier after five games, and went on to impress at Hardenhuish Park, making 19 appearances under Gary Horgan which included his first senior goal – the opening goal of a 1-1 draw against Dover Athletic.
The then-20-year-old was also part of the squad that embarked on a historical FA Cup and FA Trophy run, featuring in the Second Round trip to League One outfit Burton Albion in the former, before seeing his loan move extended until the end of the season.
He subsequently went on to play 23 times for the club in total alongside fellow Sutton signing Mo Dabre, who joined the Wiltshire-based side in February 2022, helping the club move away from the drop zone and achieve a 13th place finish in the National League South.
Despite a positive start to life as a first team regular, Southampton opted to release Will at the end of the season, bringing an end to his 11-year association with the Saints and force the young defender to weigh up his options. This brought him to the other side of the British border, as Tizzard made the decision to move to Scottish Championship side Queen’s Park, fresh off the Spiders’ defeat in the play-offs against Partick Thistle.
Citing the faith shown in him by his new club as a key reason for his decision to move to Lesser Hampden, Tizzard also noted the Spiders’ vision and direction having come close to achieving back-to-back promotions prior to his arrival, and joined the Glasgow-based side ahead of the 2023/24 campaign looking to contribute to their rise back up the division under new manager Robin Veldman, who had replaced Owen Coyle in the hotseat at Hampden Park.
Furthermore, Director of Football, Marijn Beuker credited Tizzard’s height, strength, leadership on the pitch and calmness on the ball as key reasons for the decision to bring him to the club, with Veldman looking to add a comfortable young player to the defensive unit of a dominant, possession-based side.
Will made his Queen’s Park debut in a 0–0 draw with East Fife in the Scottish League Cup in a match that ended with the Fifers winning 4–2 on penalties, and subsequently became remain an ever-present in the heart of the Spiders’ defence despite four different managers taking charge across his time at the club. With the club lingering around the drop zone, they opted to part ways with Veldman towards the end of 2023 and brought in Callum Davidson following an interim spell under Paul Nuijten, who guided the club to an eighth place finish, separated from Inverness Caledonian Thistle, the club who occupied the relegation play-off spot, by a point.
A total of six defeats following the turn of the year proved to be central this, and included eight clean sheets for the Spiders’ backline and Tizzard, who established himself as a key part of Queen’s Park’s run of form. Having remained competitive towards the backend of the season, Tizzard maintained his good streak into the new campaign and contributed to just three defeats from their first 13 games at the start of the 2024/25 campaign.
One of Will’s most notable performances came against Rangers in the Fifth Round of the Scottish Cup, being named in the Team of the Week after helping the Spiders secure a 1-0 win over the Scottish giants at Ibrox.
He ended the season with 38 appearances to his name, including 22 full 90-minute matches, with successive eighth place finishes eventually being secured with a six-point gap to Airdrieonians, now headed up by Steven MacLean who replaced Davidson as interim boss in March 2025.
However, Trizzard departed the Scots last month, and returns to non-league at Step One following two years away from England.
