In the summer of 2025, then 17-year-old goalkeeper Whatmuff joined National League outfit Rochdale on loan for the upcoming campaign.
It was another step towards senior football that the England youth international had been considering for some time.
And it didn’t take Whatmuff long to feel at home representing Dale, with their style mirroring City’s which also allowed him to transition quickly to his new team.
“I think the first time I started thinking about coming on loan was after the FA Youth Cup final,” began Whatmuff.
“I think I realised I needed to go somewhere, like we played in front of quite a few fans and I wanted to do that every week.
“I wanted to get experience. And as soon as I came to Rochdale it felt like home straight away. Saying it now feels like I’ve been here 10 years. And playing in front of the fans every week feels normal, I want to play for them and I want to win for them.
“The style definitely mirrors City. I was surprised at first to be honest. I knew defensively and out of possession we would be solid because you need to be in the National League. We play very good football and I think that’s because all the team are in on the gaffer’s plans.”
Age was certainly just a number for Whatmuff who impressed his new colleagues with his shot-stopping, ball-playing and commanding presence at the back.
Rochdale skipper Ethan Ebanks-Landell, who worked closely with the City loanee throughout the season, was full of praise for Whatmuff, including kind words on what his future could entail.
“I think the fact that City let him come to us on loan shows how mature he already is,” said Ebanks-Landell.
“We didn’t have to give him much, definitely not off the field, he’s very down to earth and grounded.
“On the pitch we just try to communicate as much as we can and him being directly behind me for most of the season we try to have as much communication as possible.
“I don’t want to put too much pressure on him but I think he’ll play for England. I think he’s a top keeper, already one of the best players I’ve played with so far. I wouldn’t say he’s good because he’s 18, he’s good because he’s good. So I think he’s got everything in his tool kit to get right to the top.”
After three years out of the English Football League, Jimmy McNulty’s Rochdale were determined to secure promotion to League Two.
Whatmuff anticipated a busy stint in between the sticks but perhaps didn’t expect his role in Dale’s race for promotion to be as impactful as it was.
The now 18-year-old kept 18 clean sheets in 37 appearances for Dale and instantly became a fan-favourite with his humility, smile and drive to help the club succeed.
On the final day of the season, it was the ultimate match-up which saw second-place Rochdale face first-place York at the Crown Oil Arena.
Whatmuff and his team-mates had to beat their title rivals in order to secure automatic promotion.
And despite going a goal ahead in added time, a York equaliser left Rochdale heartbroken but determined to succeed in the play-offs.
“It was just mad,” said Whatmuff.
“It is what it is, it’s football. You’ve just got to move on to the next one, the next moment. I think it showed how much it meant to us and the fans and I think I learnt that it’s more than just a game and how much it meant to the town.
“And how much it meant for us to be back where Rochdale belong, in the EFL.”
After a 2-1 win over Scunthorpe in the semi-final set up a Boreham Wood versus Rochdale play-off final at Wembley.
Whatmuff was the man of the moment when he saved two penalties to see Rochdale win the play-off and secure their place back in the EFL.
“It’s gone way better than I thought it would be,” Whatmuff added.
“It’s shown me what football is about. Rochdale, I’ll always love the club and I’ll probably always be a Rochdale fan and it’s just a big fat thank you.”
