Biography
Powerful striker Mallik Wilks joined City on loan from Barnsley in January 2020, making his debut at Derby the following day. He quickly got amongst the goals in a City side that was struggling for wins in a post-Jarrod Bowen world, making a positive contribution with hard running and skillful dribbling. He briefly left the club at the end of June 2020 with City and Barnsley – relegation rivals in the run-in – unable to agree an extension to his loan that would see out the delayed season. But on 2 July 2020 he made a permanent transfer to the Tigers, signing a two year deal and scoring a vital injury time winner against Middlesbrough that evening. He took that form into the 2020/21 season when his strength and eye for goal meant Mallik was a constant threat to League One defences. In mid-February he scored a fine hattrick in a 5-0 win at Wigan Athletic, redemption for the 0-8 reverse at the end of the previous season, and finished the title-winning 2020/21 season as City’s top goalscorer with 22 strikes.
Injuries meant he missed games at the start of the 2021/22 season but he came into the first team in the autumn and thrived in a more central role in an attacking pair thanks to Grant McCann’s switch to a 3-5-2 formation. Further injury saw Mallik end the season out of the first team picture under new manager Shota Arveladze, and after a couple of rather low octane performances at the start of the 2022/23 season the transfer rumour became reality in late August when he joined League 1 side Sheffield Wednesday for an undisclosed fee.
Born and raised in the Chapeltown district of Leeds, Mallik Rashaun Coley Wilks came through the academy system at Leeds United and made his first team debut in January 2017 during a FA Cup tie against Sutton United – his only senior appearance for the Whites. He signed a lengthy contract at Leeds in August 2017 and proceeded to enjoy three productive loan spells – five goals in 24 appearances for Accrington Stanley, six goalles appearances for Grimsby Town and a full season at Doncaster Rovers under the guidance of future City manager Grant McCann that yielded 16 goals in 55 appearances. During the 2019 close season Leeds made Wilks available for transfer, prompting both City and Barnsley to make offers. Mallik chose to join Barnsley where he made a promising start in a struggling side, but a change of management saw him relegated to the reserves after one goal in 16 appearances, encouraging City to have a second successful attempt to sign him, initially on loan.
Wilks joined League One side Sheffield Wednesday in late August 2022 and made his Owls’ debut when introduced as substitute in a 5-0 thumping of Forest Green Rovers. Wednesday earned promotion to the Championship via the play-offs at the end of the 2022/23 season with Wilks contributing two goals, though he was injured during the play-off campaign. He stayed at Hillsborough for the 2023/24 Championship season and was used in a supporting role as the Owls struggled for early season form before picking up under the stewardship of German coach Danny Rohl – by the end of the season Mallik’s tally for the Owls had reached three goals in 42 appearances.
In August 2024 Wilks transferred to newly relegated League One side Rotherham United, making his debut against a few days later against Bristol Rovers and netting his first goal for the Millers a fortnight later against Huddersfield Town.
Details
Nationality: England
Date/Place of Birth: 15 December 1998, Leeds
Hull City First Game: 18 January 2020, Derby County A (Championship), 21 years, 34 days old
Hull City Final Game: 16 August 2022, Burnley A (Championship), 23 years, 244 days old
Clubs
Leeds United (2016-2019), Accrington Stanley (2017-2018, loan), Grimsby Town (2018, loan), Doncaster Rovers (2018-2019, loan), Barnsley (2019-2020), Hull City (2020, loan), Hull City (2020-2022), Sheffield Wednesday (2022-2024), Rotherham United (2024-current)
Hull City Record
Career: 91 apps, 30 goals
Mallik WilksSeason | LGE App | LGE Gls | FAC App | FAC Gls | FLC App | FLC Gls | EUR App | EUR Gls | OTH App | OTH Gls |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2019/20 | 16 (2) | 5 | 1 (0) | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - |
2020/21 | 42 (2) | 19 | 1 (0) | 0 | 2 (1) | 2 | - | - | 0 (2) | 1 |
2021/22 | 17 (3) | 3 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
2022/23 | 0 (1) | 0 | - | - | 1 (0) | 0 | - | - | - | - |