Paul Jones (footballer, born 1967)

Paul Steven Jones (born 18 April 1967) is a retired Welsh international football goalkeeper. During his playing career, he played for several clubs, including Wolverhampton Wanderers, Stockport County and Southampton.

For other footballers with the same name, see Paul Jones.

Paul Jones
Personal information
Full name Paul Steven Jones
Date of birth (1967-04-18) 18 April 1967
Place of birth Chirk, Wrexham, Wales
Height 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Position(s) Goalkeeper
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1986–1991 Kidderminster Harriers 242 (0)
1991–1996 Wolverhampton Wanderers 33 (0)
1996–1997 Stockport County 47 (0)
1997–2004 Southampton 193 (0)
2004 → Liverpool (loan) 2 (0)
2004–2006 Wolverhampton Wanderers 26 (0)
2004–2005 → Watford (loan) 9 (0)
2005 → Millwall (loan) 3 (0)
2006–2007 Queens Park Rangers 26 (0)
2007–2008 Bognor Regis Town 2 (0)
Total 583 (0)
National team
1997–2006 Wales 50 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Career history

Club career

Born in Chirk near Wrexham, Jones started his career at Bridgnorth Town, joining Kidderminster Harriers in 1986 and then moved to Wolverhampton Wanderers for a fee of £60,000 in 1991. He only managed to play 44 games before moving on to Stockport County in 1996 where he was ever present in the 1996–97 season.

When Stockport County manager Dave Jones joined Southampton as manager, he signed Jones. He won Southampton player of the season in 1998 and earned a call up to Wales and became the number one goalkeeper. He played for Southampton in the 2003 FA Cup final against Arsenal (which was lost 1–0) coming on as substitute for the injured Antti Niemi. He was the first ever goalkeeper to make a substitute appearance in an FA Cup final.

He left Southampton in 2004, but not before joining Liverpool on loan during a goalkeeping injury crisis, thus becoming the club's oldest post-war debutant.[1]

Jones re-joined Wolverhampton Wanderers in January 2004, but was loaned out to Watford in December of that year. In January 2006, Wolves cancelled Jones' contract by mutual consent. In February 2006, he joined Queens Park Rangers for the rest of the 2005–06 season. Due to his success at the club he was given a one-year extension to his contract that would last up until May 2007. When this contract expired Jones was released by the London club and later signed for non-league Bognor Regis Town.

International career

Jones made his international debut against Scotland on 27 May 1997, coming on as a half-time substitute for Andy Marriott.[2]

Jones won his 50th Welsh cap against Slovakia on 7 October 2006 but had a match to forget. Wales were beaten 5–1, their worst home result for 98 years and he was beaten from long range on three occasions.[3] He marked the occasion with 50 shaved in his hair.[4]

Honours

Southampton

Kidderminster Harriers

Stockport County

References
  1. "Paul Jones". Liverpool F.C. Archived from the original on 26 October 2012. Retrieved 23 June 2013.
  2. 27 May 1997 Scotland 0 Wales 1 (Match summary)
  3. "Jones in Nightmare Landmark". Archived from the original on 13 October 2006. Retrieved 11 October 2006.
  4. Davies, Sean (7 October 2006). "Wales 1-5 Slovakia". BBC Sport. Retrieved 29 June 2010.
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