Bradley Scott Jones (born 19 March 1982) is an Australian professional
footballer
A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby le ...
who plays as a
goalkeeper
In many team sports which involve scoring goals, the goalkeeper (sometimes termed goaltender, netminder, GK, goalie or keeper) is a designated player charged with directly preventing the opposing team from scoring by blocking or intercepting o ...
for the Australian
A-League
A-League Men (known as the Isuzu UTE A-League for sponsorship reasons) is the highest-level professional men's soccer league in Australia and New Zealand. At the top of the Australian league system, it is the country's premier men's competiti ...
team
Perth Glory
Perth Glory Football Club is an Australian professional soccer club based in Perth, Western Australia. It competes in the country's premier men's competition, A-League Men, under licence from Australian Professional Leagues.
Founded in 19 ...
. He was a member of the
Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough ( ) is a town on the southern bank of the River Tees in North Yorkshire, England. It is near the North York Moors national park. It is the namesake and main town of its local borough council area.
Until the early 1800s, the a ...
team for over a decade often playing on loan at a succession of lower league clubs:
Stockport
Stockport is a town and borough in Greater Manchester, England, south-east of Manchester, south-west of Ashton-under-Lyne and north of Macclesfield. The River Goyt and Tame merge to create the River Mersey here.
Most of the town is within ...
,
Rotherham United
Rotherham United Football Club, nicknamed The Millers, is a professional football club based in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, England, which compete in the . The club's colours were initially yellow and black, but changed to red and white around 1 ...
,
Blackpool
Blackpool is a seaside resort in Lancashire, England. Located on the North West England, northwest coast of England, it is the main settlement within the Borough of Blackpool, borough also called Blackpool. The town is by the Irish Sea, betw ...
and
Sheffield Wednesday
Sheffield Wednesday Football Club is a professional association football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. The team competes in League One, the third tier of the English football league system. Formed in 1867 as an offshoot of ...
. He also had a brief loan spell in Ireland with
Shelbourne. In August 2010, he made a £2.3 million move to
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...
where he spent four seasons, mostly in a back-up role. Jones then had two short stints, his final in England at
Bradford City
Bradford City Association Football Club is an English professional football club in Bradford, West Yorkshire. The team competes in League Two, the fourth tier of the English football league system and are currently managed by Mark Hughes.
Th ...
and then in the Netherlands at
NEC
is a Japanese multinational corporation, multinational information technology and electronics corporation, headquartered in Minato, Tokyo. The company was known as the Nippon Electric Company, Limited, before rebranding in 1983 as NEC. It prov ...
, before joining
Feyenoord
Feyenoord Rotterdam () is a Dutch professional football club in Rotterdam, which plays in the Eredivisie, the top tier in Dutch football. Founded as Wilhelmina in 1908, the club changed to various names before settling on being called after its ...
on a one-year deal in August 2016. On 22 May 2017, he signed for another two years at Feyenoord following their
title win in the Dutch
Eredivisie
The Eredivisie (; ''"Honour Division"'' or ''"Premier Division"'') is the highest level of professional football in the Netherlands. The league was founded in 1956, two years after the start of professional football in the Netherlands. It is c ...
.
Club career
Early career
Jones was born in
Armadale, a suburb of
Perth
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of 2.1 million (80% of the state) living in Greater Perth in 2020. Perth is ...
, Western Australia,
to English parents. A childhood Liverpool fan, he attended
John Curtin Senior High School
John Curtin College of the Arts, originally John Curtin High School, is an independent, public co-educational, partially selective high school, located in East Street, , a suburb of Perth, Western Australia.
The school provides a general and ...
, graduating in 1998. Jones signed for
Bayswater City SC
Bayswater City Soccer Club is a soccer club based in Bayswater, Western Australia. They currently compete in the National Premier Leagues Western Australia
The National Premier Leagues Western Australia is a regional Australian semi-profes ...
in Western Australia.
Middlesbrough
He was then signed by
Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough ( ) is a town on the southern bank of the River Tees in North Yorkshire, England. It is near the North York Moors national park. It is the namesake and main town of its local borough council area.
Until the early 1800s, the a ...
, playing in their
youth system
In sporting terminology, a youth system (or youth academy) is a youth investment program within a particular team or league, which develops and nurtures young talent in farm teams, with the vision of using them in the first team in the future if ...
, and signed a professional contract on 26 March 1999.
He made his
first team
First team may refer to:
Sports
* First team (association football), the colloquial name given to the most senior team fielded by a football club
* The First Team, the first players known to have played the sport of basketball
* First Team All-A ...
debut in the
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic English football. First played during the 1871–72 season, it is the oldest national football competi ...
third round against
Notts County
Notts County Football Club is a professional association football club based in Nottingham, England. The team participate in the National League (division), National League, the fifth tier of the English football league system. Founded on the 2 ...
in 2004 and later that season won a
League Cup
In several sports, most prominently association football, a league cup or secondary cup generally signifies a cup competition for which entry is restricted only to teams in a particular league. The first national association football tournament t ...
winners medal.
He had loan spells at several clubs; in the
2001–02 season he played four games for Irish club side
Shelbourne. He made his professional and
League of Ireland
The League of Ireland ( ga, Sraith na hÉireann), together with the Football Association of Ireland, is one of the two main governing bodies responsible for organising association football in the Republic of Ireland. The term was originally us ...
debut on 5 October against local rivals
Bohemians
Bohemian or Bohemians may refer to:
*Anything of or relating to Bohemia
Beer
* National Bohemian, a brand brewed by Pabst
* Bohemian, a brand of beer brewed by Molson Coors
Culture and arts
* Bohemianism, an unconventional lifestyle, origin ...
at
Dalymount Park
Dalymount Park (Irish: ''Páirc Cnocán Uí Dhálaigh'') is a football stadium in Phibsborough on the Northside of Dublin, Ireland.
It is the home of Bohemian F.C., who have played there since the early 20th century. Affectionately known as D ...
and conceded 4 goals in a 6–4 victory one of which was direct from his own goal kick. His second appearance for the club came one week later in a 3–1 home victory against
Monaghan United
Monaghan United F.C. ( ga, Cumann Peile Mhuineacháin Aontaithe) is an Irish association football club based in Monaghan currently playing in the Ulster Senior League. The club joined the League of Ireland in 1983 and subsequently went on to pl ...
. Later he had loan spells at Stockport County and Blackpool. In the
2005–06 season, playing for Middlesbrough, Jones saved a
Ruud van Nistelrooy
Rutgerus Johannes Martinus van Nistelrooij (anglicised to Van Nistelrooy; born 1 July 1976) is a Dutch professional football coach and former player. He is currently the coach of PSV Eindhoven.
A former footballer, Van Nistelrooy is often consi ...
penalty which left the match against
Manchester United
Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of City of Salford, Salford to ...
level at 0–0.
In August 2006, Jones was loaned out to Sheffield Wednesday for three months. He made an up-and-down start to his loan spell, making some vital saves as well as conceding penalties in successive games against
Plymouth Argyle
Plymouth Argyle Football Club is a professional football club based in the city of Plymouth, Devon, England. As of the 2021–22 season, the team are competing in League One, the third tier of English football. They have played at Home Park, ...
and
Leeds United
Leeds United Football Club is a professional football club based in Leeds, West Yorkshire in England. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of England's football league system, and plays its home matches at Elland Road S ...
. On 21 October, his own fans turned on him and attacked him by throwing coins and other missiles during the home game against
Queens Park Rangers
Queens Park Rangers Football Club, commonly abbreviated to QPR, is a professional football club based in Shepherd's Bush, West London, England, which compete in the . After a nomadic early existence, they have played home matches at Loftus Ro ...
.
With mentor
Mark Schwarzer
Mark Schwarzer (; born 6 October 1972) is an Australian former professional soccer player who played as a goalkeeper. He represented Australia at international level from 1993 to 2013, and was selected for both the 2006 and 2010 FIFA World Cups ...
moving to
Fulham
Fulham () is an area of the London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham in West London, England, southwest of Charing Cross. It lies on the north bank of the River Thames, bordering Hammersmith, Kensington and Chelsea. The area faces Wandsworth ...
, Jones became first choice goalkeeper at Middlesbrough. He picked up an injury in the second game of the
2008–09 season and subsequently missed the next two games. Jones regained his place in the Middlesbrough first team in January 2009 and remained first choice as Middlesbrough were relegated from the Premier League. Another pre-season injury saw him miss the start of the season but he regained his place after new signing
Danny Coyne
Daniel Coyne (born 27 August 1973) is a Welsh football coach and former professional footballer.
As a player, he was a goalkeeper who played between 1992 and 2018. He came through the youth ranks at Tranmere Rovers during the 1992–93 season. ...
conceded five goals against
West Bromwich Albion
West Bromwich Albion Football Club () is an English professional football club based in West Bromwich, West Midlands, England. They compete in the EFL Championship, the second tier of English football. The club was formed in 1878 and has pla ...
. He remained in the Boro side for the rest of the season, although they failed to gain promotion from the
Championship
In sport, a championship is a competition in which the aim is to decide which individual or team is the champion.
Championship systems
Various forms of competition can be referred to by the term championship.
Title match system
In this system ...
.
Liverpool
![Brad Jones organizes his defense (2)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c7/Brad_Jones_organizes_his_defense_%282%29.jpg)
On 17 August 2010, Jones joined
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...
in a deal worth £2,300,000. He qualified as a "home-grown" player under the new Premier League rules. On 19 August, Jones watched Liverpool's
UEFA Europa League
The UEFA Europa League (abbreviated as UEL, or sometimes, UEFA EL), formerly the UEFA Cup, is an annual football club competition organised since 1971 by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) for eligible European football clubs. It ...
play-off 1st leg tie at
Anfield
Anfield is a football stadium in Anfield, Liverpool, Merseyside, England, which has a seating capacity of 53,394, making it the seventh largest football stadium in England. It has been the home of Liverpool F.C. since their formation in 1892. ...
from the directors' box, along with
captain
Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...
Steven Gerrard
Steven George Gerrard (born 30 May 1980) is an English professional football manager and former player, who most recently managed club Aston Villa. Described by pundits and fellow professionals as one of his generation's greatest players, Ge ...
,
Emiliano Insúa
Emiliano Adrián Insúa Zapata (born 7 January 1989) is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a left-back for Racing Club.
Insúa is a citizen of the European Union through one of his grandparents, who is Spanish.
Career
Early c ...
,
Alberto Aquilani
Alberto Aquilani (; born 7 July 1984) is an Italian football manager and former player. Mainly a central midfielder, he usually operated as a deep-lying playmaker, but was also capable of playing as an attacking midfielder. He is the head coach o ...
and
Dirk Kuyt
Dirk Kuijt (anglicised to Kuyt, ; born 22 July 1980) is a Dutch former professional footballer and was the head coach of Eerste Divisie side ADO Den Haag. Originally starting out as a striker, he played much of his career as a winger.
Kuyt beg ...
. He was handed the number 1 shirt after goalkeeper
Diego Cavalieri
Diego Cavalieri (born 1 December 1982) is a Brazilian retired professional footballer who last played as a goalkeeper for Botafogo.
Cavalieri is of Italian ancestry and holds both Italian and Brazilian passports. He has earned three caps for t ...
left the club on 23 August, ahead of Liverpool's clash with
Manchester City
Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The tw ...
. Jones made his unofficial debut in
Jamie Carragher
James Lee Duncan Carragher (; born 28 January 1978) is an English football pundit and former footballer who played as a defender for Premier League club Liverpool during a career which spanned 17 years. A one-club man, he was Liverpool's vic ...
's testimonial against an
Everton XI and impressed with a string of saves. Jones made his debut for Liverpool in the
League Cup
In several sports, most prominently association football, a league cup or secondary cup generally signifies a cup competition for which entry is restricted only to teams in a particular league. The first national association football tournament t ...
3rd Round tie against
Northampton Town
Northampton Town Football Club is a professional association football club based in the town of Northampton, England. The team plays in , the fourth tier of the English football league system.
Founded in 1897, the club competed in the Midland ...
on 23 September 2010. The game ended 2–2 after extra time before Liverpool lost on penalties. A couple of weeks later, Jones injured his
shoulder
The human shoulder is made up of three bones: the clavicle (collarbone), the scapula (shoulder blade), and the humerus (upper arm bone) as well as associated muscles, ligaments and tendons. The articulations between the bones of the shoulder mak ...
in training and was out for up to a month. Reserve goalkeeper Martin Hansen took his place on the bench until Jones was back fit, as Liverpool's other backup goalkeeper
Péter Gulácsi
Péter Gulácsi (born 6 May 1990) is a Hungarian footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Bundesliga club RB Leipzig and the Hungary national team.
Club career Liverpool
Liverpool signed Gulácsi from MTK Budapest on a one-year loan in 2007 ...
was on loan at nearby club
Tranmere Rovers
Tranmere Rovers Football Club is a professional association football club based in Birkenhead, Merseyside, England. The team compete in , the fourth tier of the English football league system. Founded in 1884 as Belmont Football Club, they adop ...
. He made his second start for the club on 15 December 2010, in a Europa League game against
Utrecht
Utrecht ( , , ) is the List of cities in the Netherlands by province, fourth-largest city and a List of municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality of the Netherlands, capital and most populous city of the Provinces of the Netherlands, pro ...
, getting his first clean sheet for the Reds. Unfortunately for Jones, this was to be his last game of the 2010–11 season.
Derby County (loan)
At the end of March, Jones joined
Derby County
Derby County Football Club () is a professional association football club based in Derby, Derbyshire, England. In 2022, it was announced that DCFC was acquired by Clowes Developments (UK) Ltd, a Derbyshire-based property group.
Founded in 1884 ...
on loan for the remainder of the 2010–11 season. Jones made his debut in a 4–1 loss to
Cardiff City
Cardiff City Football Club ( cy, Clwb Pêl-droed Dinas Caerdydd) is a professional association football club based in Cardiff, Wales. It competes in the Championship, the second tier of the English football league system. Founded in 1899 as R ...
, and went on to concede 16 goals in his seven games at Derby, including another four against
Burnley
Burnley () is a town and the administrative centre of the wider Borough of Burnley in Lancashire, England, with a 2001 population of 73,021. It is north of Manchester and east of Preston, at the confluence of the River Calder and River Bru ...
(2–4) and three against
Norwich City
Norwich City Football Club (also known as The Canaries or The Yellows) is an English professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk. The club competes in the EFL Championship following their relegation from the Premier League in the 20 ...
(2–3). He came in for criticism from Derby manager
Nigel Clough
Nigel Howard Clough (born 19 March 1966) is an English professional football manager and former player who is currently the manager of Mansfield Town. Playing predominantly as a forward, but later in his career used as a midfielder, Clough was c ...
after his mistake let
Bristol City
Bristol City Football Club is a professional football club based in Bristol, England, which compete in the , the second tier of English football. They have played their home games at Ashton Gate since moving from St John's Lane in 1904. The ...
take an early lead in Derby's final home game of the season, in a match the club eventually lost 2–0. It turned out to be Jones' last Derby game. He was an unused substitute in Derby's 2–1 defeat at
Reading
Reading is the process of taking in the sense or meaning of Letter (alphabet), letters, symbols, etc., especially by Visual perception, sight or Somatosensory system, touch.
For educators and researchers, reading is a multifaceted process invo ...
on the last day of the Championship season before returning to Liverpool, after being replaced by academy goalkeeper
Ross Atkins.
Return to Liverpool
![Péter Gulácsi and Brad Jones](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/23/P%C3%A9ter_Gul%C3%A1csi_and_Brad_Jones.jpg)
His first Premier League match for Liverpool came on 10 April 2012, in a 3–2 away win against
Blackburn Rovers
Blackburn Rovers Football Club is a professional football club, based in Blackburn, Lancashire, England, which competes in the , the second tier of the English football league system. They have played home matches at Ewood Park since 1890. T ...
. Jones came off the bench in the 26th minute after second choice goalkeeper
Doni had been sent off for fouling
Junior Hoilett
David Wayne Hoilett Jr. (born 5 June 1990), known as Junior Hoilett, is a Canadian professional soccer player who plays as a winger for EFL Championship club Reading and the Canada national team.
After impressing in a youth tournament, Hoile ...
in the
penalty area
The penalty area or 18-yard box (also known less formally as the penalty box or simply box) is an area of an association football pitch. It is rectangular and extends 16.5m (18 yd) to each side of the goal and 16.5m (18 yd) in front of it.
Wit ...
. Jones saved the resulting penalty, taken by
Yakubu Yakubu is an English transliteration of a West African name and is a cognate of Jacob and James. Notable people with the name include:
;Given name
* Yakubu (born 1982 as Yakubu Ayegbeni), Nigerian footballer
* Yakubu (Gobir ruler), historical ruler ...
and celebrated by pointing towards the sky in dedication to his late son, Luca. Liverpool went on to win the game 2–3 with an injury time winner from
Andy Carroll
Andrew Thomas Carroll (born 6 January 1989) is an English professional footballer who plays as a striker for Championship side Reading. He has played in the Premier League and English Football League for Newcastle United, Preston North End, Liv ...
. He played in the FA Cup semi-final against
Everton at
Wembley
Wembley () is a large suburbIn British English, "suburb" often refers to the secondary urban centres of a city. Wembley is not a suburb in the American sense, i.e. a single-family residential area outside of the city itself. in north-west Londo ...
, due to the suspension of Doni and first choice goalkeeper
Pepe Reina
José Manuel "Pepe" Reina Páez (; born 31 August 1982) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for La Liga club Villarreal.
The son of famed Barcelona and Atlético Madrid goalkeeper Miguel Reina, Pepe Reina began his ca ...
; Liverpool went on to win the game 2–1 thanks to goals from
Luis Suárez
Luis Alberto Suárez Díaz (; born 24 January 1987) is a Uruguayan professional footballer who plays as a striker for Uruguayan Primera División club Nacional and the Uruguay national team. Nicknamed ''El Pistolero'' ('The Gunman'), he is ...
and Andy Carroll. Jones therefore made history as the first Liverpool player to make his first four appearances for the club in four different competitions.
Jones made his first appearance of the 2012–13 season in a
UEFA Europa League
The UEFA Europa League (abbreviated as UEL, or sometimes, UEFA EL), formerly the UEFA Cup, is an annual football club competition organised since 1971 by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) for eligible European football clubs. It ...
qualifier against
Gomel
Gomel (russian: Гомель, ) or Homiel ( be, Гомель, ) is the administrative centre of Gomel Region and the second-largest city in Belarus with 526,872 inhabitants (2015 census).
Etymology
There are at least six narratives of the ori ...
on 2 August; Liverpool won the game 1–0. His second appearance came on 20 September in a 5–2 win against
Young Boys in the Europa League group stage. Jones also helped Liverpool progress in the
League Cup
In several sports, most prominently association football, a league cup or secondary cup generally signifies a cup competition for which entry is restricted only to teams in a particular league. The first national association football tournament t ...
in a 2–1 win against
West Brom on 26 September.
His first Premier League start came on 20 October, against
Reading
Reading is the process of taking in the sense or meaning of Letter (alphabet), letters, symbols, etc., especially by Visual perception, sight or Somatosensory system, touch.
For educators and researchers, reading is a multifaceted process invo ...
, which Liverpool won 1–0. On 25 October, Jones played his third Europa League game against
Anzhi Makhachkala
Football Club Anzhi Makhachkala (russian: link=no, Футбо́льный клуб «Анжи́» Махачкала́, ), known simply as FC Anji, was a Russian professional football club based in the Dagestani capital of Makhachkala. Founded ...
, keeping yet another clean sheet as Liverpool won 1–0. Three days later he played in Liverpool's 2–2 draw at Goodison Park. On 31 October, Liverpool played
Swansea City
Swansea City Association Football Club (; cy, Clwb Pêl-droed Cymdeithas Dinas Abertawe) is a professional football club based in Swansea, Wales that plays in the Championship, the second tier of English football. Swansea have played their ho ...
in the League Cup which Liverpool lost 3–1.
Jones continued to start in goal for Liverpool after their 1–1 draw with
Newcastle United
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Newcastle upon Tyne, that plays in the Premier League – the top flight of English football. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End ...
on 4 November. Liverpool played against Anzhi on 8 November in a Europa League group stage match and lost 1–0 after a 46th minute chip goal from
Lacina Traore. November seemed to be Jones' month after another start on 11 November against
Chelsea
Chelsea or Chelsey may refer to:
Places Australia
* Chelsea, Victoria
Canada
* Chelsea, Nova Scotia
* Chelsea, Quebec
United Kingdom
* Chelsea, London, an area of London, bounded to the south by the River Thames
** Chelsea (UK Parliament consti ...
at Stamford Bridge. The game ended in a 1–1 draw thanks to Jones making a good save from a
Fernando Torres
Fernando José Torres Sanz (; born 20 March 1984) is a Spanish football manager and former player who played as a striker. He is the current manager of Atlético Madrid Juvenil A. Due to his consistent goalscoring rate as a young player, ...
header.
Due to his excellent performances Jones was rewarded and signed a new contract with Liverpool on 21 December 2012.
Jones would then go on to keep another clean sheet this time in a 5–0 win over
Norwich
Norwich () is a cathedral city and district of Norfolk, England, of which it is the county town. Norwich is by the River Wensum, about north-east of London, north of Ipswich and east of Peterborough. As the seat of the See of Norwich, with ...
in the Premier League. He would then play in an FA Cup match v League one side
Oldham
Oldham is a large town in Greater Manchester, England, amid the Pennines and between the rivers Irk and Medlock, southeast of Rochdale and northeast of Manchester. It is the administrative centre of the Metropolitan Borough of Oldham, wh ...
, Jones was at fault for at least one of the goals conceded as Liverpool crashed out 3–2. He would then go on to play two more times in the 2012/2013 season, The first was a 3–1 defeat against
Southampton
Southampton () is a port city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. It is located approximately south-west of London and west of Portsmouth. The city forms part of the South Hampshire built-up area, which also covers Po ...
, Jones also made a string of good saves in that game including a one on one v
Rickie Lambert
Rickie Lee Lambert (born 16 February 1982) is an English former professional footballer. During his career, he played as a striker, before retiring in 2017. He won a number of personal awards, including two league Golden Boots. Lambert was know ...
, His other game was a 3–2 victory over
Tottenham
Tottenham () is a town in North London, England, within the London Borough of Haringey. It is located in the ceremonial county of Greater London. Tottenham is centred north-northeast of Charing Cross, bordering Edmonton to the north, Waltham ...
making a string of good saves in particular a free kick from
Gareth Bale
Gareth Frank Bale (born 16 July 1989) is a Welsh professional footballer who plays as a winger for Major League Soccer club Los Angeles FC and the Wales national team. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wingers of his generation ...
.
Overall, Jones played 15 times in the 2012–13 season conceding 21 goals and keeping four clean sheets in his most productive season yet for Liverpool. During the 2013–14 season, Brad Jones did not make any appearance for Liverpool in the
Premier League
The Premier League (legal name: The Football Association Premier League Limited) is the highest level of the men's English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Foo ...
. But he was the number-one goalkeeper for the
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic English football. First played during the 1871–72 season, it is the oldest national football competi ...
and played two games before losing to
Arsenal
An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, or issued, in any combination, whether privately or publicly owned. Arsenal and armoury (British English) or armory (American English) are mostly ...
in the fifth round.
On 14 December 2014, Jones was chosen in the starting 11 against
Manchester United
Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of City of Salford, Salford to ...
instead of the regular goalkeeper
Simon Mignolet
Simon Luc Hildebert Mignolet (, ; born 6 March 1988) is a Belgian professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Belgian Pro League club Club Brugge and the Belgium national team.
Mignolet started his career with Belgian Second Divisi ...
, who had been under-performing since the start of the season. Jones put in a mixed performance in a 3–0 loss, with some analysts criticising him for going to ground too early for two of the goals.
On 10 June 2015, Jones was released by Liverpool.
Bradford City
On 17 August 2015, Jones signed for
Bradford City
Bradford City Association Football Club is an English professional football club in Bradford, West Yorkshire. The team competes in League Two, the fourth tier of the English football league system and are currently managed by Mark Hughes.
Th ...
on a one-year deal following his release from
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...
. Jones played his first game for Bradford in a 2–2 draw with Sheffield United. On 27 October 2015, Bradford City confirmed that he was released by mutual consent.
NEC
On 5 January 2016 Jones joined Dutch club
NEC
is a Japanese multinational corporation, multinational information technology and electronics corporation, headquartered in Minato, Tokyo. The company was known as the Nippon Electric Company, Limited, before rebranding in 1983 as NEC. It prov ...
on a 6-month deal.
After a strong season with 17 appearances for the club and 4 clean sheets, despite NEC wanting to retain Jones, on 3 June 2016 he left the club in favour of other offers.
Feyenoord
On 7 July 2016, Jones joined
Eredivisie
The Eredivisie (; ''"Honour Division"'' or ''"Premier Division"'') is the highest level of professional football in the Netherlands. The league was founded in 1956, two years after the start of professional football in the Netherlands. It is c ...
side
Feyenoord
Feyenoord Rotterdam () is a Dutch professional football club in Rotterdam, which plays in the Eredivisie, the top tier in Dutch football. Founded as Wilhelmina in 1908, the club changed to various names before settling on being called after its ...
on a one-year deal. He made his debut on 7 August 2016, keeping a clean-sheet in Feyenoord's 5–0 win over
FC Groningen
Football Club Groningen () is a Dutch professional association football club based in Groningen, province of Groningen. Founded on 16 June 1971 as the successor of GVAV, the team compete in the Eredivisie, the highest tier of Dutch football. G ...
. In February 2017, Jones kept his 14th clean sheet of the season, in the process becoming the first Feyenoord goalkeeper to achieve the milestone since
Ed de Goey
Eduard Franciscus "Ed" de Goeij (, anglicised to de Goey; born 20 December 1966) is a Dutch former professional association football, football Goalkeeper (association football), goalkeeper. In a 20-year career, he played for Sparta Rotterdam, Fe ...
twenty years earlier. Despite the return of regular goalkeeper
Kenneth Vermeer
Kenneth Harold Vermeer (born 10 January 1986) is a Dutch professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Major League Soccer club FC Cincinnati.
A product of the Ajax Youth Academy, Vermeer has played for Jong Ajax, Willem II on loan, ...
, Jones' good form saw him retain the starting position for the remainder of the
2016–17 season. Feyenoord went on to win the
2016–17 Eredivisie
The 2016–17 Eredivisie season was the 61st season of the top-tier Dutch League Eredivisie since its establishment in 1956. The fixtures for this season were announced on 14 June 2016.
Teams
A total of 18 teams took part in the league: The b ...
, with Jones keeping 17 clean sheets in the club's first title in 18 years.
On 22 May 2017, Feyenoord announced that Jones had signed a new contract, signing on for two additional years at the Rotterdam-based club.
On 22 April 2018 he played as Feyenoord won the 2017/18
KNVB Cup
The KNVB Beker (; en, KNVB Cup), branded as the TOTO KNVB Beker for sponsorship reasons, is a competition in the Netherlands organized by the Royal Dutch Football Association (KNVB) since 1898. It was based on the format of the English FA Cup. Ou ...
final 3–0 against
AZ Alkmaar
Alkmaar Zaanstreek (), better known as AZ Alkmaar or simply AZ (), is a Dutch professional football club from Alkmaar and the Zaan district. The club plays in the Eredivisie, the highest professional football league in the Netherlands, and ho ...
.
Al-Nassr
On 1 August 2018, Jones joined
Saudi Professional League
The Saudi Pro League (SPL for short) ( ar, دوري المحترفين السعودي, link=no, ''Dawriyy al-Muḥtarifayni as-Suʿūdī''), known as the Roshn Saudi League (RSL for short) for sponsorship reasons, is the top division of associat ...
side
Al-Nassr
Al Nassr Football Club ( ar, نادي النصر السعودي; '' Naṣr'' meaning ''Victory'') is a Saudi Arabian football club based in Riyadh. Formed in 1955, the club plays its home games at the Mrsool Park. Their home colours are yello ...
on an initial two-year deal. Jones left Al-Nassr when his contract expired in July 2021.
During his time with Al-Nassr, he was part of the side that won the
Saudi Pro League
The Saudi Pro League (SPL for short) ( ar, دوري المحترفين السعودي, link=no, ''Dawriyy al-Muḥtarifayni as-Suʿūdī''), known as the Roshn Saudi League (RSL for short) for sponsorship reasons, is the top division of associat ...
title in 2019.
Return to Australia
On 5 August 2021, it was announced that Jones would return to his hometown of Perth signing for
Perth Glory
Perth Glory Football Club is an Australian professional soccer club based in Perth, Western Australia. It competes in the country's premier men's competition, A-League Men, under licence from Australian Professional Leagues.
Founded in 19 ...
on a two-year contract.
International career
![Brad Jones](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/41/Brad_Jones.jpg)
Having played for the
Australia national under-20 football team
The Australia national under-20 soccer team, known colloquially as the Young Socceroos, represents Australia in international under-20 soccer. The team is controlled by the governing body for soccer in Australia, Football Australia (FA), whic ...
and the
under-23 side at the
2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympics ( el, Θερινοί Ολυμπιακοί Αγώνες 2004, ), officially the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad ( el, Αγώνες της 28ης Ολυμπιάδας, ) and also known as Athens 2004 ( el, Αθήνα 2004), ...
, Jones felt disappointed to be overlooked for the
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup, also branded as Germany 2006, was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which had won the right to host the ...
squad and considered switching his international allegiance to
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
or
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
, the latter being possible as his wife was French. The following year, Jones received his first senior international call up for
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
on 5 February 2007 to replace
Mark Schwarzer
Mark Schwarzer (; born 6 October 1972) is an Australian former professional soccer player who played as a goalkeeper. He represented Australia at international level from 1993 to 2013, and was selected for both the 2006 and 2010 FIFA World Cups ...
in a friendly match.
He made his first senior international start on 2 June 2007 against
Uruguay
Uruguay (; ), officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay ( es, República Oriental del Uruguay), is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to its west and southwest and Brazil to its north and northeast; while bordering ...
. He was at fault for Australia losing that match after dropping a routine catch allowing
Alvaro Recoba to score an easy goal. He was part of Australia's début campaign in the
2007 AFC Asian Cup
The 2007 AFC Asian Cup was the 14th edition of the men's AFC Asian Cup, a quadrennial international football tournament organised by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). The finals were held from 7 to 29 July 2007. For the first time in its h ...
, but he did not feature in any of their matches. Additionally, he was selected as one of the three goalkeepers in Australia's final 23-man squad for the
2010 FIFA World Cup
, image = 2010 FIFA World Cup.svg
, size = 200px
, caption = ''Ke Nako. (Tswana and Sotho for "It's time") Celebrate Africa's Humanity'It's time. Celebrate Africa's Humanity'' (English)''Dis tyd. Vier Afrika se mensd ...
, but he left the squad to return to his family following news of his son being diagnosed with
leukemia
Leukemia ( also spelled leukaemia and pronounced ) is a group of blood cancers that usually begin in the bone marrow and result in high numbers of abnormal blood cells. These blood cells are not fully developed and are called ''blasts'' or ' ...
and he did not return to the tournament.
While
Ange Postecoglou
Angelos Postecoglou ( el, Άγγελος Ποστέκογλου, ; born 27 August 1965) is an Australian association football manager and former player, who is the current manager of Scottish Premiership club Celtic.
Born in Greece, he moved ...
was coaching Australia, Jones made only one appearance, playing half of a friendly match against
Ecuador
Ecuador ( ; ; Quechua: ''Ikwayur''; Shuar: ''Ecuador'' or ''Ekuatur''), officially the Republic of Ecuador ( es, República del Ecuador, which literally translates as "Republic of the Equator"; Quechua: ''Ikwadur Ripuwlika''; Shuar: ''Eku ...
which Australia lost 3–4. Jones wasn't called-up after that by Postecoglou, despite being in form during three seasons playing in the
Eredivise
The Eredivisie (; ''"Honour Division"'' or ''"Premier Division"'') is the highest level of professional football in the Netherlands. The league was founded in 1956, two years after the start of professional football in the Netherlands. It is c ...
, surprising many including goalkeeper
Mark Schwarzer
Mark Schwarzer (; born 6 October 1972) is an Australian former professional soccer player who played as a goalkeeper. He represented Australia at international level from 1993 to 2013, and was selected for both the 2006 and 2010 FIFA World Cups ...
. After Postecoglou's quitting, his replacement,
Bert van Marwijk
Lambertus van Marwijk (; born 19 May 1952) is a Dutch football manager who was recently the head coach of the United Arab Emirates national team. As a player, he played for the Go Ahead Eagles, AZ, MVV and Fortuna Sittard amongst other clubs a ...
, has revealed to be interested in calling-up Jones back to the national squad. In May 2018, he was named in Australia's preliminary 26 man
squad
In military terminology, a squad is among the smallest of military organizations and is led by a non-commissioned officer. NATO and US doctrine define a squad as an organization "larger than a team, but smaller than a section." while US Army do ...
for the
2018 World Cup
The 2018 FIFA World Cup was the 21st FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial world championship for men's national football teams organized by FIFA. It took place in Russia from 14 June to 15 July 2018, after the country was awarded the hosting righ ...
in
Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...
. Jones was named to the 23-man squad on 2 June.
Personal life
Jones' six-year-old son, from a previous relationship, died on 18 November 2011 after a year-long battle with
leukaemia
Leukemia ( also spelled leukaemia and pronounced ) is a group of blood cancers that usually begin in the bone marrow and result in high numbers of abnormal blood cells. These blood cells are not fully developed and are called ''blasts'' or ' ...
. Liverpool's players and staff wore black armbands as a mark of respect in their subsequent 2–1 victory over
Chelsea
Chelsea or Chelsey may refer to:
Places Australia
* Chelsea, Victoria
Canada
* Chelsea, Nova Scotia
* Chelsea, Quebec
United Kingdom
* Chelsea, London, an area of London, bounded to the south by the River Thames
** Chelsea (UK Parliament consti ...
; his old teammates at Middlesbrough also wore armbands as a mark of respect.
Jones married his long-term partner, former model Dani Rose Jones, at
Peckforton Castle
Peckforton Castle is a Victorian country house built in the style of a medieval castle. It stands in woodland at the north end of Peckforton Hills northwest of the village of Peckforton, Cheshire, England. It is recorded in the National Herit ...
, Cheshire, in July 2015. They have three children, two sons born in 2012 and 2019, and a daughter born in 2014.
Career statistics
Club
International
:
Honours
Middlesbrough
*
Football League Cup
The EFL Cup (referred to historically, and colloquially, as the League Cup), currently known as the Carabao Cup for sponsorship reasons, is an annual knockout competition and major trophy in men's domestic football in England. Organised by the ...
:
2003–04
Blackpool
*
Football League Trophy
The English Football League Trophy, known for sponsorship purposes as the Papa Johns Trophy after restaurant chain Papa John's Pizza, is an annual English association football knockout competition open to all clubs in EFL League One and EFL Leag ...
:
2003–04
Liverpool
* Football League Cup:
2011–12
Feyenoord
*
Eredivisie
The Eredivisie (; ''"Honour Division"'' or ''"Premier Division"'') is the highest level of professional football in the Netherlands. The league was founded in 1956, two years after the start of professional football in the Netherlands. It is c ...
:
2016–17[
* ]KNVB Cup
The KNVB Beker (; en, KNVB Cup), branded as the TOTO KNVB Beker for sponsorship reasons, is a competition in the Netherlands organized by the Royal Dutch Football Association (KNVB) since 1898. It was based on the format of the English FA Cup. Ou ...
: 2017–18
* Johan Cruyff Shield
The Johan Cruyff Shield (, ) is a football trophy in the Netherlands named after Dutch footballer Johan Cruyff, also often referred to as the Dutch Super Cup. The winner is decided in one match only, played by the winner of the national footbal ...
: 2017
File:2017 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The War Against ISIS at the Battle of Mosul (2016-2017); aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing; The Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 ("Great American Eclipse"); North Korea tests a ser ...
Al-Nassr
* Saudi Professional League
The Saudi Pro League (SPL for short) ( ar, دوري المحترفين السعودي, link=no, ''Dawriyy al-Muḥtarifayni as-Suʿūdī''), known as the Roshn Saudi League (RSL for short) for sponsorship reasons, is the top division of associat ...
: 2018–19
* Saudi Super Cup
The Saudi Super Cup ( ar, كأس السوبر السعودي) is an annual super cup football match organised by the Saudi Arabian Football Federation. Founded in 2013 as a two-team competition, the current version has been contested since 2022 ...
: 2019
File:2019 collage v1.png, From top left, clockwise: Hong Kong protests turn to widespread riots and civil disobedience; House of Representatives votes to adopt articles of impeachment against Donald Trump; CRISPR gene editing first used to experim ...
, 2020
2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, COVID- ...
Individual
* Saudi Professional League Goalkeeper of the Month: September 2019, October 2019
References
External links
*
*
*
LFC History Profile
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jones, Brad
1982 births
Living people
Association football goalkeepers
Australia international soccer players
Australian expatriate soccer players
Australian people of English descent
Australian soccer players
Derby County F.C. players
Expatriate association footballers in the Republic of Ireland
Expatriate footballers in England
Expatriate footballers in the Netherlands
2004 OFC Nations Cup players
Footballers at the 2004 Summer Olympics
League of Ireland players
Middlesbrough F.C. players
Shelbourne F.C. players
Stockport County F.C. players
Rotherham United F.C. players
Blackpool F.C. players
Sheffield Wednesday F.C. players
Liverpool F.C. players
Bradford City A.F.C. players
NEC Nijmegen players
Feyenoord players
Al Nassr FC players
Perth Glory FC players
Olympic soccer players of Australia
People educated at John Curtin College of the Arts
Soccer players from Perth, Western Australia
Premier League players
English Football League players
Eredivisie players
2007 AFC Asian Cup players
2011 AFC Asian Cup players
Australian expatriate sportspeople in England
Australian expatriate sportspeople in the Netherlands
Australian expatriate sportspeople in Ireland
2018 FIFA World Cup players
Saudi Professional League players
Expatriate footballers in Saudi Arabia
Australian expatriate sportspeople in Saudi Arabia