Zak Kennedy Jules (born 7 February 1997) is a Scottish 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 ...

who plays as a defender for club

Exeter City Exeter City Football Club is a professional association football club based in Exeter, Devon, England. The team play in , the third tier of the English football league system. Known as "the Grecians", the origin of their nickname is subject to ...

. He was born in Islington, England, but has represented Scotland at all levels from under-17 to under-21. He began his career at

Reading Reading is the process of taking in the sense or meaning of letters, symbols, etc., especially by sight or touch. For educators and researchers, reading is a multifaceted process involving such areas as word recognition, orthography (spelling ...

, from where he was

loan In finance, a loan is the lending of money by one or more individuals, organizations, or other entities to other individuals, organizations, etc. The recipient (i.e., the borrower) incurs a debt and is usually liable to pay interest on that ...

ed out to

Hemel Hempstead Town Hemel Hempstead Town Football Club is a semi-professional football club based in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, England. Affiliated to the Hertfordshire County Football Association, they are currently members of the National League South and pl ...

, Braintree Town and Motherwell. He signed with

Shrewsbury Town Shrewsbury Town Football Club is a professional association football club based in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England. The team competes in League One, the third tier of English football. The club plays its home games at the New Meadow, having mo ...

in June 2017, and spent the 2017–18 season on loan at Chesterfield and

Port Vale Port Vale Football Club are a professional football club based in Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, England, which compete in . Vale are the only English Football League club not to be named after a place; their name being a reference to the valley o ...

. He joined Barnet on loan in September 2018, before joining

Macclesfield Town Macclesfield Town Football Club was an English professional football club based in Macclesfield, Cheshire, that was wound-up after a High Court ruling on 16 September 2020. Initially known as Macclesfield F.C., the club was formed in 1874 ...

after leaving Shrewsbury by mutual consent in January 2019. He signed with Walsall in July 2019, where he stayed for 18 months before being sold on to Milton Keynes Dons. He spent the second half of the 2021–22 season on loan at Fleetwood Town and was sold to Exeter City in July 2023.

Club career

Reading

Jules came through the

Academy An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of secondary or tertiary higher learning (and generally also research or honorary membership). The name traces back to Plato's school of philosop ...

, and on 31 October 2015 was sent on

to National League South club

. He made his debut for the club on 31 October, in a 6–2 victory at Gosport Borough. He made a further seven appearances for Dean Brennan's "Tudors", before he returned to the

Madejski Stadium The Madejski Stadium (currently known as the Select Car Leasing Stadium for sponsorship reasons) is a Association football, football stadium in Reading, Berkshire, Reading. It is the home of Reading F.C., Reading Football Club, who play in the E ...

on 4 January 2016. He later said that the loan spell "toughened me up a bit". He signed an extension to his professional

contract A contract is a legally enforceable agreement between two or more parties that creates, defines, and governs mutual rights and obligations between them. A contract typically involves the transfer of goods, services, money, or a promise to tr ...

at Reading at the end of the 2015–16 season. On 2 December 2016, Jules joined Braintree Town on a month-long loan deal. He played in three

National League The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League (NL), is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, and the world's oldest extant professional team ...

matches during his time at Cressing Road, and also featured in two cup games. Back at Reading, he reported that he had been working closely with "Royals"

head coach A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches. In some sports, the head coach is instead called the "manager", as in assoc ...

Jaap Stam, who told him to be more aggressive. On 27 January 2017, Jules joined

Scottish Premiership The Scottish Premiership, known as the cinch Premiership for sponsorship reasons, is the top division of the Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL), the league competition for men's professional football clubs in Scotland. The Scottis ...

club Motherwell on loan until the end of the 2016–17 season. He endured a difficult start to his time at

Fir Park Fir Park Stadium is a football stadium situated in Motherwell, North Lanarkshire, Scotland. The stadium plays host to the home matches of Scottish Premiership club Motherwell and was the temporary home of Gretna for the 2007–08 SPL season. M ...

as he conceded a Penalty kick (association football) in the 2–0 defeat at Celtic and scored an

own goal An own goal, also called a self goal, is where a player performs actions that result in them or their team scoring a goal on themselves, often resulting in a point for the opposing team, such as when a football player kicks a ball into their own ...

in the 5–1 home defeat by Dundee that preceded

manager Management (or managing) is the administration of an organization, whether it is a business, a nonprofit organization, or a government body. It is the art and science of managing resources of the business. Management includes the activities ...

Mark McGhee's departure from the club. He did though score the winning goal in a 2–1 victory at Kilmarnock on 4 March, in what was new manager

Stephen Robinson Stephen Kern Robinson (born October 26, 1955) is an American former NASA astronaut. Education He was active in the Boy Scouts of America, where he achieved its second-highest rank, Life Scout. Robinson graduated from Campolindo High Schoo ...

's first game in charge. However, on 6 May, an error by Jules gifted Ross County a 1–0 win at Fir Park that sent the "Steelmen" into the

relegation In sports leagues, promotion and relegation is a process where teams are transferred between multiple divisions based on their performance for the completed season. Leagues that use promotion and relegation systems are often called open leagues. ...

play-off zone with three matches left to play.

Shrewsbury Town

On 25 June 2017, Jules signed a two-year contract with

League One The English Football League One (often referred to as League One for short or Sky Bet League One for sponsorship purposes, and known as the Football League One from 2004 until 2016) is the second-highest division of the English Football Leag ...

club

. He scored in a pre-season friendly with Aston Villa at the

New Meadow New Meadow, also known as Montgomery Waters Meadow for sponsorship purposes, is a stadium situated on the southern outskirts of Shrewsbury, Shropshire, between the districts of Meole Brace and Sutton Farm, and close to the A5. It serves the ho ...

, though "Shrews" manager

Paul Hurst Paul Michael Hurst (born 25 September 1974) is an English football manager and former player who is the manager of club Grimsby Town. As a player, he was a defender from 1993 to 2008, notably playing his entire career at Rotherham United, b ...

said that "he's a player that we feel needs a lot of work". On 31 August 2017, Jules joined

Gary Caldwell Gary Caldwell (born 12 April 1982) is a Scottish former professional footballer and coach who is the current manager of Exeter City. Caldwell played for Newcastle United, Darlington, Coventry City, Derby County, Hibernian, Celtic, Wigan Ath ...

League Two The English Football League Two (often referred to as League Two for short or Sky Bet League Two for sponsorship purposes, and known as the Football League Two from 2004 until 2016) is the third and lowest division of the English Football Lea ...

side Chesterfield on loan until 14 January 2018. He made his debut two days later in a 0–0 draw with

Coventry City Coventry City Football Club is a professional association football club based in Coventry, West Midlands, England. The team currently compete in the Championship, the second tier of the English football league system. The club is nicknamed t ...

at the Proact Stadium. However, he tore 90% of his hamstring during his sixth appearance for the "Spireites" on 26 September and was forced to return to Shrewsbury for a lengthy rehabilitation period. However, he was unable to win a first-team place at Shrewsbury due to the team's good form and excellent defensive record. On 19 January 2018, he returned to League Two after joining

on loan until the end of the 2017–18 season. He began as the "Valiants" first-choice left-back, but struggled for form and was substituted after 51 minutes of his second appearance at

Vale Park Vale Park is a football stadium in Stoke-on-Trent, England. It has been the home ground of Port Vale F.C. since 1950. The ground has seen its capacity go up and down, its peak being 42,000 in 1954 against Blackpool, although a club record 49, ...

by manager

Neil Aspin Neil Aspin (born 12 April 1965) is an English football manager and former player. A solid defender who could play at centre-back and right-back, he was a good marker and an adept tackler. He made his debut in the English Football League for L ...

. On 21 September 2018, Jules returned to the National League on a three-month loan at Barnet after failing to figure in new Shrewsbury manager

John Askey John Colin Askey (born 4 November 1964) is an English professional football manager and former player who was most recently the manager of club York City. He is the son of former Port Vale player Colin Askey. Able to play as a winger or as a ...

's first-team plans. Jules made five appearances for

John Still John Still (c. 1543 – 26 February 1607/1608) was Master of two Cambridge colleges and then, from 1593, Bishop of Bath and Wells. He enjoyed considerable fame as an English preacher and disputant. He was formerly reputed to be the author of an ...

's "Bees", the last of which came in a 4–2 FA Cup victory over Braintree Town on 20 October. Jules left Shrewsbury by mutual consent on 3 January 2019.

Macclesfield Town

On 28 January 2019, Jules signed a short-term deal with League Two relegation-threatened club

. He went on to become an important part of the Macclesfield defence, featuring 14 times to help the "Silkmen" to avoid relegation at the end of the 2018–19 season. His stay at

Moss Rose Moss Rose, known as The Leasing.com Stadium for sponsorship reasons, is a football stadium in Macclesfield, Cheshire, England, which is the home ground of Macclesfield F.C., and the former home of Macclesfield Town, a club wound up in September ...

was extended by a further 12-months after manager

Sol Campbell Sulzeer Jeremiah Campbell (born 18 September 1974) is an English professional football manager and former player who was most recently the manager of club Southend United. He previously managed Macclesfield Town from November 2018 to August ...

opted to take up an option on his contract.

Walsall

On 27 July 2019, Jules signed a contract of undisclosed-length with newly relegated League two side

Walsall Walsall (, or ; locally ) is a market town and administrative centre in the West Midlands County, England. Historically part of Staffordshire, it is located north-west of Birmingham, east of Wolverhampton and from Lichfield. Walsall is th ...

after being signed for an undisclosed fee. Manager

Darrell Clarke Darrell James Clarke (born 16 December 1977) is an English professional football manager and former player who played in the English Football League. He is the manager of club Port Vale. A box-to-box midfielder, Clarke began his career with ...

described him as "a young player we want to develop". He began the 2019–20 season in the starting eleven and filled in for an injured Cameron Pring at left-back. However, he went almost three months from 19 October with only one league start, and was then taken off at

half-time In several team sports, matches are played in two halves. Half-time (also written halftime or half time) is the name given to the interval between the two halves of the match. Typically, after half-time, teams swap ends of the field of play in or ...

in a 3–1 defeat at

Cheltenham Town Cheltenham Town Football Club is a professional association football club based in the town of Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England. From the 2021–22 season, the club compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league sy ...

on 11 January. On 8 September 2020, Jules scored his first goal for the club during a 2–2 home EFL Trophy group stage tie with

Bristol Rovers Bristol Rovers Football Club are a professional football club in Bristol, England. They compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league system. They play home matches at the Memorial Stadium in Horfield, they have been ...

. He became a key player in the first half of the 2020–21 season, filling in at left-back as well as at centre-back. He was reportedly being tracked by a number of higher division clubs.

Milton Keynes Dons

On 1 February 2021, the final day of the January

transfer window A transfer window is the period during the year in which a football club can transfer players from other playing staff into their playing staff. Such a transfer is completed by registering the player into the new club through FIFA. "Transfer wi ...

, Jules joined League One club

Milton Keynes Dons Milton Keynes Dons Football Club (), usually abbreviated to MK Dons, is a professional association football club based in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, England. The team competes in , the third tier of the English football league system. The ...

for an undisclosed fee. He made his debut at Stadium MK on 6 February in a 2–2 draw with Sunderland, and scored his first goal three days later in a 4–1 win away at

Rochdale Rochdale ( ) is a large town in Greater Manchester, England, at the foothills of the South Pennines in the dale on the River Roch, northwest of Oldham and northeast of Manchester. It is the administrative centre of the Metropolitan Borough ...

. He made his debut at wing-back, though manager Russell Martin said he intended to play Jules as part of a back three in the long-term. Jules was indeed moved to the left-side of a back three and said he felt he was adapting well to MK Dons’ unique style of play that demanded confidence on the ball from the backline. He ended the 2020–21 season with 15 starts and five substitute appearances as the Dons posted a 13th-place finish in League One. On 15 January 2022, following limited first-team opportunities at MK Dons under new manager

Liam Manning Liam Manning (born 20 August 1985) is an English football manager and coach. He is currently the Head Coach of EFL League One club Oxford United. Playing career Manning played for the academy of his local side Norwich City before joining Ipswic ...

, Jules joined fellow League One club Fleetwood Town on loan for the remainder of the 2021–22 season. He was immediately handed a start by manager Stephen Crainey, and kept a clean sheet in a 1–0 win over

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 ...

Highbury Stadium Arsenal Stadium was a football stadium in Highbury, London, which was the home of Arsenal Football Club between 6 September 1913 and 7 May 2006. It was popularly known as "Highbury" due to its location and was given the affectionate nickname ...

. The ''

Blackpool Gazette The ''Blackpool Gazette'' (locally marketed as simply ''The Gazette'') is an English daily newspaper based in Blackpool, Lancashire. Published every day except Sunday, it covers the towns and communities of the Fylde coast. It was founded as '' ...

'' reported that he "quickly become a key player in the Fleetwood defence". Jules went on to make 20 appearances for Fleetwood, helping the club to finish outside of the relegation zone on goal difference. Jules established himself back in the Dons first-team during the 2022–23 season, earning praise from captain

Dean Lewington Dean Scott Lewington (born 18 May 1984) is an English professional Association football, footballer and coach who plays as a Defender (association football)#Full-back, left-back, as well as a Centre Back, centre-back for club Milton Keynes Dons ...

in October. On 4 March, he got involved in an off the ball incident during a 1–0 defeat at former club Port Vale and was later given a three-game suspension for violent conduct after admitting an FA charge. Manager Mark Jackson subsequently held a team meeting to lecture the squad on ill-discipline. Jules made 27 league starts and 41 appearances total as the Dons were relegated in 21st-place.

Exeter City

On 28 July 2023, Jules joined League One side

for an undisclosed fee; he signed a one-year deal with the option of a second. He had previously played under manager Gary Caldwell at Chesterfield.

International career

Jules was born in Islington, but became eligible to play for

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a Anglo-Scottish border, border with England to the southeast ...

through his mother, who came from

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...

. He represented the under-17 team and was selected by

Scot Gemmill Scot Gemmill (born 2 January 1971) is a Scottish football coach and former professional player, who is the head coach of the Scotland under-21 team. As a player, he was a midfielder who notably played in the Premier League for Nottingham For ...

in the Scotland squad for the

2014 UEFA European Under-17 Championship The 2014 UEFA European Under-17 Championship was the 13th edition of the UEFA European Under-17 Championship, an annual football competition between men's under-17 national teams organised by UEFA. The final tournament was hosted for the first t ...

Malta Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...

. The team were knocked out at the semi-final stage. He went on to win caps at under-18 and under-19 level, before going on to make his under-21 debut in a 2–0 defeat to

Iceland Iceland ( is, Ísland; ) is a Nordic island country in the North Atlantic Ocean and in the Arctic Ocean. Iceland is the most sparsely populated country in Europe. Iceland's capital and largest city is Reykjavík, which (along with its s ...

on 5 October 2016. He was selected in the Scotland squad for the

2017 Toulon Tournament The 2017 Toulon Tournament (officially french: 45ème Festival International "Espoirs" – Tournoi Maurice Revello) was the 45th edition of the Toulon Tournament. The tournament was named after Maurice Revello, who started the tournament in 1967 a ...

in France, and played in the group stage games against the

Czech Republic The Czech Republic, or simply Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Historically known as Bohemia, it is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast. The ...

and

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...

. The team beat the Czech this time to secure the bronze medal. It was the nation's first ever medal at the competition.

Style of play

A central-defender, Jules describes himself as "fast and good on the ball" and has said that "I am quite quick and quite powerful, I have a half-decent left foot and I like to play a bit as well". A left-footed player, he can also fill in at left-back.

Career statistics

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Jules, Zak 1997 births Living people Footballers from the London Borough of Islington People from Islington (district) Scottish men's footballers Scotland men's youth international footballers Scotland men's under-21 international footballers English men's footballers English people of Scottish descent Black British sportsmen Men's association football defenders Reading F.C. players Hemel Hempstead Town F.C. players Braintree Town F.C. players Motherwell F.C. players Shrewsbury Town F.C. players Chesterfield F.C. players Port Vale F.C. players Barnet F.C. players Macclesfield Town F.C. players Walsall F.C. players Milton Keynes Dons F.C. players Fleetwood Town F.C. players Exeter City F.C. players English Football League players National League (English football) players Scottish Professional Football League players