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 Southampton is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Hampshire, England. It is located approximately southwest of London, west of Portsmouth, and southeast of Salisbury. Southampton had a population of 253, ...

Career history

Club career

Born in

Chirk Chirk () is a town and Community (Wales), community in Wrexham County Borough, Wales, south of Wrexham, between it and Oswestry. At the 2011 census, it had a population of 4,468. Historically in the historic counties of Wales, traditional coun ...

near

Wrexham Wrexham ( ; ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city in the North East Wales, north-east of Wales. It lies between the Cambrian Mountains, Welsh mountains and the lower River Dee, Wales, Dee Valley, near the England–Wales border, borde ...

, and educated in Shropshire at the Thomas Adams School in Wem, 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

as manager, he signed Jones. He won Southampton player of the season in 1998 and earned a call up to

Wales Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...

and became the number one goalkeeper. He played for Southampton in the 2003 FA Cup final against

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 ...

(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 Liverpool is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. It is situated on the eastern side of the River Mersey, Mersey Estuary, near the Irish Sea, north-west of London. With a population ...

on loan during a goalkeeping injury crisis, thus becoming the club's oldest post- war debutant. Jones re-joined Wolverhampton Wanderers in January 2004, but was loaned out to

Watford Watford () is a town and non-metropolitan district with Borough status in the United Kingdom, borough status in Hertfordshire, England, northwest of Central London, on the banks of the River Colne, Hertfordshire, River Colne. Initially a smal ...

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 London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

club and later signed for non-league Bognor Regis Town.

International career

Jones made his international debut against

Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...

on 27 May 1997, coming on as a half-time substitute for Andy Marriott. Jones won his 50th Welsh cap against

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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. He marked the occasion with 50 shaved in his hair.

Honours

Southampton *

FA Cup The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual Single-elimination tournament, knockout association football, football competition in domestic Football in England, English football. First played during ...

runner up –

2003 2003 was designated by the United Nations as the International Year of Fresh water, Freshwater. In 2003, a Multi-National Force – Iraq, United States-led coalition 2003 invasion of Iraq, invaded Iraq, starting the Iraq War. Demographic ...

Kidderminster Harriers * FA Trophy Winner – 1987 Stockport County * Division 2 runner up (promotion to Division 1) – 1996–97 Individual * Welsh Footballer of the Year: 1999

References

External links

Paul Jones career profile
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Jones, Paul Living people 1967 births Sportspeople from Chirk Footballers from Wrexham County Borough Welsh men's footballers Wales men's international footballers Men's association football goalkeepers Premier League players English Football League players Kidderminster Harriers F.C. players Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. players Stockport County F.C. players Southampton F.C. players Liverpool F.C. players Watford F.C. players Queens Park Rangers F.C. players Wales national football team non-playing staff