Kenwyne Jones

Kenwyne Jones
Personal information
Full name	Kenwyne Joel Jones
Date of birth	5 October 1984 (1984-10-05) (age 25)
Place of birth	Point Fortin, Trinidad and Tobago
Height	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Playing position	Striker
Club information
Current club	Sunderland
Number	17
Senior clubs1
Years	Club	App (Gls)*
2002 2002–2004 2004–2007 2004–2005 2005 2007–	Joe Public W Connection Southampton → Sheffield Wednesday (loan) → Stoke City (loan) Sunderland	0? 0(?) 0? 0(?) 71 (19) 07 0(7) 13 0(3) 36 0(8)
National team2
2003–	Trinidad and Tobago	35 0(4)
1 Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 17:57, 5 April 2008 (UTC). 2 National team caps and goals correct as of 23 June 2008. * Appearances (Goals)

Kenwyne Joel Jones (born 5 October 1984)^[1] is a professional footballer who plays as a striker for Premier League club Sunderland. He previously played for Southampton, Stoke City, Sheffield Wednesday, W Connection and Joe Public F.C..

He began his career with Joe Public F.C. in his native Trinidad and Tobago. He moved to W Connection in 2002,^[2] and he was a utility player in the Trinidad and Tobago team in 2003 against Finland. In 2004, he joined Southampton, where he was converted to a striker.^[3] He was later loaned to Sheffield Wednesday and Stoke City during the 2004–05 season.

Background

Jones was born in Point Fortin, Trinidad and Tobago,^[1] to Lydia and Pamphile.^[4] and he attended St. Anthony's College in Trinidad along with his future Sunderland team-mate Carlos Edwards.^[2] His uncle, Philbert Jones was also a footballer as a prolific forward for Strike Squad that came within a point to qualifying for the 1990 World Cup^[5] and was a similar player to Kenwyne;^[4] both in style and celebration.^[5] He is married to Avalon and has three children: Isaiah, and twins Arianne and Kaelyn.^[4] His athleticism and pace, which Sunderland considered attractive, was not established until he joined Sheffield Wednesday in September and began to show his potential.^[6]

He had earlier had trials at Manchester United and Middlesbrough in 2002. and further trials at West Ham United and Rangers in 2004.^[2] Jones revealed in an interview with Simon Bird that he had to travel around Europe looking for a football club; or face a career in the Trinidad army, he said "It was hard because I'd just had my son and it was make it - or join the army. I had a family to support and at that time, it was either this is it... or I go into the services. I was ready for that life."^[5]

Playing career

Early career

Jones began his professional career with Joe Public in his native Trinidad & Tobago in 2002. He soon moved to W Connection where he played for two years.

Southampton

In July 2004, Jones signed with Southampton from W Connection for a nominal fee after a trial.^[7] W Connection's Chairman David John Williams described Jones' move, saying: "When Kenwyne Jones was transferred to Southampton, I told you all that he is going to be the biggest thing in Trinidad and Tobago football since beside Dwight Yorke".^[8] In December 2004, while on loan to the Football League One club Sheffield Wednesday, he scored seven goals in seven games, and returned to Southampton in January 2005,^[9][10] where he played in games against Liverpool and local rivals Portsmouth.^[11][12]

Jones playing for Southampton in a game against Southend United.

Before the start of the 2006–07 season, Jones scored a hat trick against Anderlecht in Southampton's last pre-season game,^[13] Meanwhile in the Football League Championship Jones scored two goals against Birmingham City on 29 November that ended 4–3 to Southampton. On 26 December 2006, he received the first red card of his career for a push on Mark Hudson in the match against Crystal Palace.^[14] He scored another two goals against Southend United in a 4–1 win on the last day of the season to ensure a place in the play-offs for Southampton,^[15] following this, Jones was injured for the play-off semi-final defeat at Derby County but finished the season with 16 goals.^[15]

On 11 May 2007, Southampton manager George Burley stated that "Kenwyne is another Didier Drogba in the making, as far as physical attributes, his strength and power in the air are second to none".^[16] This followed news that Derby County wanted to sign Jones for around £5.5 million.^[17] Jones submitted a transfer request to Southampton on 24 August 2007 and went on "strike" until a move could be agreed, requesting not to be selected for the forthcoming league match against Stoke City.^[18]

Sunderland

On 29 August, it was confirmed that he had joined Sunderland in a deal valued at £6 million with Stern John moving to Southampton,^[19][20] The Trinidadian stiker made his debut for Sunderland on 1 September in a 1–0 defeat to Manchester United, scoring his first goal in a 2–1 home win over Reading on 15 September.^[21]

Jones was linked with a £12 m player move to Liverpool in November, with Peter Crouch moving to Sunderland,^[22][23] Jones was again linked with high profile clubs on 21 December, including Chelsea and Liverpool, but Sunderland manager Roy Keane insisted that he would be going nowhere.^[24] Jones scored his fifth goal at the Stadium of Light, with a header from the near post off a corner kick, in Sunderland's 3–1 win over Bolton on 29 December.^[25] Chelsea captain John Terry praised Jones, saying: "Jones was fantastic and I have played against him twice now. He is a very good player, very hard working and probably the best in the air in the entire Premier League, he really is that good" after Chelsea had won the match 1–0 on 15 March 2008.^[26]

On 1 June 2008, Jones suffered a knee ligament injury in a collison with Goalkeeper David James in the seventh minute of Trinidad & Tobago's 3–0 defeat against England.^[27] He made his first appearance of the 2008–09 season playing for 60 minutes in Sunderland's 2–0 reserve victory against Wigan Athletic.^[28], followed by a return to Sunderland's first team in the Tyne-Wear derby on 25 October 2008 as a second half substitute, when he helped Sunderland to secure a 2–1 victory over their local rivals.^[29] His first goal following his return came on 12 November in a 2-1 League Cup defeat against Blackburn Rovers.^[30] He continued his recovery from injury with a goal, again against Blackburn, on 15 November 2008 as Sunderland won 2–1.^[31]

International career

Jones has been capped at Under-17, Under-20, Under-23 Olympic Team and the Trinidad and Tobago national team.^[2]

He debuted with the Trinidad and Tobago national team on 29 January 2003 in a game against Finland.^[2] Having been selected by Trinidad and Tobago for their 2006 World Cup campaign, he made his first appearance in the competition in a 2–0 defeat against England on 15 June 2006 at Frankenstadion, Nuremberg.^[32] Jones was named as Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation's player of the year for 2007. Jones said, "A lot of big names have won this before and I never really thought about something like this happening to me".^[33]

Honours and Awards

• Sunderland A.F.C Player of the Season: 2007-08^[34]

Career statistics

As of 13 November 2008.^[35]

Goals for Senior National Team

#	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
	November 19, 2008	Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago	Cuba	3-0	Won	2010 FIFA World Cup Qualification

Notes

External links

• Jones' official Sunderland A.F.C. profile
• Kenwyne Jones career stats at Soccerbase
• Jones' FIFA Tournament Records

Trinidad and Tobago squad – 2006 FIFA World Cup 1 Hislop • 2 Cox • 3 A. John • 4 Andrews • 5 Sancho • 6 Lawrence • 7 Birchall • 8 Gray • 9 Whitley • 10 Latapy • 11 Edwards • 12 Samuel • 13 Glen • 14 S. John • 15 Jones • 16 Wise • 17 Charles • 18 Theobald • 19 Yorke • 20 Scotland • 21 Jack • 22 Ince • 23 Wolfe • Coach: Beenhakker