| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Jonathan James Ashton[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 4 October 1982 | ||
| Place of birth | Nuneaton, England | ||
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)[2] | ||
| Playing position | Defender | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | Stevenage | ||
| Number | 5 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1994–2000 | Leicester City | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 2000–2003 | Leicester City | 9 | (0) |
| 2002 | → Notts County (loan) | 4 | (0) |
| 2003 | → Oxford United (loan) | 6 | (0) |
| 2003–2006 | Oxford United | 91 | (1) |
| 2006–2007 | Rushden & Diamonds | 40 | (2) |
| 2007–2009 | Grays Athletic | 57 | (2) |
| 2009– | Stevenage | 110 | (4) |
| National team‡ | |||
| 2007–2008 | England C | 4 | (1) |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 22:17, 2 January 2012 (UTC). † Appearances (Goals). |
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Jonathan James "Jon" Ashton (born 4 October 1982 in Nuneaton, England) is an English footballer, currently playing for League One side Stevenage.
Ashton was part of Leicester City's youth academy, progressing through the youth system for six years after joining the club at the age of 12. He made seven Premier League appearances during Leicester's 2001–02 campaign, playing a total of 10 games for the club. During his time at Leicester, Ashton was loaned out to both Notts County and Oxford United respectively, joining the latter permanently in September 2003 after his successful loan spell. He played over 100 games for the club spanning over three league seasons, before being released in May 2006.
He signed for Rushden & Diamonds ahead of the 2006–07 season, spending one season at the club before joining Essex side Grays Athletic on a free transfer in May 2007. He spent one and a half years with Grays, before signing for Stevenage for an undisclosed fee in January 2009. Ashton was an important part of the side's defence during the club's successful 2009–10 campaign, a season in which Stevenage would earn promotion to the Football League for the first time in the club's history. The following season, Ashton played a key part in Stevenage earning back-to-back promotions to League One following their sixth place finish and subsequent League Two play-off victory in May 2011. Ashton has also earned four caps for the England C team, three of which game in the Four Nations Tournament in Scotland in May 2007.
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Born in Nuneaton, Warwickshire, Ashton started his career at Leicester City as part of the club's youth system.[3] After progressing through the YTS ranks at the club, Ashton made his Leicester debut in March 2002 in a 2–0 defeat to Leeds United.[4] Despite the defeat, Ashton continued to impress manager Micky Adams, and played a further six games towards the latter stages of the 2001–02 season.[5] Although the club were relegated to the Championship, Ashton signed a new three-year deal at the club at the end of the season.[6]
The following season, Ashton started in the club's first game of the 2002–03 season, a 6–1 defeat against Ipswich Town at Portman Road.[7] Subsequently, Ashton only played one further game for Leicester,[8] before being loaned out to Notts County on a one-month deal.[9] A day after completing his loan move, he made his County debut in a 2–2 draw against Mansfield Town,[10] and played a further three games before returning to his parent club.[11][12] On his return to Leicester, Ashton made one further appearance for the club, coming on as an 80th minute substitute in the side's 1–1 draw with Norwich City.[13]
Ashton joined Oxford United on an initial one-month loan deal just before the start of the 2003–04 season, which was made permanent in September 2003.[14] He made his Oxford debut in a 1–0 victory over Lincoln City,[15] and made a further 37 appearances for Oxford in the same season.[16] He continued to hold down a regular place in the Oxford squad the following year, and made 31 appearances in all competitions.[17] Under the new management of Brian Talbot, Ashton played 34 games during the club's 2005–06 campaign,[18] scoring his first goal for Oxford in a 1–1 draw with Rochdale in February 2006.[19] However, after being openly criticised by Talbot in a 2–1 defeat at Stockport County,[20] Ashton did not feature as regularly in the first–team.[21]
In May 2006, Ashton was released by Jim Smith, ending his three year tenure at the club.[22] A month later, he signed for Conference National side Rushden & Diamonds,[23] and made his debut in the opening game of the 2006–07 season in a 1–0 defeat to Crawley Town.[24] He scored his first Rushden goal in a 4–1 victory against Tamworth.[25] He played a further 40 games for Rushden during the season, scoring twice.[26] However, Ashton was transfer–listed by manager Garry Hill in April 2007, and signed for Grays Athletic a month later.[27]
Ashton made his debut Grays debut in a 0–0 draw away to recently relegated Torquay United,[28] and scored his first goal for the Essex side shortly after in a 1–0 win against Altrincham.[29] Ashton impressed greatly during the 2007–08 season, and the defender was named as the Players' Player of The Year and Supporters' Player of The Year.[30] He played a further 19 games for Grays the following season, but was placed on the transfer list by Grays following discussions with the club in which the player stated he would not be staying at the club for the 2009–10 season.[31] He left Grays and joined Conference rivals Stevenage in January 2009.[32]
Ashton made his Stevenage debut in a 1–0 victory over Woking at Broadhall Way in February 2009,[33] making 13 appearances for the Hertfordshire side during the 2008–09 campaign.[34] The following season, Ashton scored his first goal for Stevenage in a 2–0 victory over Eastbourne Borough, scoring with a header.[35] He followed this up with another headed goal two months later in a 2–0 win against Kidderminster Harriers at Broadhall Way.[36] Ashton added a third to his goal tally in the same season, sweeping home Stacy Long's corner to score the only goal of the game in a 1–0 win over Histon in March 2010.[37] He made 47 appearances during the season as the club won the Conference National, scoring three goals.[38] In May 2010, Ashton signed a new two–year contract with Stevenage.[39] He played his first game of the 2010–11 season in Stevenage's first ever Football League victory, a 3–1 win over Stockport County.[40] Ashton scored his first goal of the 2010–11 season in a 4–1 away win at Edgar Street against Hereford United.[41] Similarly to the 2009–10 season, Stevenage's success was built on a tight defence, with the club conceding the fewest goals during the 2010–11 League Two season, keeping 19 clean sheets during the campaign.[42] Ashton made 38 appearances for Stevenage during the 2010–11 season, scoring once,[43] as Stevenage earned promotion to League One in their first Football League season.[44] At the end of the season, Ashton was voted 'Players' Player of the Year' and 'Supporters Player of the Year'.[45][46] He signed a new two-year contract with the club in September 2011.[47][48]
Ashton was called up to the England C team, who represent England at non-League level, in May 2007, for the Four Nations Tournament in Scotland.[49] He featured three times in the tournament, making his England C debut in a 5–0 win over a Republic of Ireland XI.[50] He scored in the following game in a 3–0 victory over Scotland.[51] He continued his run in the England C side, playing in a 1–0 victory over Finland C in June 2007.[52]
In May 2007, Ashton was arrested with Danny Foster facing three-counts of vandalism after the pair danced in the streets of a Scottish Highlands town wrapping themselves in lager advertising banners.[53]
| Club | Season | League[A] | FA Cup | League Cup | Other[B] | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Leicester City |
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
|
|
7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | |
|
|
2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | |
| Total | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | |
| Notts County |
|
4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Total | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | |
| Oxford United |
|
34 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 38 | 0 |
|
|
30 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 31 | 0 | |
|
|
33 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 34 | 1 | |
| Total | 97 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 103 | 1 | |
| Rushden & Diamonds |
|
40 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 42 | 2 |
| Total | 40 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 42 | 2 | |
| Grays Athletic |
|
40 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 43 | 2 |
|
|
17 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 0 | |
| Total | 57 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 62 | 2 | |
| Stevenage |
|
13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 0 |
|
|
37 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 47 | 3 | |
| 2010–11[43] | 38 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 45 | 1 | |
| 2011–12[61] | 22 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 26 | 0 | |
| Total | 110 | 4 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 131 | 4 | |
| Career totals | 317 | 9 | 14 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 16 | 0 | 352 | 9 | |
|
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