Jake Howells

Jake Howells

Howells playing for Luton Town in 2011
Personal information
Full name	Jake Thomas Howells[1]
Date of birth	(1991-04-18) 18 April 1991
Place of birth	Hemel Hempstead, England
Height	5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
Playing position	Left back, left winger, central midfielder
Club information
Current club	Luton Town
Number	11
Youth career
	Hemel Hempstead Town
	Watford
2007–2008	Luton Town
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
2008–	Luton Town	205	(21)
National team‡
2009–2011	England C	4	(1)
2011–	Wales U21	5	(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 07:15 26 January 2014 (UTC). † Appearances (Goals). ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 15:35 5 September 2012 (UTC)

Jake Thomas Howells (born 18 April 1991) is a professional footballer who plays for Luton Town. Born in England, he has represented Wales at under-21 level.

Youth career

Howells was born in Hemel Hempstead,^[2][3] and represented his town at youth level.^[3] Howells spent time in the youth team at Watford before signing for rivals Luton Town in July 2007.^[3]

Club career

After impressing in the youth team, Howells made his first team debut as a substitute on the last day of the 2007–08 season in a 1–0 defeat to Huddersfield Town, having turned 17 just three weeks earlier.^[4] Soon after, Howells revealed that he had turned down offers to join Premier League clubs Portsmouth and Fulham while in the youth team, and had instead chose to further his career at Luton.^[5]

Howells became a regular in the first team during 2008–09, making his first appearance in a 1–1 draw with Bradford City in October. He played a total of 28 league games over the year, being used primarily at left back and occasionally on the left wing. With the exception of the final, Howells played in every game of Luton's Football League Trophy success, receiving a winner's medal at Wembley Stadium. Howells won the club's Young Player of the Year award following his impressive season,^[6] and signed his first professional contract with Luton soon after.^[7]

Howells scored his first senior goal the next season, in a 4–3 win against Cambridge United on 26 September 2009. Following the departure of Mick Harford and the subsequent arrival of new Luton manager Richard Money, Howells was pushed forward from his regular left back position onto the left wing, scoring five further goals in the process, including two in a 6–3 victory over Histon. On 25 April 2010, Howells was named as Luton's Young Player of the Year for the second successive season.^[8]

On 25 November 2010, it was announced that Howells had signed a new two-year contract with Luton.^[9] With an injury to regular left-back Fred Murray in December 2010, Howells reverted to his original position in defence, helping Luton keep six clean sheets in a row throughout January 2011.^[10][11] After another solid season in a number of positions, including central midfield, Howells again received the Young Player of the Year award, and in doing so became the first Luton player to win the accolade for three seasons in a row.^[8]

The 2011–12 season saw Howells used primarily at left back due to injuries to other players, and he played in that position in the team that lost 2–1 to York City in the Conference Premier play-off final at Wembley Stadium in May 2012. The next month saw him sign a new three-year contract and, with the departure of Keith Keane to Preston North End, Howells became the team's current longest serving player at 21 years of age having made 183 appearances as of the end of the 2011–12 season.^[12] Moved back into midfield by new Luton manager Paul Buckle in the 2012–13 season, Howells scored his first goal of the campaign within the first 45 seconds of a 4–1 win against Macclesfield Town on 1 September 2012.^[13]

Another managerial change saw Buckle replaced by the experienced John Still in February 2013. Howells scored the first goal under Still's reign in a 1–0 win over Stockport County on 2 March 2013.^[14] As under previous managers, Howells continued to be played in a variety of roles, including on the left side of attack and in the hole behind two strikers. During the 2013–14 season, at the age of 22, Howells made his 250th appearance for Luton on 2 November 2013 in a 0–0 draw with Gateshead.^[15]

International career

Howells is eligible to play for England by birth, and also qualifies for Wales through one of his grandfathers. Wales enquired about picking Howells for their under-21 team towards the end of the 2008–09 season, but on 30 October 2009 he was named in the England C squad for the match against the Poland U23 team.^[16][17] He earned his first cap in a 2–1 victory over the Poles.^[18] Howells scored his first goal for England C in a 1–0 victory over Estonia U23 in the International Challenge Trophy on 12 October 2010.^[19]

In August 2011, Howells agreed to play for Wales U21, being eligible to do so as the England C team is classified as semi-professional. He made his debut for Wales U21 in a 2–1 friendly loss to Hungary U21 on 10 August 2011.^[20] He made four further appearances during the 2013 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship qualification campaign, playing in victories over Montenegro U21 and Andorra U21, and defeats to the Czech Republic U21 and Armenia U21 as Wales U21 failed to qualify.^[21]

Career statistics

As of match played 25 January 2014.

Honours

Luton Town

• Football League Trophy (1): 2008–09
• Young Player of the Year award (3): 2008–09, 2009–10, 2010–11

References

External links

• Jake Howells career stats at Soccerbase