Jonathan Meades (footballer)

Jonathan Meades
Personal information
Full nameJonathan Charles Meades[1]
Date of birth2 March 1992
Place of birthGloucester, England[2]
Height1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Playing positionDefender
Club information
Current team
Oxford United
Number2
Youth career
?–2010Cardiff City
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps†(Gls)†
2010–2012Cardiff City1(0)
2010→ Moss FK (loan)10(1)
2012–2013Bournemouth4(0)
2012–2013→ AFC Wimbledon (loan)26(1)
2013–Oxford United7(0)
National team‡
2008Wales U171(0)
2011–2013Wales U214(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 10:32, 19 March 2015 (UTC).

† Appearances (Goals).

‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 19:22, 22 March 2013 (UTC)

Jonathan Charles Meades (born 2 March 1992) is a Welsh footballer who currently plays for Oxford United as a defender. He has represented Wales at both under-17 and under-21 level.

Career

Early years

Meades came through the youth system of Cardiff City under the supervision of then Head of Academy Neal Ardley. On 19 August 2010, it was announced that the 18-year old defender would go on a three-month loan deal to Norwegian football club Moss FK who at that time were playing in the Adeccoligaen.[3] The defender made his debut for Moss FK on 22 August 2010 in a 2–0 win at home over Alta IF. Although he was sent off after a second bookable offence in the 84th minute,[4] he was still named as man of the match.[5] Having served his one-match suspension, Meades made a further 9 appearances for the Kællan, scoring once in a 4–2 defeat by Tromsdalen UIL on 10 October 2010.[6] Meades was released by Cardiff manager Malky Mackay at the end of the 2011–12 season having failed to break into the first team after being plagued by injuries, suffering patellar tendonitis in his knee and having to have an operation on his calf.[7]

AFC Bournemouth

The left-back featured twice for Bournemouth during pre-season whilst on trial, against Havant & Waterlooville and Reading respectively. His performances were enough to impress then manager Paul Groves and he signed a two-year contract with the Cherries on 9 August 2012.[8] However, Meades failed to break into the first team and on 5 November 2012 new Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe loaned him to League Two side AFC Wimbledon. On 20 May 2013, it was announced that Meades had left Bournemouth after his contract was terminated by mutual consent.[9]

Meades' initial two-month deal at AFC Wimbledon saw him joining then team-mate Steven Gregory and former Cherries captain Warren Cummings[10] and reunited him with Neal Ardley, who had left his post as Head of the Cardiff City Academy to become manager of AFC Wimbledon on 10 October 2012.[11] Meades made his senior Football League debut for AFC Wimbledon on 6 November in a 2–0 loss to Exeter City.[12] With Meades having established himself as a regular in the starting XI, it was announced on 8 January 2013 that Ardley had extended Meades' loan spell with AFC Wimbledon by a further month.[13] On 31 January 2013, it was announced that AFC Wimbledon had once again extended Meades' loan from Bournemouth until the end of the 2012–13 season.[14] On 20 April 2013, Meades scored his first Football League goal in a 2–2 draw with 2012–13 Football League Two Champions Gillingham.[15] Meades capped the end of a successful loan spell on 27 April 2013, the final day of the 2012–13 Football League Two season, by helping AFC Wimbledon to avoid relegation from the Football League after a 2–1 victory over Fleetwood Town.[16] The 21-year-old was subsequently awarded the Natalie Callow Memorial Trophy for AFC Wimbledon's Young Player of the Year, as voted for by the fans.[17]

Oxford United

On 22 May 2013 Meades joined Football League Two side Oxford United on a two-year deal, having rejected the offer of signing a contract with AFC Wimbledon.[18] His competitive debut was delayed after he suffered an ankle-ligament injury in a pre-season friendly against Coventry City.[19]

International career

Meades was first called up to represent Wales at under-17 level on 17 March 2008, in a 1–1 draw against Slovenia under-17s in the 2008 UEFA European Under-17 Football Championship Elite Round.[20]

Meades made his first appearance for Wales under-21s on 6 September 2011 in a 3–1 defeat by Montenegro under-21s in the qualifying stages of the 2013 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship, in which he came on as a 74th minute substitute for Elliott Hewitt.[21] Meades featured once again for Wales under-21s in the UEFA Under-21 qualifying stages on 10 September 2012 as a 76th-minute substitute for Adam Henley in a 5–0 defeat by Czech Republic under-21s.[22] On 6 February 2013, Meades again represented Wales under-21s in a friendly fixture against Iceland under-21s, ending as a 3–0 victory.[23] Meades' fourth cap for the under-21s came on 22 March 2013 in a 1–0 victory over Moldova under-21s in the qualifying stages of the 2015 UEFA European under-21 Football Championship.[24]

References

  1. ↑ "search births indexes 1837 – 2006". Findmypast.com. Retrieved 2012-11-05.
  2. ↑ "Meades, JC (Jonathan)", English National Football Archive
  3. ↑ "Cardiff teen Jonathan Meades heads to Norway on loan". BBC Football. Retrieved 2012-11-07.
  4. ↑ "Moss FK 2 – 0 Alta IF". walesonline.co.uk. Retrieved 2013-01-08.
  5. ↑ "Cardiff City's Jonathan Meades at centre of relegation battle". walesonline.co.uk. Retrieved 2013-01-08.
  6. ↑ "Tromsdalen UIL 4 – 2 Moss FK". Soccerway.com. Retrieved 2012-11-07.
  7. ↑ "Cardiff City confirm departures". walesonline.co.uk. Retrieved 2012-05-15.
  8. ↑ "Cherries secure Meades". AFC Bournemouth. Retrieved 2012-08-09.
  9. ↑ "Meades leaves Cherries". The Football League Limited. Retrieved 20 May 2013.
  10. ↑ "AFC Wimbledon sign Jake Reeves and Jonathan Meades on loan". BBC Football. Retrieved 2012-11-05.
  11. ↑ "Meades joins AFC Wimbledon". vitalfootball.co.uk. Retrieved 2012-11-06.
  12. ↑ "Exeter City 2 – 0 AFC Wimbledon". BBC Football. Retrieved 2012-11-06.
  13. ↑ "Dons extend loans of Bournemouth and Bristol City duo". hounslowchronicle.co.uk. Retrieved 2013-01-08.
  14. ↑ "Jonathan Meades: AFC Wimbledon extend loan from Bournemouth". BBC Football. Retrieved 2013-01-31.
  15. ↑ "Gillingham 2 – 2 AFC Wimbledon". BBC Football. Retrieved 2013-04-22.
  16. ↑ "AFC Wimbledon 2 – 1 Fleetwood Town". BBC Football. Retrieved 2013-04-27.
  17. ↑ "Meades on his awards". AFC Wimbledon. Retrieved 2013-04-29.
  18. ↑ "Oxford United sign Jonathan Meades". Oxford Mail. 22 May 2013. Retrieved 2013-05-22.
  19. ↑ Pritchard, David (9 August 2013). "Upbeat Meades is focused on fitness". Oxford Mail. Retrieved 12 August 2013.
  20. ↑ "Wales under-17s 1 – 1 Slovenia under-17s". The Irish FA. Retrieved 2013-01-31.
  21. ↑ "Montenegro U21 3 – 1 Wales U21". BBC Football. Retrieved 2013-01-31.
  22. ↑ "Czech Republic under-21s 5 – 0 Wales under-21s". BBC Football. Retrieved 2013-01-31.
  23. ↑ "Wales U21 3 – 0 Iceland U21". BBC Football. Retrieved 2013-02-06.
  24. ↑ "Wales U21 1 – 0 Moldova U21". soccerway.com. Retrieved 2013-03-22.

External links