Jake Reed (footballer)

Jake Reed (born 13 May 1991) is an English footballer who plays for side Lowestoft Town, where he plays as a forward.

Early life
Reed grew up in Lowestoft and attended Benjamin Britten High School. He played youth football for Blundeston Magpies and Gorleston.

Career
Reed progressed through Great Yarmouth Town's youth system, before making his first-team debut on 5 April 2008, aged 16. Reed’s 20 league goals during the 2009-10 season helped Great Yarmouth Town to the Eastern Counties First Division title and promotion to the Eastern Counties Premier Division for the first time since 2005. In total, Reed scored 51 goals in 110 appearances for Great Yarmouth Town.

On 26 July 2011, Reed signed a two-year professional contract for League Two club Dagenham & Redbridge. He made his professional debut on 9 August 2011, coming on as a substitute in their 5–0 away loss to Bournemouth in the Football League Cup Second Round. Reed signed a two-year contract extension with Dagenham & Redbridge on 3 January 2013. He came off the bench to score his first professional goal on 1 April 2013 in a 4–2 home loss to Bristol Rovers. On 1 October 2013, Reed’s contract was terminated by mutual consent.

He quickly signed for hometown club Lowestoft Town in the Isthmian League Premier Division. Reed scored 18 goals in 33 league games in the 2013-14 season, including 4 goals on his home debut in a 5-0 win against Carshalton Athletic. Lowestoft Town entered the play-offs having lost the previous three play-off finals in a row. Reed scored the winning goal in a 2-1 win away at Bognor Regis Town in the play-off semi-finals. He also scored in a 3-0 home win against AFC Hornchurch in the play-off final to secure Lowestoft Town’s promotion to the Conference North for the first time in their history. However, he left the club at the end of the season, dropping two divisions to sign for Isthmian League Division One North club AFC Sudbury on 12 June 2014.

But, after just a few months at AFC Sudbury, Reed returned to Lowestoft Town on 19 September 2014. He scored 10 goals in 31 league appearances during the 2014-15 season as Lowestoft Town secured a 16th-place finish and retained their Conference North place for the following season. Reed also came off the bench to score an extra time winning goal as Lowestoft Town defeated Whitton United 2-1 in the 2014-15 Suffolk Premier Cup Final.

Reed scored 15 goals in 31 league appearances during the 2015-16 campaign, but an injury towards the end of the season meant he missed key games as Lowestoft Town were relegated from the National League North on goal difference. Reed also missed the 2015-16 Suffolk Premier Cup Final victory over Leiston at Portman Road.

On 6 March 2018, with Lowestoft Town struggling near the bottom of the Isthmian League Premier Division, Reed left the club for a second time and signed for local rivals Leiston. He started as Leiston won the Suffolk Premier Cup for the first time in their history with a 3-0 win over Bury Town at Portman Road.

On 1 February 2019, after 17 goals in 40 appearances for Leiston, Reed rejoined Lowestoft Town for a third time. At the time of his arrival, having won just five of their opening 27 league games, Lowestoft Town sat in the relegation zone of the Southern League Premier Division Central. But, Reed’s 14 goals in 13 league appearances, including three hat-tricks, inspired the club to a further nine victories and a 14th-place finish.

The 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons were both abandoned due to the coronavirus pandemic, before Lowestoft Town were relegated from the Southern Premier Division Central at the end of the 2021-22 season. Reed’s 14 goals in 32 league appearances were not enough to keep Lowestoft Town from finishing bottom of the league and being relegated back to the Isthmian League Division One North for the first time in 12 years.

Reed scored 23 goals in 32 league appearances during the 2022-23 season as Lowestoft Town finished in 3rd place. The club’s promotion hopes were ended in the play-offs with a 2-0 semi-final defeat at home to Heybridge Swifts.

In 2023-24, Reed scored a career best 30 goals in 31 league appearances to finish as the Isthmian League Division One North top goalscorer (joint with Bury Town’s Cemal Ramadan). Lowestoft Town were crowned champions and promoted back to Step 3.

Honours
Great Yarmouth Town
 * Eastern Counties First Division: 2009-10

Lowestoft Town
 * Isthmian League Premier Division play-offs: 2014
 * Isthmian League Division One North: 2023-24
 * Suffolk Premier Cup: 2014-15, 2015-16

Leiston
 * Suffolk Premier Cup: 2017-18

Individual
 * Isthmian League Division One North Golden Boot: 2023-24