Jodi Jones (footballer)

Jodi Felice Jones (born 22 October 1997) is a professional footballer who plays as a winger for club Notts County. Born in England, he plays for the Malta national team.

Dagenham & Redbridge
Jones was born in Bow, London, and started his career with the renowned local junior side Senrab. He later joined the youth system at Dagenham & Redbridge at under-13 level and in the summer of 2014 he started a two-year scholarship with the club. He usually credits Ivo Drury for his early development, seeing him as a mentor. In November 2014, despite still being a first-year scholar, he was handed a squad number with the first team ahead of the league fixture against Bury, after he had impressed in an Essex Senior Cup tie win over Concord Rangers. However, he did not make the bench and was not included in the first-team squad until January 2015, when he was an unused substitute against Cambridge United.He made his first-team debut in February 2015, as a last-minute substitute for Alex Jakubiak in a 0–0 draw with Portsmouth. In the process he became the youngest Dagenham & Redbridge player to appear in a league game, beating the previous record set by Dominic Green. In March 2015, he signed his first professional contract on a two-year deal until 2017. In April 2015, Jones made his full debut for the Daggers in a 4–0 home win over Accrington Stanley, scoring in the final minute with his first goal for the club.

Coventry City
On 18 March 2016, Jones joined Coventry City on an emergency loan deal with the view to a permanent deal at the end of the season. After a successful loan spell, Jones signed a four-year deal with the Sky Blues on 10 May 2016 for an undisclosed fee, which began on 1 July 2016. He scored his first goal for Coventry in an EFL Trophy tie against Northampton Town on 4 October 2016. He came on as a substitute as Coventry won the 2017 EFL Trophy final.

On the first day of the 2017–18 league season against Notts County he scored a hat-trick in a 3–0 win. Later on that season, he picked up an injury to his anterior cruciate ligament, which saw him sidelined for the rest of the 2017–18 season and all of the 2018–19 season.

Oxford United
On 29 July 2022, Jones signed a one-year contract, with the option for a further year, with Oxford United.

Notts County
On 26 January 2023, Jones signed for National League club Notts County on loan until the end of the season. He scored the winning goal in the last minute of extra time against Boreham Wood in the National League play-off semi-final. Following the club's promotion with a penalty shoot-out victory over Chesterfield, he was offered permanent terms; he signed a permanent two-year deal with Notts County on 23 May 2023.

On 13 January 2024, Notts County played Grimsby Town in a 5–5 draw. Jones assisted four goals in the match, making him the first player to assist four goals (top four tiers) since Harry Kane against Southampton in September 2020. Having assisted six in total across the month, equalling the league's season record of seventeen, Jones was awarded the EFL League Two Player of the Month award. In total, Jones contributed 24 assists throughout the season to break the record for most assists in an English professional league during a season which was previously held jointly by Kevin De Bruyne and Thierry Henry with 20. His performances throughout the season saw him included in the League Two Team of the Season as well as being named as the Player of the Season for League Two and for his club Notts County.

International career
Jones was born in England and is of Maltese descent through his father. On 9 September 2022, he had his first call up to the Malta national team for a set of UEFA Nations League matches. He debuted with Malta in a 2–1 UEFA Nations League loss to Estonia on 23 September 2022.

Honours
Coventry City
 * EFL Trophy: 2016–17

Notts County
 * National League play-offs: 2023

Individual
 * EFL League Two Player of the Month: January 2024
 * EFL League Two Team of the Season: 2023–24
 * EFL League Two Player of the Season: 2023–24
 * Notts County Supporters' Player of the Season: 2023–24