 King playing forPreston North End in 2014 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Jack Andrew King[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1985-08-20)20 August 1985 (age 40)[2] | ||
| Place of birth | Oxford, England[3] | ||
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)[3] | ||
| Position(s) | Defender,midfielder | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1998–1999 | Oxford United | ||
| 1999–2004 | Swansea City | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2004 | Didcot Town | 13 | (2) |
| 2004–2005 | Brackley Town | 34 | (6) |
| 2005–2009 | Didcot Town | ||
| 2009–2011 | Farnborough | 82 | (19) |
| 2011–2012 | Woking | 37 | (8) |
| 2012–2015 | Preston North End | 78 | (7) |
| 2015–2017 | Scunthorpe United | 36 | (1) |
| 2016–2017 | →Stevenage (loan) | 20 | (1) |
| 2017–2018 | Stevenage | 48 | (2) |
| 2018–2020 | Ebbsfleet United | 68 | (3) |
| Total | 416 | (49) | |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Jack Andrew King (born 20 August 1985) is an English former professionalfootballer who played as adefender andmidfielder.
After spells in the youth academies ofOxford United andSwansea City, King began his senior career atDidcot Town in 2004. He joinedBrackley Town in August 2004 before returning to Didcot the following year, spending four further seasons at the club. He signed forFarnborough ahead of the2009–10 season, scoring 21 goals in 108 appearances across two years and helping the club securepromotion to theConference South. He moved toWoking in June 2011, winning the Conference South title during hisone season there.
A move into full-time professional football followed when he joinedLeague One clubPreston North End in July 2012. He made 102 appearances across three seasons at Preston, culminating in promotion to theChampionship in the2014–15 season. King subsequently signed forScunthorpe United in the summer of 2015 before moving toLeague Two clubStevenage onloan in August 2016, with the move made permanent in January 2017. Released by Stevenage in May 2018, King signed forEbbsfleet United of theNational League the following month, where he spent two years before retiring in May 2020 to return to full-time work as abuilder.
King began his youth career atOxford United's School of Excellence, where he remained until he was 13.[4] He then joinedSwansea City's academy, initially training locally to where he lived due to travel constraints.[4] After two years, he relocated to Swansea on a permanent basis upon receiving an academy scholarship at the age of 15.[4] King spent three years at Swansea, although he was not offered a professional contract.[4] On not being offered a deal, he stated: "It was disappointing. I sort of knew in the end. I got a knee injury when I was 18 and going into my third year. So it was no real surprise. I felt I was good enough at the time and will still always think that".[4]
After leaving Swansea in January 2004, King was scheduled to train withBristol Rovers for the remainder of the2003–04 season.[4] However, upon arriving in Bristol, he was unable to obtain international clearance from theFootball Association of Wales, which meant he was ineligible to play professional football until the end of the season.[4]
Due to being unable to play professionally, King began working as agroundworker for his father's building company while playing semi-professional football for local clubDidcot Town of theHellenic Premier Division.[4] After spending the remainder of the 2003–04 season at Didcot, King joinedBrackley Town in August 2004.[4][5][6] He returned to Didcot in November 2005, three months into the following season, and helped the club win the Hellenic Premier Division, earning promotion to theSouthern Football League.[7][4] He continued to play regularly for Didcot for several seasons whilst still working for his father's business, stating that he received offers to play inthe Football League. However, these offers did not appeal to him, as he was progressing well in non-League.[4] He scored nearly 40 goals in over 150 appearances across his two spells at Didcot.[8]
King left Didcot and joinedSouthern Premier Division clubFarnborough on a two-year part-time contract ahead of the2009–10 season.[4] He played regularly during his two seasons at Farnborough, helping the club win theSouthern Premier Division title in his first year and finish as runners-up in theConference South in his second.[4] He scored 21 goals in 106 appearances in all competitions over the two seasons.[3][9] King opted to leave the club ahead of the2011–12 season after Farnborough decided to go full-time.[4] King stated playing full-time football did not appeal to him, despite "more and more interest coming in", as he continued to work for his family's business and therefore considered full-time football "not an option".[4] He subsequently signed a one-year part-time contract with fellow Conference South clubWoking in June 2011.[3][10] He spent one season at Woking, scoring 12 times in 44 appearances as the club won theConference South title and secured promotion to theConference National.[4][3][9]
King experienced full-time professional football for the first time when he signed a one-year contract withLeague One clubPreston North End in July 2012.[8] Preston managerGraham Westley had previously scouted King several times during his tenure atStevenage, but felt he was too similar in style toMichael Bostwick, and therefore a move did not materialise at the time.[4] King made his debut for Preston in a 2–0 victory againstHuddersfield Town in theLeague Cup on 13 August 2012, scoring the opening goal with a header.[11] He scored three goals in four games early in the season:[12] league goals againstHartlepool United andDoncaster Rovers,[13][14] and one in a 3–1 League Cup defeat toMiddlesbrough atDeepdale.[15] King remained a regular under new managerSimon Grayson,[12] making 47 appearances across the2012–13 season, scoring seven goals, as Preston finished 14th in League One.[12][16]
Ahead of the2013–14 season, King was utilised at right-back, in central midfield, and as a striker during pre-season friendlies, with Grayson planning to make use of his versatility throughout the season.[17] He played in the club's opening match of the season, a 1–0 victory against rivalsBlackpool in the League Cup on 5 August 2013.[18] Following the match, it was revealed that King had sustained a stress fracture in his foot and would not be available for selection for two months.[17] He returned to the first team in November 2013,[19] and scored his first goal of the season, a header, in a 1–0 victory againstBristol City on 30 November 2013, securing Preston's first home win in two months.[20] In December 2013, he signed a contract extension keeping him at the club until the summer of 2015.[21] He made 29 appearances during the season, the majority of which were in central defence,[22] including both legs of theLeague One play-off semi-final, in which Preston were defeated 4–2 on aggregate byRotherham United at the semi-final stage.[19][23][24]
He remained at Preston for the2014–15 season, making his first appearance as a substitute in a 4–0 away victory against Scunthorpe United on 16 August 2014.[25] King went on to make 28 appearances in all competitions as Preston achieved promotion to theChampionship viathe League One play-offs.[26][27] King was released by the club shortly after the season concluded.[28] He made 102 appearances and scored 10 goals during his three years at Preston.[28]
Following his departure from Preston, King signed a two-year contract with League One club Scunthorpe United on a free transfer on 26 May 2015.[29] He was made vice-captain ahead of the start of the season, behind club captainStephen Dawson, although ultimately went on to captain the team for the majority of the first half of the season due to Dawson sustaining an injury.[4][30] King debuted for Scunthorpe on the opening day of the2015–16 season in a 2–1 defeat to newly promotedBurton Albion.[31] He scored his first goal for the club in a 1–1 draw withPort Vale on 12 December 2015.[32] He followed this up by scoring again three days later in Scunthorpe's 3–0 home victory againstLeyton Orient in anFA Cup second roundreplay,[33] with the victory setting up an away tie withPremier League clubChelsea in January 2016, a match in which King also featured.[34] Although a regular starter in the first half of the season, King increasingly appeared from the substitutes' bench during the latter half.[35] He made 42 appearances in all competitions that season, scoring two goals.[35]
Having made no appearances for Scunthorpe in the opening weeks of the2016–17 season,[36] King joinedLeague Two club Stevenage on 30 August 2016, on aloan agreement until January 2017.[37] He made his debut for Stevenage the same day his signing was announced, playing the full match in a 3–1 away defeat to Leyton Orient in theEFL Trophy.[38] King scored his first goal for the club on 10 September 2016, doubling Stevenage's lead from close range from aMatt Godden cross in a 2–1 victory againstCrawley Town.[39] He made 23 appearances in all competitions during the loan spell before returning to Scunthorpe upon its expiry on 9 January 2017.[36][3]
King signed for Stevenage on an 18-month permanent deal on 31 January 2017, joining on a free transfer.[40][41] He made 39 appearances for the club in all competitions during his first season, as Stevenage missed out on a play-off place following a 10th-place finish.[36][42] In the2017–18 season, King made 37 appearances across all competitions, with Stevenage ending the League Two season in 16th position.[43][44] He was released following the expiry of his contract in May 2018.[45]
Following his departure from Stevenage, King signed forNational League clubEbbsfleet United on a free transfer on 27 June 2018.[46][47] He made his Ebbsfleet debut in the club's opening match of the2018–19 season, playing the full 90 minutes in a 1–0 defeat toChesterfield atStonebridge Road on 4 August 2018.[48][49] King started in the club's first 11 games of the season, before being left out of the team by managerDaryl McMahon following a 4–1 away defeat toWrexham on 15 September 2018.[50] He did not play again under McMahon,[50] with King stating he felt the manager had "left him out in the cold" without an explanation for his omission.[50] After McMahon was replaced byGarry Hill in November 2018, King returned to the squad,[48] appearing in a 0–0 FA Cup draw with League Two clubCheltenham Town on 10 November 2018.[50][51] He scored his first goal for Ebbsfleet in a 2–0 home victory over Leyton Orient on 19 January 2019.[48][52] King played regularly in defence for the remainder of the season, making 36 appearances and scoring two goals.[48]
King captained the team during the2019–20 season, scoring once in 39 appearances before the season was curtailed by theCOVID-19 pandemic in March 2020.[53][54] He announced his retirement from professional football in May 2020 and returned to full-time work as a builder at his father's construction business.[54]
Described as a "versatile" player for his deployment in multiple positions throughout his career,[17][55][56] King began as a central midfielder, which he identified as his natural position during his youth and semi-professional development.[4] King also stated that central midfield was his preferred position, citing his greater experience in the role.[56]
During his time at Preston North End, King gained a reputation for his versatility, having played in five different positions within two months of joining the club.[56] These included central defence, right-back, right-midfield, central midfield, and striker.[4][56] On this, King stated: "Playing in different positions is something I see as adding another string to my bow, it can help develop my game".[56] In 2012, he also revealed that his manager at Preston, Graham Westley, believed he was best suited to a long-term role in central defence.[56] This proved accurate, as from 2014 onward, King was primarily deployed in that position.[4]
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Didcot Town | 2003–04[57] | Hellenic League Premier Division | 13 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — | 2[a] | 0 | 15 | 2 | |
| Brackley Town | 2004–05[5] | Southern League Division One West | 26 | 4 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 26 | 4 | |
| 2005–06[6] | Southern League Division One West | 8 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 8 | 2 | ||
| Total | 34 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 34 | 6 | ||
| Didcot Town | 2005–06[7][58][59] | Hellenic League Premier Division | 29 | 6 | 0 | 0 | — | 11[b] | 4 | 40 | 10 | |
| 2006–07 | Southern League Division One South & West | Season statistics not known | ||||||||||
| 2007–08 | Southern League Division One South & West | Season statistics not known | ||||||||||
| 2008–09 | Southern League Division One South & West | Season statistics not known | ||||||||||
| Farnborough | 2009–10[9] | Southern League Premier Division | 41 | 8 | 6 | 1 | — | 7[c] | 0 | 54 | 9 | |
| 2010–11[9] | Conference South | 41 | 11 | 4 | 1 | — | 9[d] | 0 | 54 | 12 | ||
| Total | 82 | 19 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 0 | 108 | 21 | ||
| Woking | 2011–12[9] | Conference South | 37 | 8 | 2 | 3 | — | 5[e] | 1 | 44 | 12 | |
| Preston North End | 2012–13[12] | League One | 36 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4[f] | 1 | 45 | 7 |
| 2013–14[19] | League One | 24 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2[g] | 0 | 29 | 2 | |
| 2014–15[26] | League One | 18 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6[f] | 0 | 28 | 1 | |
| Total | 78 | 7 | 8 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 12 | 1 | 102 | 10 | ||
| Scunthorpe United | 2015–16[35] | League One | 36 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1[f] | 0 | 42 | 2 |
| Stevenage | 2016–17[h][36] | League Two | 36 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2[f] | 0 | 39 | 3 |
| 2017–18[43] | League Two | 32 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1[f] | 0 | 37 | 0 | |
| Total | 68 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 76 | 3 | ||
| Ebbsfleet United | 2018–19[3][60] | National League | 34 | 2 | 2 | 0 | — | 1[i] | 0 | 37 | 2 | |
| 2019–20[3] | National League | 34 | 1 | 3 | 0 | — | 2[i] | 0 | 39 | 1 | ||
| Total | 68 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 76 | 3 | ||
| Career total | 445 | 55 | 34 | 6 | 5 | 2 | 53 | 6 | 537 | 69 | ||
Didcot Town
Farnborough
Woking
Preston
Individual
