 Butterfield atCarrow Road, August 2012 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Jacob Luke Butterfield[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1990-06-10)10 June 1990 (age 34) | ||
| Place of birth | Bradford, England | ||
| Height | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Gateshead | ||
| Number | 4 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Bradford City | |||
| –2005 | Manchester United | ||
| 2005–2007 | Barnsley[2] | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2007–2012 | Barnsley | 89 | (8) |
| 2012–2013 | Norwich City | 0 | (0) |
| 2012–2013 | →Bolton Wanderers (loan) | 8 | (0) |
| 2013 | →Crystal Palace (loan) | 9 | (0) |
| 2013–2014 | Middlesbrough | 31 | (3) |
| 2014–2015 | Huddersfield Town | 50 | (7) |
| 2015–2019 | Derby County | 80 | (8) |
| 2017–2018 | →Sheffield Wednesday (loan) | 20 | (0) |
| 2019 | →Bradford City (loan) | 15 | (1) |
| 2019–2020 | Luton Town | 15 | (1) |
| 2020–2021 | Melbourne Victory | 26 | (3) |
| 2021–2022 | St Johnstone | 18 | (1) |
| 2022–2024 | Scunthorpe United | 86 | (12) |
| 2024– | Gateshead | 19 | (4) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 12 January 2025 | |||
Jacob Luke Butterfield (born 10 June 1990) is an English professionalfootballer who plays as amidfielder forNational League clubGateshead.
Butterfield came through the youth academy atBarnsley and went on to establish himself as a first team player over a five-year spell between 2007 and 2012. He moved toPremier League sideNorwich City but failed to make a league appearance and spent time on loan withBolton Wanderers andCrystal Palace before signing permanently forMiddlesbrough. He has since played forHuddersfield Town,Derby County,Sheffield Wednesday,Bradford City andLuton Town. Between 2020 and 2022 he played outside of English football firstly withA-League sideMelbourne Victory before a stint in theScottish Premiership withSt Johnstone.
Born inBradford, Butterfield spent a brief spell with the youth team of hometown clubBradford City at the age of 7 or 8, before joining theManchester United Academy.[3]
Butterfield was described as a star of the future by manager at the time,Simon Davey. He had worked with Butterfield in theBarnsley academy before being appointed as manager in 2006. He made his debut for Barnsley in aLeague Cup tie againstNewcastle United in August 2007 coming on as a substitute forMartin Devaney during a 2–0 loss. Butterfield also made a substitute appearance in Barnsley's 2008FA Cup semi-final againstCardiff City.[4]
Butterfield scored his first senior goal on 8 August 2009 with a 59th-minute goal atHillsborough against local rivalsSheffield Wednesday. This goal proved to be vital as it spurred Barnsley on to claw back to 2–2 as Barnsley were 2–0 down at half time. He also made an appearance coming on as a substitute versus former club Manchester United in a League Cup tie in which Barnsley suffered a 2–0 defeat.
On 17 September 2011, he captained Barnsley for the first time. It was in their 1–1 draw at home toWatford. Many believed at the time that Butterfield, at just 21 years of age, had become Barnsley's youngest ever captain. But, in fact,Eric Winstanley had captained the Reds at aged 19 in the 1960s.[5] Butterfield was having an exceptional season and Premier League scouts were regularly in attendance at Oakwell. He was soon rewarded for his efforts with a call up to the England under 21 squad.[6]
Butterfield missed the rest of the 2011–12 season through injury following a shocking 'tackle' in the New Year's Eve derby encounter withLeeds United bringing his "amazing" form to an end. Scans taken after the match showed it to be torn anterior cruciate ligaments. He finished the season – albeit prematurely – with five goals to his name and a growing reputation in The Championship, described by his managerKeith Hill as the best midfielder in the league.
On 3 July 2012, Butterfield signed forNorwich City on a four-year contract.[7] Butterfield was out of contract, but Barnsley were entitled to compensation, due to his age. He made his debut for the club on 26 September in a 1–0 win overDoncaster Rovers in theFootball League Cup.[8] However, he failed to gain a first team place at the club, with his only other first team appearance being another League Cup game againstTottenham Hotspur,[9] and spent most of his time with Norwich out on loan.
On 8 November, Butterfield joinedBolton Wanderers on loan for a month, this becomingDougie Freedman's first signing since taking over at theReebok Stadium.[10] He made his debut on 17 November, in a 1–1 draw at home against his former clubBarnsley.[11] The loan was extended outside the Window by another month on 1 December.[12]Butterfield left Bolton and went back to Norwich City on 3 January 2013.
On 16 January 2013, it was announced that Butterfield had signed on loan forCrystal Palace, where he was given the squad number six. He made his début on 19 January, where he was part of the starting eleven, in a goalless draw with Bolton Wanderers. His last appearance for Crystal Palace was on 5 March, when he started in the 4–2 victory overHull City. He returned to Norwich before the end of that month.
On 2 September 2013, Butterfield signed a three-year contract, with a one-year option to extend, atMiddlesbrough for an undisclosed fee.[13] He made his debut in a 3–1 defeat atIpswich Town on 14 September 2013. He scored his first goal for the club in a 4–1 win overYeovil Town on 5 October 2013. He would go on to score a goal that was controversially disallowed at Hillsborough against Sheffield Wednesday. He scored one of the goals of the season for the Boro againstBirmingham City[14] and followed that up with the winning goal at eventual runners up,Burnley a week later to end the campaign in good form. He was also part of the Boro side whose victory on 26 April 2014 relegated his former club, Barnsley to the third tier of English football.[15]
On 13 August 2014, Butterfield joinedHuddersfield Town and signed a four-year deal, which was part of a swap deal that sawAdam Clayton join Middlesbrough.[16] He made his début for the Terriers in their 3–1 defeat toCardiff City at theCardiff City Stadium on 16 August 2014. His first goal for Huddersfield Town came in a 2–1 win againstReading at theMadejski Stadium in the 10th minute on 19 August 2014. His first home goal for the Terriers came in the 4–2 win overBlackpool on 18 October 2014. He repeated that trick just a few days later on 21 October 2014, scoring from close range in the 1–1 draw withBrighton & Hove Albion, prompting new managerChris Powell to set Butterfield a target of reaching double figures for the season.[17] He scored his fourth for the club in a 2–1 home victory over former club,Bolton Wanderers, a cracking strike from the angle of the box and started 2015 in good form when playing a key role in the club's 3–1 win over high flying Watford, setting up the opening goal forNahki Wells.[18] He went on to score another two goals, created many more and was voted the club's Player of the Season for the 2014–15 season.[19]
On 1 September 2015, Butterfield joinedDerby County for around £5 million on a four-year deal.[20] He scored his first goal forThe Rams in a 3–0 win overRotherham United on 31 October 2015. He scored twice for Derby County away at Hull on his 200th appearance of his Football League career .[21]
Butterfield joined Sheffield Wednesday on loan on 31 August 2017, in a loan swap-deal involvingSam Winnall moving in the other direction from Wednesday to Derby for the duration of the 2017–18 season.[22]
In January 2019 he moved on loan toBradford City.[23] At Bradford he scored once in a 3–1 win overPeterborough United on 9 March 2019.[24]
On 30 July 2019, Butterfield joinedLuton Town after Derby agreed to mutually terminate his deal. The length of his contract at Luton was not disclosed.[25] He made his debut on 2 August in a 3–3 draw with his former club Middlesbrough, coming on as a 60th minute substitute.[26] He scored his first goal for Luton against Barnsley on 24 August 2019, another former club of his.[27] Butterfield was released at the end of the2019–20 season.[28]
On 26 October 2020, Butterfield signed forA-League sideMelbourne Victory,[29] joining his formerLuton Town teammateCallum McManaman.
On 13 December 2021, Butterfield joinedScottish Premiership sideSt Johnstone until the end of the season.[30]On 22 December 2021, Butterfield scored his first goal forSt Johnstone in a 2–1 defeat againstRoss County in theScottish Premiership.[31]
On 18 July 2022, Butterfield joinedNational League clubScunthorpe United, reuniniting withKeith Hill whom Butterfield played under previously at Barnsley.[32]
In May 2024, Scunthorpe United announced that Butterfield would depart the club upon the expiration of his contract having rejected a new deal.[33]
On 30 July 2024, Butterfield joined National League sideGateshead on a one-year deal with the option to extend.[34]
Butterfield was called up to represent England atunder-21 level, though he never made an appearance.[citation needed]
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Barnsley | 2007–08[37] | Championship | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 5 | 0 | |
| 2008–09[38] | Championship | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 4 | 0 | ||
| 2009–10[39] | Championship | 20 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | 25 | 1 | ||
| 2010–11[40] | Championship | 39 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 41 | 2 | ||
| 2011–12[41] | Championship | 24 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 25 | 5 | ||
| Total | 89 | 8 | 4 | 0 | 7 | 0 | — | 100 | 8 | |||
| Norwich City | 2012–13[42] | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 3 | 0 | |
| Bolton Wanderers (loan) | 2012–13[42] | Championship | 8 | 0 | — | — | — | 8 | 0 | |||
| Crystal Palace (loan) | 2012–13[42] | Championship | 9 | 0 | — | — | — | 9 | 0 | |||
| Middlesbrough | 2013–14[43] | Championship | 31 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 32 | 3 | |
| Huddersfield Town | 2014–15[44] | Championship | 45 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 46 | 6 | |
| 2015–16[45] | Championship | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 6 | 1 | ||
| Total | 98 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 52 | 7 | |||
| Derby County | 2015–16[45] | Championship | 37 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1[a] | 0 | 40 | 8 |
| 2016–17[46] | Championship | 40 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 45 | 1 | ||
| 2017–18[47] | Championship | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 4 | 0 | ||
| Total | 80 | 8 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 89 | 9 | ||
| Sheffield Wednesday (loan) | 2017–18[47] | Championship | 20 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | — | 23 | 0 | ||
| Bradford City (loan) | 2018–19[48] | League One | 15 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 15 | 1 | |
| Luton Town | 2019–20[49] | Championship | 15 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 17 | 1 | |
| Melbourne Victory | 2020–21[36] | A-League | 26 | 3 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 26 | 3 | ||
| St Johnstone | 2021–22[50] | Scottish Premiership | 18 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | 18 | 1 | |
| Scunthorpe United | 2022–23[36] | National League | 42 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1[b] | 0 | 43 | 4 |
| Career total | 403 | 36 | 14 | 1 | 16 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 435 | 37 | ||
Individual
