 Eaves withGillingham in 2018 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Thomas James Eaves[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1992-01-14)14 January 1992 (age 33)[2] | ||
| Place of birth | Liverpool, England | ||
| Height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)[2] | ||
| Position(s) | Striker | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Northampton Town | ||
| Number | 9 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| –2007 | Crewe Alexandra | ||
| 2007–2009 | Oldham Athletic | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2009–2010 | Oldham Athletic | 15 | (0) |
| 2010–2016 | Bolton Wanderers | 4 | (0) |
| 2012–2013 | →Bristol Rovers (loan) | 16 | (7) |
| 2013 | →Shrewsbury Town (loan) | 10 | (6) |
| 2013 | →Rotherham United (loan) | 8 | (0) |
| 2013–2014 | →Shrewsbury Town (loan) | 25 | (2) |
| 2014–2015 | →Yeovil Town (loan) | 5 | (0) |
| 2015 | →Bury (loan) | 9 | (1) |
| 2016–2017 | Yeovil Town | 40 | (4) |
| 2017–2019 | Gillingham | 84 | (38) |
| 2019–2022 | Hull City | 97 | (14) |
| 2022–2024 | Rotherham United | 53 | (6) |
| 2024– | Northampton Town | 20 | (4) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 13:10, 7 February 2025 (UTC) | |||
Thomas James Eaves (born 14 January 1992) is an English professionalfootballer who plays as astriker forEFL League One clubNorthampton Town.
Eaves was born inLiverpool, Merseyside.[3] He joinedOldham Athletic's Centre of Excellence as a youth player at Under-15 age group having previously been atCrewe Alexandra.[3]
He made hisFootball League debut on 23 January 2010 as a substitute during a 1–0 defeat toMillwall.[4] He made 15 appearances in the 2009/10 season for Oldham, all of them as a substitute. Eaves' breakthrough in the first team soon earned him his first professional contract on a two-year contract.[5] However, ManagerDave Penney claimed that Eaves rejected a new contract and dropped him from the first team unless he resolved his own future.[6]
He scored a hat-trick in a pre-season friendly againstBolton Wanderers on 28 July 2010.[7] Shortly after, Eaves' performance soon attracted from many clubs were keen to sign him.[8] ManagerPaul Dickov later confirmed that there were offers from clubs to sign Eaves.[9]
He joinedBolton Wanderers on a three-year contract for an undisclosed fee on 12 August 2010.[10]
Eaves joined the Bolton team on their pre-season tour of America preceding the 2011–12 season, but was injured.[11] He didn't return from the injury until the following summer, although he made an appearance for the reserves in December 2011.[12]
Eaves signed a new three-year contract with Bolton in January 2013.[13] Having been sent on loan toShrewsbury Town earlier in the season, he was recalled on 15 April 2013[14] and made his debut for the club a day later, coming on as a substitute forDavid Ngog in a 3–2 defeat againstLeicester City.[15]
At the end of the 2015–16 season, the club confirmed that he would be leaving when his contract expired at the end of June.[16]
On 27 September 2012, Eaves joinedLeague TwoBristol Rovers on a three-month loan deal.[17] After failing to score againstExeter City andCheltenham Town, he scored his first league goal on 6 October as his loan side beatNorthampton Town[18] On 20 October 2012, Bristol Rovers beat local rivalsTorquay United 3–2 at theMemorial Stadium, he scored 2 goals in this match.[19] He added another goal to his tally in an away match againstAFC Wimbledon on 23 October 2012, which Rovers lost 3–1.[20] On 10 November 2012, he scored the match winner after having set up the two other goals againstChesterfield at theMemorial Stadium in a 3–2 victory.[21] Eaves went on to make seventeen appearances and scoring seven times in all competitions before returning on 28 December 2012.[22]
On 21 February 2013, Eaves joinedShrewsbury Town on an initial one-month loan deal.[23] He made his debut againstStevenage on 23 February, and scored his first goal for the club in the following game on 26 February in a 2–1 loss at home toDoncaster Rovers.[24] On 12 March 2013, he then later scored two againstMilton Keynes Dons in a 3–2 win.[25] Weeks later on 22 March 2013, Eaves' loan spell with the club was extended until the end of April.[26] On 1 April, he scored his first senior hat-trick in a 3–0 win againstCrawley Town.[27] Weeks after scoring a hat-trick, Eaves was recalled by the club on 15 April 2013.[14]
On 21 September 2013, Eaves joinedLeague One sideRotherham United on a three-month loan deal.[28] He made his debut on the same day for The Millers in a 1–1 draw away atWalsall, coming on as a 72nd-minute substitute forKieran Agard.[29] He was recalled by his parent club on 25 November 2013 after making eight appearances for Rotherham United.[30]
On 28 November 2013, Eaves returned on an emergency loan forShrewsbury Town initially until 5 January 2014.[31][32] He scored a goal on his second debut, in a 3–1 victory away atStevenage two days later.[33] His loan was later extended to the end of the2013/14 season.[34] Eaves then scored his second Shrewsbury Town goal on a late minutes, in a 1–1 draw againstBrentford on 1 February 2014.[35]
On 27 November 2014, Eaves joined League One sideYeovil Town on loan until 5 January 2015.[36] Eaves made his Yeovil Town debut two days later, making his first start and playing 90 minutes, in a 2–0 loss againstPreston North End.[37] Eaves played seven matches for Yeovil without scoring a goal before returning to Bolton at the end of his loan spell.[38]
Eaves joined League Two sideBury on loan until the end of the season.[39] The same day, Eaves made his Bury debut, in a 1–0 loss againstMansfield Town.[40] Eaves then scored his first Bury goal, in a 2–1 loss againstMorecambe on 6 April 2015.[41] After making nine appearances for the club, Eaves made his return to his parent club.[42]
After his release from Bolton, on 1 July 2016, Eaves signed for League Two sideYeovil Town on a one-year deal.[43] He scored his first goal for Yeovil in a 1–1 draw withLuton Town on 13 August 2016.[44] At the end of the 2016–17 season, Eaves was released by Yeovil along with five other players.[45]
Following his release from Yeovil, on 22 June 2017, Eaves signed for League One clubGillingham on a two-year deal.[46] He made his debut for the club on the first day of the2017–18 season in a 0–0 draw away toDoncaster Rovers.[47] His first goals for the club came on 26 August 2017 when he scored a second half hat-trick in a 3–3 draw againstSouthend United.[48] Eaves would end the2017–18 season as the club's top goalscorer with 18 goals in all competitions.
Eaves repeated the feat in the following season, with a tally of 22 goals in all competitions. He received the club's Players' Player of the Year award and the Goal of the Season award for his effort away at Portsmouth in October 2018.[49][50] The same goal was later voted by Gillingham fans as their 'goal of the decade'.[51]
Eaves was offered a new contract by Gillingham at the end of the 2018–19 season,[52] but refused it and decided to leave upon the expiration of his contract, thus becoming a free agent. On 10 July 2019, he signed forChampionship clubHull City on a free transfer, signing a three-year contract.[53] Eaves made his first appearance for the club in the first match of the 2019–20 season in the 2–1 away defeat toSwansea City, when he came off the bench to replaceNouha Dicko.[54] He scored his first goal for the club on 1 October 2019, the only goal, in the home match againstSheffield Wednesday, after coming on as a substitute forJosh Magennis.[55] Eaves was released at the end of the2021–22 season.[56]
Following his departure from Hull, Eaves rejoined former club Rotherham.[57]
On 12 July 2024, Eaves joined League One sideNorthampton Town on an initial two-year deal.[58]
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Oldham Athletic | 2009–10[60] | League One | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 0 |
| Bolton Wanderers | 2012–13[61] | Championship | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 3 | 0 | |
| 2013–14[62] | Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | ||
| 2014–15[63] | Championship | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | ||
| Total | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 5 | 0 | |||
| Bristol Rovers (loan) | 2012–13[61] | League Two | 16 | 7 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 17 | 7 | ||
| Shrewsbury Town (loan) | 2012–13[61] | League One | 10 | 6 | — | — | — | 10 | 6 | |||
| 2013–14[62] | League One | 25 | 2 | — | — | — | 25 | 2 | ||||
| Total | 35 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 35 | 8 | ||
| Rotherham United (loan) | 2013–14[62] | League One | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1[a] | 1 | 9 | 1 |
| Yeovil Town (loan) | 2014–15[63] | League One | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 7 | 0 | ||
| Bury (loan) | 2014–15[63] | League Two | 9 | 1 | — | — | — | 9 | 1 | |||
| Yeovil Town | 2016–17[64] | League Two | 40 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4[b] | 3 | 48 | 7 |
| Gillingham | 2017–18[65] | League One | 41 | 17 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2[b] | 0 | 47 | 18 |
| 2018–19[66] | League One | 43 | 21 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1[b] | 0 | 50 | 22 | |
| Total | 84 | 38 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 97 | 40 | ||
| Hull City | 2019–20[67] | Championship | 40 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 44 | 8 |
| 2020–21[68] | League One | 26 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3[b] | 0 | 31 | 5 | |
| 2021–22[69] | Championship | 31 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 33 | 5 | |
| Total | 97 | 14 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 108 | 18 | ||
| Rotherham United | 2022–23[70] | Championship | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 21 | 0 | |
| 2023–24[71] | Championship | 33 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 35 | 6 | ||
| Total | 53 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 56 | 6 | |||
| Northampton Town | 2024–25[72] | League One | 20 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1[b] | 0 | 21 | 4 |
| Career total | 386 | 82 | 18 | 6 | 11 | 0 | 12 | 4 | 427 | 92 | ||
Hull City
