 Mellis warming-up forChelsea in 2010 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Jacob Alexander Mellis[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1991-01-08)8 January 1991 (age 34) | ||
| Place of birth | Nottingham, England | ||
| Height | 1.81 m (5 ft 11 in)[2] | ||
| Position | Midfielder | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2002–2007 | Sheffield United | ||
| 2007–2009 | Chelsea | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2009–2012 | Chelsea | 0 | (0) |
| 2009–2010 | →Southampton (loan) | 12 | (0) |
| 2011 | →Barnsley (loan) | 15 | (2) |
| 2012–2014 | Barnsley | 66 | (8) |
| 2014–2015 | Blackpool | 13 | (0) |
| 2015 | →Oldham Athletic (loan) | 7 | (0) |
| 2015–2017 | Bury | 58 | (3) |
| 2017–2020 | Mansfield Town | 84 | (4) |
| 2020 | Bolton Wanderers | 6 | (0) |
| 2020–2021 | Gillingham | 8 | (1) |
| 2021–2022 | Southend United | 3 | (0) |
| 2022 | Leatherhead | 2 | (0) |
| Total | 274 | (18) | |
| International career | |||
| 2006–2007 | England U16 | 6 | (0) |
| 2007–2008 | England U17 | 3 | (1) |
| 2009–2010 | England U19 | 12 | (4) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Jacob Alexander Mellis (born 8 January 1991)[3] is an English former professionalfootballer.
He transferred fromSheffield United toChelsea at the age of 16 for a £1 million fee, but made only onesubstitute appearance before being dismissed for misconduct in March 2012.[4] He spent most of the rest of his career in theEnglish Football League, making 94Championship appearances forBarnsley andBlackpool and scoring eight goals.
Mellis was born inNottingham and started his career as a trainee withSheffield United, before joiningPremier League clubChelsea for £1 million in June 2007. He was a member of the Chelsea team that reached the final of theFA Youth Cup under manager Paul Clement in2008, but was sent-off in the 90th minute of the second leg, as Chelsea lost 4–2 on aggregate toManchester City.[5] In the 2008–09 season, he became a regular in Chelsea's reserves making 13 appearances with three goals.[6]
In August 2009, he joinedSouthampton on loan[7] and made his Saints debut a day after signing, as a substitute in a 3–1 defeat atHuddersfield Town.[8] He returned to Chelsea in January 2010[9] but did not make a senior appearance until 23 November that year, in what would be his only Chelsea first team game, coming on in added time as a substitute forJosh McEachran againstMŠK Žilina in theUEFA Champions League group stage, a 2–1 home win.[10]
The following January, Mellis signed forBarnsley on a five-month loan.[11] Mellis made his Barnsley debut the next day, in a 2–0 win overPreston North End.[12] He scored his first Barnsley goal in a next game on 5 February 2011 in a 4–1 defeat toLeicester City,[13] which he scored in the next game seven days later againstIpswich Town.[14] Mellis went on to make fifteen appearances and scoring two times.
In March 2012, Mellis was sacked by Chelsea after he admitted setting off asmoke grenade and causing a full-scale evacuation at the club'sCobham Training Centre.[15] Mellis's teammateBilly Clifford escaped with a fine after admitting he brought the grenade – understood to be from apaintball expedition – into Chelsea's Cobham training headquarters.[4] Following his release by Chelsea, Mellis went on trial atQueens Park Rangers.[16] ManagerMark Hughes was impressed with his performance and was keen to extend his trial at the club.[17]
On 18 June 2012, Mellis agreed a two-year deal with Championship sideBarnsley.[18] During a pre-season friendly againstRotherham United, on 21 July 2012, Mellis scored the first goal in theNew York Stadium since its opening on 12 March 2012.[19]
Mellis made his Barnsley debut since joining the club permanently, where he set up a goal forJohn Stones, in the first round of League Cup, and played 120 minutes in a 4–3 win overRochdale.[20] Seven days later, Mellis made his league debut in the opening game of the season, in a 1–0 win overMiddlesbrough.[21] Mellis scored his first goal for Barnsley during a 1–0 win overBristol City on 1 September 2012,[22] followed scoring his second goal three weeks later on 18 September 2012, in a 2–1 loss againstBlackburn Rovers.[23] The following game againstBirmingham City on 22 September 2012, Mellis provided a hat-trick assist, in a 5–0 win.[24] Two months later on 24 November 2012, Mellis' fourth goal came in a 2–1 win overCardiff City.[25] Soon after, Mellis suffered a dead leg that kept him out for month.[26] After a month on the sidelines, Mellis made his first team return, where he came on as a substitute forJim O'Brien, in a 2–0 win overLeeds United on 12 January 2013.[27] Following his return, Mellis went on to score three more goals againstWolves,[28]Sheffield Wednesday[29] andHull City (which later awarded 2012–13 Goal of the Season award).[30][31] After helping the club remain in the Championship, Mellis finished his first full season at Barnsley, scoring six goals in thirty-six appearances.
In the 2013–14 season, Mellis continued to be in the first team, though he suffered injuries.[32][33] Mellis scored his first Barnsley goal of the 2013–14 season on 3 December 2013, in a 2–1 win overBrighton & Hove Albion.[34] Twenty-Eight days later on 1 January 2014, Mellis scored the club's first 2014-goal when he scored from a free-kick, in a 1–1 draw against Birmingham City.[35][36] Then on 1 February 2014, Mellis was sent-off in the last minutes after he "recklessly" jumped in on Wednesday wingerJacques Maghoma, in a 1–0 loss against Sheffield Wednesday.[37] After serving three match ban,[38] Mellis returned to the first team on 22 February 2014, in a 1–0 win overMillwall.[39] Towards the end of the season, Mellis' playing time was soon reduced slightly, due to being on the bench.
Following Barnsley's relegation toLeague One in 2014, Mellis was offered a new contract atOakwell,[40] but he turned it down and subsequently left the club.[41]
On 28 July 2014, Mellis signed a one-year deal withChampionship sideBlackpool, along with two other players.[42] Three days later, Mellis' medical was passed at Blackpool.[43]
Mellis made his Blackpool debut in the opening game of the season, in a 2–0 loss againstNottingham Forest.[44] However, Mellis suffered an injury during a match againstShrewsbury Town in the League Cup.[45] After a month out, Mellis made his first team return at Blackpool, in a 3–1 loss againstNorwich City on 27 September 2014.[46] Once again, Mellis suffered an injury that kept him out for weeks.[47]
With his first team opportunities limited under managerLee Clark, Mellis went on loan toLeague One sideOldham Athletic in January 2015.[48] Mellis made his Oldham Athletic debut, coming on as a substitute forCarl Winchester in the 72nd minute, in a 3–2 loss againstGillingham two days later.[49] After spending two months without being used in the first team, Mellis made his Oldham Athletic return, where he came on as a substitute forJoseph Mills in the 77th minute, in a 2–0 loss againstCrawley Town on 6 April 2015.[50] Mellis went on to make seven appearances for the club.
At the end of the 2014–15 season, Mellis was released by Blackpool in May 2015.[51] After being released by Blackpool, Mellis was soon linked with a move toFleetwood Town and Rochdale.[52]
Mellis joined League One sideBury on 30 June 2015 on a two-year contract.[53] He made his debut in the opening game of the season on 8 August, coming on as a substitute forTom Pope in the 55th minute, in a 1–1 draw away toDoncaster Rovers.[54] He scored his first goal for the Shakers on 3 September 2016 in a 4–1 win overPort Vale atGigg Lane.[55]
On 19 May 2017, Mellis joined League Two clubMansfield Town.[56] In June 2019 he signed a new contract.[57] In August that year, he and teammateDion Donohue were suspended by the club for "an alleged serious breach of club discipline".[58] Mellis was fined two weeks wages, whilst Donohue was released by the club.[59]
On 31 January 2020, Mellis moved to League One club Bolton Wanderers, signing a contract until the end of the season.[60] On 26 June it was announced he would be one of 14 senior players released when their contracts expired at the end of the month.[61]
Mellis signed a permanent contract at Gillingham on 10 August 2020, becoming their third signing of the summer.[62] He made ten appearances, and scored in a 3–1 home win overOxford United on 10 October.[63]
On 1 February 2021, Mellis joinedLeague Two sideSouthend United on a permanent contract until the end of the 2020–21 season, with an option for a further year.[64]
In February 2022, Mellis joinedLeatherhead.[65]
On 5 June 2023, he revealed he had recently been forced to retire due to injury.[66]
Mellis has represented England atU16,[67]U17 andU19 level.
In April 2012, Mellis was arrested after a fight with his girlfriend at hisCobham, Surrey home. Both parties accepted police cautions for common assault.[68]
In January 2020, Mellis and former Mansfield Town teammateDion Donohue appeared atNottingham Crown Court, charged with assault,affray andgrievous bodily harm alleged to have been committed inMansfield the previous 16 August. Donohue pleaded guilty, and Mellis not guilty.[69] The case involving Mellis concluded in November 2020.[70]
He struggled withalcoholism during his career. After retiring, he becamehomeless.[66][71]
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Chelsea | 2009–10[72] | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2010–11[73] | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1[a] | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2011–12[74] | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Chelsea Total | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
| Southampton (loan) | 2009–10[72] | League One | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2[b] | 0 | 15 | 0 |
| Barnsley (loan) | 2010–11[73] | Championship | 15 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 2 |
| Barnsley | 2012–13[75] | Championship | 36 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 41 | 6 |
| 2013–14[76] | Championship | 30 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 33 | 2 | |
| Barnsley Total | 66 | 8 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 74 | 8 | ||
| Blackpool | 2014–15[77] | Championship | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 0 |
| Blackpool Total | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 0 | ||
| Oldham Athletic (loan) | 2014–15[77] | League One | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| Bury | 2015–16[78] | League One | 23 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1[b] | 0 | 28 | 0 |
| 2016–17[79] | League One | 35 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3[b] | 0 | 41 | 3 | |
| Bury Total | 58 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 69 | 3 | ||
| Mansfield Town | 2017–18[80] | League Two | 30 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2[b] | 0 | 35 | 1 |
| 2018–19[81] | League Two | 41 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4[c] | 1 | 48 | 4 | |
| 2019–20[82] | League Two | 13 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4[b] | 0 | 19 | 0 | |
| Mansfield Town Total | 84 | 4 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 1 | 102 | 5 | ||
| Bolton Wanderers | 2019–20[82] | League One | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| Gillingham | 2020–21[83] | League One | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1[b] | 0 | 10 | 1 |
| Southend United | 2020–21[83] | League Two | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Leatherhead | 2021–22[84] | Isthmian League Premier Division | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Career total | 274 | 18 | 15 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 18 | 1 | 318 | 19 | ||
