| Nico Jones | |
| Fullname: | Nico Anthony Jones[1] |
| Birth Date: | 3 February 2002 |
| Birth Place: | Chelsea, England |
| Height: | 1.91m[2] |
| Position: | Central defender |
| Currentclub: | Banbury United |
| Youthyears1: | 2010–2018 |
| Youthclubs1: | Fulham |
| Youthyears2: | 2018–2019 |
| Youthclubs2: | Oxford United |
| Years1: | 2019–2021 |
| Clubs1: | Oxford United |
| Caps1: | 3 |
| Goals1: | 0 |
| Years2: | 2020 |
| Clubs2: | → Oxford City (loan) |
| Caps2: | 3 |
| Goals2: | 0 |
| Years3: | 2021 |
| Clubs3: | → Havant & Waterlooville (loan) |
| Caps3: | 1 |
| Goals3: | 0 |
| Years4: | 2021–2023 |
| Clubs4: | Brentford |
| Caps4: | 0 |
| Goals4: | 0 |
| Years5: | 2023 |
| Clubs5: | Welling United |
| Caps5: | 0 |
| Goals5: | 0 |
| Years6: | 2024 |
| Clubs6: | Dover Athletic |
| Caps6: | 0 |
| Goals6: | 0 |
| Years7: | 2024 |
| Clubs7: | Burgess Hill Town |
| Caps7: | 4 |
| Goals7: | 0 |
| Years8: | 2024– |
| Clubs8: | Banbury United |
| Caps8: | 2 |
| Goals8: | 0 |
| Nationalyears1: | 2019 |
| Nationalteam1: | Republic of Ireland U18 |
| Nationalcaps1: | 1 |
| Nationalgoals1: | 0 |
| Club-Update: | 12:08, 16 August 2024 (UTC) |
Nico Anthony Jones (born 3 February 2002) is a professional footballer who plays as a central defender for club Banbury United.
Jones is a product of the Fulham Academy and began his professional career with Oxford United. He transferred to Brentford B in 2021, for whom he played until his release in 2023. Born in England, Jones was capped by the Republic of Ireland at under-18 level.
A central defender, Jones began his youth career in the Fulham Academy at under-9 level. After eight years with the club,[3] he signed a scholarship deal with Oxford United in 2018.[4] He made three first team appearances late in the 2018–19 season and signed a two-year professional contract, with the option of a further year, in June 2019.[5] Jones made just one senior appearance during the 2019–20 season, albeit a memorable one, when he captained Oxford United to a 4–1 EFL Trophy group stage win over Crawley Town on 12 November 2019.[6] The appearance made him the club's youngest-ever captain.
Jones was thereafter was reduced to making EFL Trophy appearances and spent time away on loan at National League South clubs Oxford City and Havant & Waterlooville during the 2019–20 and 2020–21 seasons.[7] He was released in June 2021, after the club neglected to take up the one-year option on his contract.[8] Jones made eight senior appearances during three seasons at the Kassam Stadium.
On 15 August 2021, Jones transferred to the B team at Premier League club Brentford and signed two-year contract, with the option of a further year, on a free transfer.[9] Over the course of the 2021–22 and 2022–23 seasons, he made 61 B team appearances and was a part of the 2021–22 London Senior Cup-winning squad.[10] [11] Jones occasionally participated in first team training during the 2021–22 season and made one mid-season friendly appearance.[12] [13] He was released when his contract expired in June 2023.
On 21 November 2023, Jones signed a short-term contract with National League South club Welling United.[14] He made a single Kent Senior Cup appearance for the club. On 6 February 2024, Jones made a second Kent Senior Cup appearance of the 2023–24 season, for Dover Athletic. As an ineligible player, the club was thrown out of the competition for fielding him.[15] On 1 March 2024, Jones transferred to Isthmian League South East Division club Burgess Hill Town.[16] He made four appearances before the end of the 2023–24 season, which culminated in relegation. In June 2024, Jones transferred to Southern League Premier Division Central club Banbury United.[17]
Jones was called into the Republic of Ireland under-18 squad for a friendly tournament in Sweden in September 2019 and he made one appearance,[18] in a 0–0 draw with the hosts.[19] Jones made his only under-20 appearance with a start in a non-cap friendly versus the Republic of Ireland amateur team on 22 March 2022.[20]
| Season | League | National cup | League cup | Other | Total | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||
| Oxford United | 2018–19 | League One | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2019–20 | League One | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1[21] | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 2020–21 | League One | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | ||
| Total | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 8 | 0 | |||
| Oxford City (loan) | 2019–20 | National League South | 3 | 0 | ― | ― | ― | 3 | 0 | ||||
| Havant & Waterlooville (loan) | 2020–21 | National League South | 1 | 0 | ― | ― | 1[22] | 0 | 2 | 0 | |||
| Welling United | 2023–24[23] | National League South | 0 | 0 | ― | ― | 1[24] | 0 | 1 | 0 | |||
| Dover Athletic | 2023–24 | National League South | 0 | 0 | ― | ― | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |||
| Burgess Hill Town | 2023–24[25] | Isthmian League South East Division | 4 | 0 | ― | ― | ― | 4 | 0 | ||||
| Banbury United | 2024–25[26] | Southern League Premier Division Central | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ― | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | ||
| Career total | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 21 | 0 | |||
Brentford B