Paul Jones (footballer Born 1986) - Career

Career

Jones began his career with the youth system of Charlton Athletic in 2001 before signing for Leyton Orient's youth system in 2002. Despite never breaking into their first team, Jones was thought highly of by then youth coach Alex Inglethorpe.

When Alex Inglethorpe was appointed manager of Conference side Exeter City in Autumn 2004, one of his first moves was to bring Paul Jones in on loan. Arriving part way through the 2004–05 season, Jones quickly established himself as City's first choice keeper, making 23 appearances.

On 1 July 2005, Inglethorpe acquired Jones from Orient, and signed him to a permanent deal.

At the end of the 2005–06 season, Inglethorpe left Exeter and was replaced by new manager Paul Tisdale. During the pre-season, Jones was forced to compete for his spot with then backup keeper, and former Exeter youth trainee Martin Rice. Days prior to Exeter's first match of the season, Tisdale selected Rice as his first choice keeper. Jones then became Exeter's second choice keeper. He returned to the first-team for the 2007 Conference playoff final, in which he saved a penalty - becoming the first person to do so at the new Wembley Stadium. Exeter failed to win the final though and during the next season, Jones figured mostly as an understudy to Rice's replacement Andy Marriott. He was chosen in the first team again for the play-offs and this time, Exeter managed to win the final at Wembley, with Jones keeping a clean sheet.

In the 2008–09 season he played in all 46 Football League Two matches for Exeter City. Also he won the 2008–09 player of the season award for Exeter City after many stunning performances in goal throughout the season.

On 31 January 2011 Jones joined Peterborough United on loan until the end of the 2010–11.season.

He made the move permanent by signing an initial one-year contract on 24 June 2011 to join on a free transfer. He found himself picked as first choice keeper for the majority of the season, as a result Peterborough offered him a new contract but he rejected it.

On 26 May 2012, it was confirmed that Jones had signed for newly promoted League One side Crawley Town.

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