Jermaine Jones
Encyclopedia
Jermaine Jones is a German-born American soccer player who plays for Schalke 04
.
. His father is an African-American soldier who was stationed in Germany. As a child, Jones lived in Chicago
and Greenwood, Mississippi
in the U.S. before his parents divorced and he returned to Germany with his mother.
Jones is a good friend of female football player and multiple national champion Steffi Jones
, who also is a German-American and the child of an African American soldier. They both started in the same club, SV Bonames (albeit not at the same time). The two are not related.
when he was 13 in 1994 and in 1995 was purchased by Eintracht Frankfurt
to play in their academy. He spent the next five years learning and building the quality of his game, and made his first appearance in the Eintracht Frankfurt II team in the 2000–01 season making 25 appearances and scoring eight goals. He made the step up to the main squad in 2001. Jones made 46 appearances for the Frankfurt senior team over two years in the 2001–2003 seasons, scoring seven goals as he was primarily played as a central denfensive midfielder.
His good form at the time saw him purchased by Bayer Leverkusen
, however first team chances were scarce, and he was relegated to playing the majority of the 2004–05 Bundesliga season for the Bayer Leverkusen II second string. Jones re-signed for Eintracht Frankfurt
on loan barely six months after signing for Bayer Leverkusen
, and the following season completed his return to the Hesse
based team before the 2005–06 season. However in the 2005–06 season, Jones suffered a serious leg injury that required surgery, and was out of the game for eight months, only returning in the first half of the last game of the season. Over the next two seasons Jones shed his "teen idol" image, and established himself as a quality player and became captain of the squad.
In March 2007, Jones announced on the official Eintracht bulletin board that he would not extend his contract expiring at the end of the 2006–07 season. This enraged many Eintracht supporters, as Jones cancelled a contract negotiation with chairman Heribert Bruchhagen
a few days before it was scheduled to take place. In October 2006, he already had defended himself for turning down a contract offer, underlining he wanted to stay after all the management of the Eagles had done for him during his injuries. This led to him joining Bundesliga giants FC Schalke 04
.
The following three seasons at Schalke were relatively mixed for Jones, with his career being hit further by injuries including a Muscular hairline crack injury which kept him out of the team for the majority of the 2009–10 season. However he did enjoy his best stint playing regular games for the first time in his career playing 70 games in three seasons. The beginning of the 2010–11 season was again frustrating for Jones through lack of games, and after a falling out with team manager Felix Magath
, he was made available for transfer.
On 14 January 2011, it was revealed that English
Premier League team Blackburn Rovers
were interested in taking Jones on loan with a view to making the signing permanent at the end of the season
. With Rovers player Vince Grella
's time at Rovers blighted by regular injury, the club had been looking for a defensive addition for some time, and Jones was thought to be a excellent addition to a newly developed squad under new Rovers manager Steve Kean
. On 15 January, Kean confirmed a deal would take place in the next week.
On 18 January 2011, it was confirmed by the club that Jones had signed on loan until the end of the season
. He made his Premier League debut on 23 January 2011, starting in a 2–0 home win over West Bromwich Albion at Ewood Park
and completed the full 90 minutes, receiving the man of the match award on his first appearance for the club. On 30 April 2011, Jones put in a man-of-the-match display, playing the full 90 minutes in the derby game against Bolton Wanderers in a 1–0 win at Ewood Park
. On 7 May 2011, in the match with West Ham United, he completed another 90 minutes this time in a 1–1 draw at Upton Park
. On 14 May 2011, Jones started the game against Manchester United at Ewood Park
and received a booking from referee Phil Dowd
, he was also substituted off on 73 minutes for David Dunn
. On 22 May 2011 against Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineux
, he completed the full 90 minutes in the last league match of the season in a 3–2 win for Rovers. He made 15 Barclays Premier League starts for Rovers and picked up 8 yellow cards in total.
and a fan favourite, somewhat due to his flashy outward appearance.
Though Jones played four matches with Germany's Under 21 team, he was often left out of the senior team, save a few friendlies with mostly reserves. In June 2009, Jones declared to the media that he would be available to play for the United States
after it was clear to him that the German national team manager, Joachim Löw, did not have any plans for him in the current German set-up. Jones was eligible based on a new FIFA ruling allowing players to switch their national teams if the player had not yet played in an official FIFA match with the senior team despite having played at the youth level. Jones was eligible for the United States due to his father's nationality, which is American. On 20 October 2009, Jones was cleared by FIFA
to join the United States national team. He met the U.S. national team for the first time in March 2010 and reportedly fit in "really well" according to Tim Howard
. In the end, Jones did not recover in time for the World Cup.
On 4 August 2010, Jones was called into the United States
squad for the 10 August friendly against Brazil. The next day, however, he withdrew from the squad due to fitness concerns related to his injury from the previous season. Jones was included on the roster for the US national team's friendlies against Poland and Colombia in October. He made his debut for the United States
against Poland and assisted Jozy Altidore
on the game's opening goal in the 13th minute. Jones seemingly scored the first goal on a deflection off a Jamaican defender for the United States on 19 June 2011 in the CONCACAF Gold Cup
quarter-final match against Jamaica
, but the goal was later ruled an own goal.
FC Schalke 04
Fußball-Club Gelsenkirchen-Schalke 04, commonly known as simply FC Schalke 04 or Schalke , is a German, association-football club originally from the Schalke district of Gelsenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia. Schalke has long been one of the most popular football teams in Germany, even though major...
.
Personal life
Jones grew up in Frankfurt-BonamesBonames (Frankfurt am Main)
Bonames is a district or Stadtteil of Frankfurt am Main, Germany. It is part of the Ortsbezirk Nord-Ost. The name comes from the Latin phrase „bona mansio“ which has its roots in the time of Roman occupation....
. His father is an African-American soldier who was stationed in Germany. As a child, Jones lived in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
and Greenwood, Mississippi
Greenwood, Mississippi
Greenwood is a city in and the county seat of Leflore County, Mississippi, United States, located at the eastern edge of the Mississippi Delta approximately 96 miles north of Jackson, Mississippi, and 130 miles south of Memphis, Tennessee. The population was 15,205 at the 2010 census. It is the...
in the U.S. before his parents divorced and he returned to Germany with his mother.
Jones is a good friend of female football player and multiple national champion Steffi Jones
Steffi Jones
Stephanie Ann "Steffi" Jones is a retired German football defender. She now works as a football administrator, and was in charge of organizing the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup in Germany.- Biography :...
, who also is a German-American and the child of an African American soldier. They both started in the same club, SV Bonames (albeit not at the same time). The two are not related.
Club career
Jones started his youth career at SV Bonames, moving to FV Bad VilbelFV Bad Vilbel
FV Bad Vilbel is a German football club from Bad Vilbel, near Frankfurt, Hesse. Founded March 30, 1919 as SV 1919 Bad Vilbel, they merged with FG Phönix Bad Vilbel in 1933 to become FC Phönix Bad Vilbel and were re-established under their current name after World War II...
when he was 13 in 1994 and in 1995 was purchased by Eintracht Frankfurt
Eintracht Frankfurt
Eintracht Frankfurt is a German sports club, based in Frankfurt, Hesse that is best known for its association football club.- Club origins :...
to play in their academy. He spent the next five years learning and building the quality of his game, and made his first appearance in the Eintracht Frankfurt II team in the 2000–01 season making 25 appearances and scoring eight goals. He made the step up to the main squad in 2001. Jones made 46 appearances for the Frankfurt senior team over two years in the 2001–2003 seasons, scoring seven goals as he was primarily played as a central denfensive midfielder.
His good form at the time saw him purchased by Bayer Leverkusen
Bayer Leverkusen
Bayer 04 Leverkusen is a German football club based in Leverkusen, North Rhine-Westphalia. It is the most well-known department of TSV Bayer 04 Leverkusen, a sports club whose members also participate in athletics, gymnastics, basketball and other sports.-Origins and early years:On 27 November...
, however first team chances were scarce, and he was relegated to playing the majority of the 2004–05 Bundesliga season for the Bayer Leverkusen II second string. Jones re-signed for Eintracht Frankfurt
Eintracht Frankfurt
Eintracht Frankfurt is a German sports club, based in Frankfurt, Hesse that is best known for its association football club.- Club origins :...
on loan barely six months after signing for Bayer Leverkusen
Bayer Leverkusen
Bayer 04 Leverkusen is a German football club based in Leverkusen, North Rhine-Westphalia. It is the most well-known department of TSV Bayer 04 Leverkusen, a sports club whose members also participate in athletics, gymnastics, basketball and other sports.-Origins and early years:On 27 November...
, and the following season completed his return to the Hesse
Hesse
Hesse or Hessia is both a cultural region of Germany and the name of an individual German state.* The cultural region of Hesse includes both the State of Hesse and the area known as Rhenish Hesse in the neighbouring Rhineland-Palatinate state...
based team before the 2005–06 season. However in the 2005–06 season, Jones suffered a serious leg injury that required surgery, and was out of the game for eight months, only returning in the first half of the last game of the season. Over the next two seasons Jones shed his "teen idol" image, and established himself as a quality player and became captain of the squad.
In March 2007, Jones announced on the official Eintracht bulletin board that he would not extend his contract expiring at the end of the 2006–07 season. This enraged many Eintracht supporters, as Jones cancelled a contract negotiation with chairman Heribert Bruchhagen
Heribert Bruchhagen
Heribert Bruchhagen is the executive chairman of Eintracht Frankfurt Fußball AG since December 1 2003....
a few days before it was scheduled to take place. In October 2006, he already had defended himself for turning down a contract offer, underlining he wanted to stay after all the management of the Eagles had done for him during his injuries. This led to him joining Bundesliga giants FC Schalke 04
FC Schalke 04
Fußball-Club Gelsenkirchen-Schalke 04, commonly known as simply FC Schalke 04 or Schalke , is a German, association-football club originally from the Schalke district of Gelsenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia. Schalke has long been one of the most popular football teams in Germany, even though major...
.
The following three seasons at Schalke were relatively mixed for Jones, with his career being hit further by injuries including a Muscular hairline crack injury which kept him out of the team for the majority of the 2009–10 season. However he did enjoy his best stint playing regular games for the first time in his career playing 70 games in three seasons. The beginning of the 2010–11 season was again frustrating for Jones through lack of games, and after a falling out with team manager Felix Magath
Felix Magath
Wolfgang-Felix Magath is a former German football central midfielder and current manager of VfL Wolfsburg.-Playing career:...
, he was made available for transfer.
On 14 January 2011, it was revealed that English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
Premier League team Blackburn Rovers
Blackburn Rovers F.C.
Blackburn Rovers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. The team currently competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football....
were interested in taking Jones on loan with a view to making the signing permanent at the end of the season
2010–11 Blackburn Rovers F.C. season
-Technical staff:-Medical staff:The 2010–11 season is Blackburn Rovers 123rd season as a professional football club. The 2010–11 season is Blackburn Rovers' 17th season in the Premier League, and their 10th consecutive season in the top division of English...
. With Rovers player Vince Grella
Vince Grella
Vincenzo "Vince" Grella is an Australian football player, who plays as a midfielder for Blackburn Rovers in the English Premier League...
's time at Rovers blighted by regular injury, the club had been looking for a defensive addition for some time, and Jones was thought to be a excellent addition to a newly developed squad under new Rovers manager Steve Kean
Steve Kean
Stephen "Steve" Kean is a Scottish football manager and former player. He is the current manager of Blackburn Rovers in the Premier League.-Playing career:...
. On 15 January, Kean confirmed a deal would take place in the next week.
On 18 January 2011, it was confirmed by the club that Jones had signed on loan until the end of the season
2010–11 Blackburn Rovers F.C. season
-Technical staff:-Medical staff:The 2010–11 season is Blackburn Rovers 123rd season as a professional football club. The 2010–11 season is Blackburn Rovers' 17th season in the Premier League, and their 10th consecutive season in the top division of English...
. He made his Premier League debut on 23 January 2011, starting in a 2–0 home win over West Bromwich Albion at Ewood Park
Ewood Park
Ewood Park is a football stadium in the English town of Blackburn, Lancashire, and is the home of Blackburn Rovers Football Club — one of the founder members of the Football League and Premier League. Rovers have played there since they moved from Leamington Street in the summer of 1890. The...
and completed the full 90 minutes, receiving the man of the match award on his first appearance for the club. On 30 April 2011, Jones put in a man-of-the-match display, playing the full 90 minutes in the derby game against Bolton Wanderers in a 1–0 win at Ewood Park
Ewood Park
Ewood Park is a football stadium in the English town of Blackburn, Lancashire, and is the home of Blackburn Rovers Football Club — one of the founder members of the Football League and Premier League. Rovers have played there since they moved from Leamington Street in the summer of 1890. The...
. On 7 May 2011, in the match with West Ham United, he completed another 90 minutes this time in a 1–1 draw at Upton Park
Upton Park
Upton Park is an urban area of the London Borough of Newham,centred around the local high street, Green Street. The area is synonymous with football and is home to West Ham United Football Club, who play at the Boleyn Ground, commonly known as Upton Park, while nearby is a green space also called...
. On 14 May 2011, Jones started the game against Manchester United at Ewood Park
Ewood Park
Ewood Park is a football stadium in the English town of Blackburn, Lancashire, and is the home of Blackburn Rovers Football Club — one of the founder members of the Football League and Premier League. Rovers have played there since they moved from Leamington Street in the summer of 1890. The...
and received a booking from referee Phil Dowd
Phil Dowd
Philip Dowd is an English professional football referee who officiates primarily in the Premier League. He is based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire....
, he was also substituted off on 73 minutes for David Dunn
David Dunn
David John Ian Dunn is an English footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for Premier League club Blackburn Rovers.-Blackburn Rovers:...
. On 22 May 2011 against Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineux
Molineux
Molineux may refer to:*William Molineux, American, participant in the Boston Tea Party*Molineux Stadium, in Wolverhampton, England**by metonymy, Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C., the team that plays there...
, he completed the full 90 minutes in the last league match of the season in a 3–2 win for Rovers. He made 15 Barclays Premier League starts for Rovers and picked up 8 yellow cards in total.
International career
Jones broke through into the Eintracht Frankfurt squad, became a German Under-21 internationalGermany national under-21 football team
The Germany national under-21 football team represents the under-21s of Germany in the UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship and is controlled by the German Football Association , the governing body of football in Germany....
and a fan favourite, somewhat due to his flashy outward appearance.
Though Jones played four matches with Germany's Under 21 team, he was often left out of the senior team, save a few friendlies with mostly reserves. In June 2009, Jones declared to the media that he would be available to play for the United States
United States men's national soccer team
The United States men's national soccer team represents the United States in international association football competitions. It is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation and competes in CONCACAF...
after it was clear to him that the German national team manager, Joachim Löw, did not have any plans for him in the current German set-up. Jones was eligible based on a new FIFA ruling allowing players to switch their national teams if the player had not yet played in an official FIFA match with the senior team despite having played at the youth level. Jones was eligible for the United States due to his father's nationality, which is American. On 20 October 2009, Jones was cleared by FIFA
FIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
to join the United States national team. He met the U.S. national team for the first time in March 2010 and reportedly fit in "really well" according to Tim Howard
Tim Howard
Timothy Matthew Howard is an American soccer player who plays as a goalkeeper for English club Everton and the United States national team....
. In the end, Jones did not recover in time for the World Cup.
On 4 August 2010, Jones was called into the United States
United States men's national soccer team
The United States men's national soccer team represents the United States in international association football competitions. It is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation and competes in CONCACAF...
squad for the 10 August friendly against Brazil. The next day, however, he withdrew from the squad due to fitness concerns related to his injury from the previous season. Jones was included on the roster for the US national team's friendlies against Poland and Colombia in October. He made his debut for the United States
United States men's national soccer team
The United States men's national soccer team represents the United States in international association football competitions. It is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation and competes in CONCACAF...
against Poland and assisted Jozy Altidore
Jozy Altidore
Josmer Volmy "Jozy" Altidore is an American soccer player currently playing for Eredivisie side AZ Alkmaar, and for the United States national team....
on the game's opening goal in the 13th minute. Jones seemingly scored the first goal on a deflection off a Jamaican defender for the United States on 19 June 2011 in the CONCACAF Gold Cup
CONCACAF Gold Cup
The CONCACAF Gold Cup is the main association football competition of the men's national football teams governed by CONCACAF, determining the regional champion of North America, Central America, and the Caribbean.The Gold Cup is held every two years and when it does not fall the same year as an...
quarter-final match against Jamaica
Jamaica national football team
The Jamaica national football team is the national team of Jamaica and is controlled by the Jamaica Football Federation. After decades in CONCACAF obscurity, they gained many fans throughout the world after they qualified for the 1998 FIFA World Cup...
, but the goal was later ruled an own goal.
External links
- Jermaine Jones career stats at SoccerbaseRacing PostThe Racing Post is a British daily horse racing, greyhound racing and sports betting newspaper, appearing in print form and online.From 30 May 2011 - 3 July 2011 it had a circulation of 56,507.-History:...
- Profile at Transfermarkt.de
- Schalke 04 profile
- Premier League profile