Jake Hesketh

Jake Alexander Hesketh (born 27 March 1996) is an English professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for Southern League Premier Division South club Sholing.

Jake Hesketh
Personal information
Full name Jake Alexander Hesketh[1]
Date of birth (1996-03-27) 27 March 1996[2]
Place of birth Stockport, England
Height 5 ft 6 in (1.68 m)[2]
Position(s) Attacking midfielder
Team information
Current team
 Sholing
Youth career
2006–2014 Southampton
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2014–2021 Southampton 2 (0)
2018–2019 → Burton Albion (loan) 16 (1)
2019 → Milton Keynes Dons (loan) 16 (2)
2019–2020 → Lincoln City (loan) 20 (1)
2020–2021 → Crawley Town (loan) 15 (0)
2021–2023 Eastleigh 54 (2)
2023– Sholing 0 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 17:04, 31 May 2023 (UTC)

Early and personal life

Hesketh was born in Stockport, Greater Manchester, but his family moved to Whiteley, near Fareham, Hampshire when he was six months old.[3] He studied at Whiteley Primary School before moving onto Swanmore College.[4]

Club career

Southampton

Hesketh started his career at Southampton's academy, first training with the club as an under-7 before signing with the club as an under-nine, the youngest at which he could sign, having previously been scouted at a local tournament playing for Crofton Saints Football Club.[4][5] After progressing through the club's academy, he completed a two-year scholarship with the club and after finishing as the Under-18 team's top scorer was awarded the 2013–14 Scholar of the Season accolade at the Southampton club awards ceremony.[6] He signed a three-year professional contract the same day, having spent the previous six weeks training and playing with the club's under-21 team.[7][5]

He was promoted into the first team by coach Ronald Koeman due to injury problems among the squad.[8] He made his debut for the club on 8 December 2014 in a Premier League match against Manchester United, being brought in as a substitute for Dušan Tadić in the 70th minute of the 2–1 home defeat.[9] Five days later Hesketh made his first Premier League start as Southampton lost 1–0 away to Burnley.[10] Hesketh made 22 appearances for Martin Hunter's Under-21s in 2014–15, scoring two goals and lifting the 2015 U21 Premier League Cup.[11] He failed to make a first team appearance during the 2015–16 season as he was not part of Koeman's first-team plans, but returned to the first-team following the arrival of Claude Puel as manager in summer 2016.[5] After an appearance for the Southampton under-23 team in the EFL Trophy in August 2016, he made his first first-team appearance of the season and scored his first senior goal on 22 September 2016, in a 2–0 win over Crystal Palace in the EFL Cup.[12][13][14] Hesketh played again in a 0–0 UEFA Europa League draw away to Hapoel Beer Sheva a week later,[12] but picked up an injury in October and failed to make any more appearances that season.[5][12][15] In December 2016, he signed a new four-and-a-half year contract with the club.[15] Puel was sacked as manager in summer 2017, with Southampton being managed by Mauricio Pellegrino and later Mark Hughes, and Hesketh failed to make a first-team appearance during the 2017–18 season.[5][16]

Loan spells

On 30 August 2018, Hesketh signed for Burton Albion on a loan deal until 2 January 2019.[17][18] He scored his first league goal in a 2–2 draw at Portsmouth on 23 October 2018.[5][19] He appeared 23 times for Burton, scoring three goals.[20] On 31 January 2019, Hesketh joined League Two club Milton Keynes Dons on loan for the remainder of the 2018–19 season.[21] He made his debut for the club as a substitute in a 3–1 defeat to Exeter City on 2 February 2019, before scoring his first goal for the club on 9 February in a 3–2 defeat to Swindon Town.[20][22] He amassed 16 appearances in total across his loan spell, and scored twice.[20]

On 2 September 2019, he joined League One club Lincoln City on loan for the remainder of the 2019–20 season.[23] He appeared in 24 matches and scored one goal across the 2019–20 season.[24]

He joined League Two club Crawley Town on a season-long loan on 16 October 2020.[25] He made his debut for the club on 20 October 2020 as a substitute in a 2–1 defeat to Exeter City in League Two.[26] On 31 October 2020, Hesketh was given a red card in Crawley’s 2–1 win over Cambridge United.[27]

After 17 years at Southampton, Hesketh announced that he would leave the club at the end of the 2020–21 season after the expiry of his contract.[28]

Eastleigh

Following his release by Southampton in June 2021,[29] Hesketh signed for Eastleigh on 2 August.[30] He was released at the end of the 2022–23 season.[31]

Sholing

On 31 May 2023, Hesketh signed for Southern League Premier Division side Sholing.[32]

Style of play

Hesketh's preferred position is as an attacking midfielder, but is also able to play as a central midfielder or as a wide midfielder.[5]

Career statistics
As of end of 2022–23 season
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Season Club League FA Cup League Cup Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Southampton 2014–15[33] Premier League 200000—20
2015–16[34] Premier League 000000—00
2016–17[12] Premier League 0000111[lower-alpha 1]021
2017–18[16] Premier League 000000—00
2018–19[20] Premier League 000000—00
2019–20[24] Premier League 000000—00
2020–21[35] Premier League 000000—00
Total 2000111041
Southampton U23 2016–17[12] ———2[lower-alpha 2]020
2017–18[16] ———1[lower-alpha 2]212
2020–21[35] ———2[lower-alpha 2]020
Total ———5252
Burton Albion (loan) 2018–19[20] League One 16110323[lower-alpha 2]0233
Milton Keynes Dons (loan) 2018–19[20] League Two 162000000162
Lincoln City (loan) 2019–20[24] League One 20120002[lower-alpha 2]0241
Crawley Town (loan) 2020–21[35] League Two 150000000150
Eastleigh 2021–22[36] National League 31231—1[lower-alpha 3]3346
2022–23[36] National League 23010—2[lower-alpha 3]0260
Total 542410033606
Career total 1236714314514815
  1. Appearance(s) in Europa League
  2. Appearance(s) in EFL Trophy
  3. Appearance in FA Trophy

Honours

Club

Southampton

Milton Keynes Dons

References
  1. "Squads for 2016/17 Premier League confirmed". Premier League. 1 September 2016. Retrieved 15 September 2016.
  2. "Jake Hesketh". 11v11. Retrieved 3 January 2016.
  3. Walter, Simon (10 December 2014). "St Mary's debut v Manchester United caps meteoric rise of Southampton FC teenager Jake Hesketh". Southampton: Daily Echo. Retrieved 16 May 2016.
  4. "Development Squad Profiles". Southampton FC. Archived from the original on 16 June 2015. Retrieved 12 January 2016.
  5. Sheldon, Dan (9 June 2021). "Jake Hesketh: 'I had one conversation with Hasenhuttl when I came back from loan, and he didn't know who I was'". The Athletic. Retrieved 3 October 2021.
  6. "Jake Hesketh vows to push on after being crowned 2013/14 Scholar of the Season". Southampton FC. 7 May 2014. Retrieved 12 January 2016.
  7. Urquhart-Cannon, Alex (6 May 2014). "Hesketh pens professional deal". Southampton FC. Retrieved 13 December 2014.
  8. Lucas, Jim (8 December 2014). "Saints could give youth a chance for Utd game". Southampton FC. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 8 December 2014.
  9. Burnton, Simon (8 December 2014). "Southampton 1–2 Manchester United: Premier League – as it happened". The Guardian. Retrieved 8 December 2014.
  10. "Burnley 1–0 Southampton". BBC Sport. 13 December 2014. Retrieved 13 December 2014.
  11. "Southampton v Blackburn Rovers report | Under-21 Premier League Cup final". Premierleague.com. Archived from the original on 1 August 2015. Retrieved 12 January 2016.
  12. "Games played by Jake Hesketh in 2016/2017". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 22 September 2016.
  13. "Southampton 2 Crystal Palace 0". BBC Sport. 21 September 2016. Retrieved 22 September 2016.
  14. Leitch, Adam (22 September 2016). "Jake Hesketh scored his first senior goal as Southampton beat Crystal Palace 2–0 at St Mary's". Daily Echo. Retrieved 22 September 2016.
  15. "Harrison Reed & Jake Hesketh sign new Southampton contracts". BBC Sport. 15 December 2016. Retrieved 3 October 2021.
  16. "Games played by Jake Hesketh in 2017/2018". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 31 October 2018.
  17. "Brewers Sign Saints Duo on Loan". Burton Albion F.C. 30 August 2018. Retrieved 31 August 2018.
  18. "Burton Albion sign Jake Hesketh, Jake Flannigan and Devante Cole on loan". BBC Sport. 30 August 2018. Retrieved 31 August 2018.
  19. "Portsmouth 2–2 Burton Albion". BBC Sport. 23 October 2018. Retrieved 25 October 2018.
  20. "Games played by Jake Hesketh in 2018/2019". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 31 October 2018.
  21. "Hesketh heads to MK Dons". Milton Keynes Dons. 31 January 2019. Retrieved 31 January 2019.
  22. Roper, Matty; Murray, Josh (11 February 2019). "Jake Hesketh off the mark for MK Dons after loan move". DerbyshireLive. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 16 October 2020.
  23. "Saints midfielder arrives at the Bank". Lincoln City F.C. Retrieved 2 September 2019.
  24. "Games played by Jake Hesketh in 2019/2020". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 31 October 2018.
  25. Rose, Dan (16 October 2020). "Hesketh completes season-long loan move to Crawley". Daily Echo. Retrieved 16 October 2020.
  26. Dunford, Mark (20 October 2020). "Exeter City 2, Crawley Town 1: Reds denied point by late fluke from Grecians". Crawley & Horley Observer. Retrieved 21 October 2020.
  27. "Crawley Town 2–1 Cambridge United". BBC Sport. 31 October 2020. Retrieved 7 April 2021.
  28. Rose, Dan (21 May 2021). "Hesketh announces departure from Saints after 17 years at the club". Daily Echo. Retrieved 25 May 2021.
  29. "Southampton FC announce 2021 retained list". Southampton FC. 4 June 2021. Retrieved 3 August 2021.
  30. "Jake Hesketh Joins The Spitfires". Eastleigh FC. 2 August 2021. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
  31. "2022/23 RETAINED LIST". www.eastleighfc.com. 9 May 2023. Retrieved 9 May 2023.
  32. "Jake Hesketh Signs!". Sholing F.C. 31 May 2023. Retrieved 31 May 2023.
  33. "Games played by Jake Hesketh in 2014/2015". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 31 October 2018.
  34. "Games played by Jake Hesketh in 2014/2015". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 31 October 2018.
  35. "Games played by Jake Hesketh in 2020/2021". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 31 October 2018.
  36. "J. Hesketh: Summary". Soccerway. Perform Group. Retrieved 11 February 2022.
  37. "Report: Southampton 2-1 Blackburn Rovers (Under-21 Premier League Cup final second leg)". Southampton FC. 20 April 2015. Retrieved 30 November 2016.
  38. "League Two: 2018/19: Current table". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 6 May 2019.
    "MK Dons: Squad details: 2018/19". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 6 May 2019.
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