Kenwyne Jones facts for kids

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Kenwyne Jones
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Personal information
Jones (left) tussling with Liverpool's Aly Cissokho in 2014
Full name	Kenwyne Joel Jones
Date of birth	(1984-10-05) 5 October 1984 (age 40)
Place of birth	Point Fortin, Trinidad and Tobago
Height	1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)
Position(s)	Forward
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2002	Joe Public	11	(9)
2002–2004	W Connection	31	(30)
2004–2007	Southampton	71	(19)
2004–2005	→ Sheffield Wednesday (loan)	7	(7)
2005	→ Stoke City (loan)	13	(3)
2007–2010	Sunderland	94	(26)
2010–2014	Stoke City	88	(13)
2014–2016	Cardiff City	64	(17)
2015	→ AFC Bournemouth (loan)	6	(1)
2016	→ Al Jazira (loan)	11	(3)
2016–2017	Atlanta United	17	(2)
2016	→ Central (loan)	5	(4)
Total		418	(134)
International career
2003–2017	Trinidad and Tobago	91	(23)
Managerial career
2021–2023	Trinidad and Tobago Women
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Kenwyne Joel Jones (born 5 October 1984) is a former professional football player from Trinidad and Tobago. He played as a forward, which means he was a main attacker. After retiring from playing, he became a manager. He coached the Trinidad and Tobago women's national team.

Kenwyne started his football journey with Joe Public F.C. in his home country. In 2002, he moved to W Connection. He was a versatile player for the Trinidad and Tobago national team in 2003. In 2004, he joined Southampton in England, where he became a striker. He also played on loan for Sheffield Wednesday and Stoke City during the 2004–05 season.

In 2007, Kenwyne joined Sunderland for £6 million. He played there for three seasons. In August 2010, he signed with Stoke City again. During his first season at Stoke, he scored 12 goals and played in the 2011 FA Cup Final. After Peter Crouch joined Stoke in 2011, Kenwyne found it harder to play regularly. In January 2014, he moved to Cardiff City in a player exchange deal. While at Cardiff, he had loan spells at AFC Bournemouth and Al Jazira. He then joined Atlanta United in 2016. Kenwyne Jones retired from football in November 2017.

Club Career Highlights
International Career
Managerial Career
Personal Life and Achievements
Honours
Images for kids
See also

Club Career Highlights

Starting His Football Journey

Kenwyne Jones was born in Point Fortin, Trinidad and Tobago. His parents are Lydia and Pamphile. He went to St. Anthony's College in Trinidad. His uncle, Philibert Jones, was also a famous footballer. He played as a forward for the Strike Squad.

Before becoming a professional, Kenwyne had tryouts with big clubs like Manchester United and Middlesbrough in 2002. He also tried out for West Ham United and Rangers in 2004. Kenwyne said it was a tough time because he had just had his son. He knew he had to succeed in football or join the Trinidad army to support his family. He began his professional career with Joe Public F.C. in 2002. Soon after, he moved to W Connection, where he played for two years.

Playing for Southampton

Jones playing for Southampton

In July 2004, Kenwyne signed with Southampton after a successful trial. He moved from W Connection for a small fee. David John Williams, the Chairman of W Connection, believed Kenwyne would become a huge star in Trinidad and Tobago football. In December 2004, while on loan to Sheffield Wednesday, he scored seven goals in seven games. He returned to Southampton in January 2005. He then joined Stoke City on loan in February 2005, scoring three goals in 13 games.

Before the 2006–07 season, Kenwyne scored three goals in a pre-season game against Anderlecht. In the Football League Championship, he scored two goals against Birmingham City in November. On 26 December 2006, he received his first red card against Crystal Palace. He scored two more goals against Southend United on the last day of the season. This helped Southampton get into the play-offs. He finished that season with 16 goals.

In May 2007, Southampton's manager, George Burley, praised Kenwyne's strength and power. On 24 August 2007, Kenwyne asked to leave Southampton.

Time at Sunderland

Kenwyne Jones in action for Sunderland against Chelsea in 2010

On 29 August 2007, Kenwyne joined Sunderland in a deal worth £6 million. He made his debut for Sunderland on 1 September against Manchester United. He scored his first goal for the club on 15 September in a 2–1 win against Reading.

There were rumors that big clubs like Liverpool and Chelsea wanted to sign him. However, Sunderland's manager, Roy Keane, said Kenwyne was staying. Kenwyne scored his fifth goal at the Stadium of Light against Bolton Wanderers in December. Chelsea captain John Terry even said Kenwyne was probably the "best in the air in the Premier League."

On 1 June 2008, Kenwyne injured his knee while playing for Trinidad and Tobago against England. He returned to play for Sunderland's first team in October 2008. His first goal after his injury came on 12 November in a League Cup game. He continued to score, including two goals against Blackburn Rovers in November.

On 27 January 2009, Kenwyne signed a new four-and-a-half-year contract with Sunderland. He scored against Manchester United in a 2–1 defeat. On 22 August, he scored two goals in Sunderland's 2–1 win over Blackburn Rovers. He scored two more goals against Wolves in September, including a fantastic curling shot from 22 yards out. He finished the season with eight goals.

Joining Stoke City

On 11 August 2010, Kenwyne Jones signed a four-year deal with Stoke City. It was a club record fee of £8 million. Stoke's manager, Tony Pulis, was very happy to have him. He said Kenwyne would bring many goals and strong competition to the team.

Kenwyne wore the number 9 shirt for Stoke. He played his first game back with Stoke on 14 August 2010. He scored his first goal for Stoke on 13 September against Aston Villa. He also scored against West Ham United, Fulham, and Newcastle United. On 13 November, he scored the second goal in a 2–0 win against Liverpool.

After a period without scoring, Kenwyne scored against Everton on New Year's Day. He then scored against Tottenham Hotspur in April. He also scored against Bolton Wanderers, Aston Villa, and Wolverhampton Wanderers. He played in the 2011 FA Cup Final, where Stoke lost 1–0 to Manchester City. Kenwyne had Stoke's best chance in the match, but the goalkeeper saved his shot. He finished the 2010–11 season as Stoke's joint top goalscorer with 12 goals.

Kenwyne started the 2011–12 season well, scoring against Norwich City and twice in the UEFA Europa League. He scored an important goal for Stoke against Dynamo Kyiv, which helped Stoke qualify for the next stage of the Europa League. In the 2012–13 season, he scored his first Premier League goal in 16 months against Everton. He also scored against Liverpool and his old club Southampton.

In the 2013–14 season, Kenwyne scored his first professional hat-trick against Walsall in the League Cup on 28 August 2013.

Playing for Cardiff City

Jones being challenged by Aly Cissokho and Mamadou Sakho in 2014

On 28 January 2014, Kenwyne joined Cardiff City. He scored a goal on his debut for Cardiff on 1 February 2014, helping them win 2–1 against Norwich City. He played 11 games for Cardiff in the 2013–14 season, but the team was relegated to the Championship.

Kenwyne started the 2014–15 season strongly, scoring 9 goals in the first half. He was then loaned to AFC Bournemouth for the rest of the season. He scored on his debut for Bournemouth on 3 April 2015. He made six appearances as Bournemouth won the Championship title and were promoted to the Premier League.

After returning to Cardiff, Kenwyne scored in a 2–0 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers. On 5 January 2016, he joined Al Jazira in the UAE on loan.

Time at Atlanta United

Kenwyne Jones at the end of the 24 September 2017 match for Atlanta United

On 15 July 2016, Kenwyne Jones signed with the new Major League Soccer team, Atlanta United, for their first season in 2017. He played 17 games for Atlanta United, scoring 2 goals. Kenwyne retired from football in November 2017.

International Career

Kenwyne Jones played for Trinidad and Tobago at different levels, including the under-18, under-20, and under-23 Olympic teams. He also played for the senior national team.

He made his debut for the national team on 29 January 2003 against Finland. Kenwyne scored his first international goal on 25 May 2005 in a 4–0 win against Bermuda. He was chosen to play for Trinidad and Tobago in the 2006 World Cup in Germany. He played in a match against England on 15 June 2006. In 2007, Kenwyne was named the Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation's Player of the Year. He became the captain of the Soca Warriors (the national team's nickname) in August 2011.

Managerial Career

In October 2021, Kenwyne Jones was appointed as the temporary coach for the Trinidad and Tobago women's national team. The next month, he became their full-time coach. He held this position until 2023.

Personal Life and Achievements

As a member of the team that played in the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany, Kenwyne Jones received the Chaconia Medal (Gold Class). This is the second highest award given by the country of Trinidad and Tobago.

In February 2017, he received his U.S. green card. This allowed him to be considered a domestic player for MLS teams.