James Shea
{{Short description|English footballer (born 1991)}}
{{For-multi|the American politician|H. James Shea Jr.|the president of the University of Mary|James Patrick Shea}}
{{Use British English|date=February 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2021}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = James Shea
| image = James Shea.jpg
| upright = 0.7
| caption = Shea with Arsenal in 2012
| full_name = James William Shea{{cite web |url=https://www.efl.com/siteassets/efl-documents/202021/efl-squad-numbering-11.09.2020.pdf |title=Notification of shirt numbers: Luton Town |publisher=English Football League |page=39 |access-date=22 September 2020}}
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1991|6|16|df=y}}{{Hugman|25283|access-date=29 May 2018}}
| birth_place = Islington, England
| height = {{convert|1.85|m|order=flip}}{{cite web |url=https://www.premierleague.com/players/3795/James-Shea/overview |title=James Shea: Overview |publisher=Premier League |access-date=7 January 2024}}
| position = Goalkeeper
| currentclub = Luton Town
| clubnumber = 1
| youthyears1 = 2007–2010 | youthclubs1 = Arsenal
| years1 = 2010–2013 | clubs1 = Arsenal | caps1 = 0 | goals1 = 0
| years2 = 2011 | clubs2 = → Southampton (loan) | caps2 = 0 | goals2 = 0
| years3 = 2011 | clubs3 = → Dagenham & Redbridge (loan) | caps3 = 1 | goals3 = 0
| years4 = 2013 | clubs4 = Needham Market | caps4 = 1 | goals4 = 0
| years5 = 2013–2014 | clubs5 = Harrow Borough | caps5 = 32 | goals5 = 0
| years6 = 2014–2017 | clubs6 = AFC Wimbledon | caps6 = 95 | goals6 = 0
| years7 = 2017– | clubs7 = Luton Town | caps7 = 91 | goals7 = 0
| club-update = 20:51, 20 August 2024 (UTC)
}}
James William Shea (born 16 June 1991) is an English professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for {{English football updater|LutonTow}} club Luton Town.
Career
=Arsenal=
Born in Islington, Greater London, Shea joined Arsenal's youth team in August 2007. In 2009, he won both the Premier Academy League and FA Youth Cup.{{cite web |url=http://www.arsenal.com/reserves-youth/players/james-shea |title=James Shea |publisher=Arsenal F.C. |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110110082807/http://www.arsenal.com/reserves-youth/players/james-shea |archive-date=10 January 2011}}{{cite web |url=http://www.thefa.com/Competitions/FACompetitions/TheFAYouthCup/newsandfeatures/2009/liverpool_arsenal_final2_280509.aspx |title=Young Gunners lift Youth Cup |first=Krystyna |last=Rudzki |publisher=The Football Association |date=26 May 2009 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120524225638/http://www.thefa.com/Competitions/FACompetitions/TheFAYouthCup/newsandfeatures/2009/liverpool_arsenal_final2_280509.aspx |archive-date=24 May 2012}}
Shea joined League One club Southampton on a month-long loan in February 2011 to act as cover for the injured Bartosz Białkowski. However, he was recalled after eight days by Arsenal without making an appearance.{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/s/southampton/9402141.stm |title=Southampton sign Arsenal goalkeeper James Shea on loan |website=BBC Sport |date=18 February 2011 |access-date=6 August 2011}}
Shea was sent out on loan to League Two club Dagenham & Redbridge for the 2011–12 season.{{cite news |url=https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11670/7063229/daggers-land-shea |title=Daggers land Shea |website=Sky Sports |date=26 July 2011 |access-date=28 December 2018}} He made his debut as a substitute for Chris Lewington in the match against Macclesfield Town at Moss Rose.{{cite news |url=https://www.barkinganddagenhampost.co.uk/sport/football/dagenham-and-redbridge/elito-strike-hands-10-man-daggers-victory-over-macclesfield-1-986685 |title=Elito strike hands 10-man Daggers victory over Macclesfield |first=Joshua |last=Richards |newspaper=Barking & Dagenham Post |location=Ilford |date=7 August 2011 |access-date=28 December 2018 |archive-date=10 April 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190410214612/https://www.barkinganddagenhampost.co.uk/sport/football/dagenham-and-redbridge/elito-strike-hands-10-man-daggers-victory-over-macclesfield-1-986685 |url-status=dead }} Despite getting a yellow card for wasting time, he helped his team to win their first league match of the season by scoreline of 1–0.{{cite news |url=https://www.skysports.com/football/maccfield-vs-dag-red/237130 |title=Debutant Elito downs Macc |website=Sky Sports |date=7 August 2011 |access-date=28 December 2018}}
He was recalled from his loan by Arsenal on 5 December 2011.{{cite news |url=https://www.barkinganddagenhampost.co.uk/sport/football/dagenham-and-redbridge/shea-returns-to-arsenal-1-1145856 |title=Shea returns to Arsenal |first=Joshua |last=Richards |newspaper=Barking & Dagenham Post |location=Ilford |date=5 December 2011 |access-date=28 December 2018 |archive-date=10 April 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190410205205/https://www.barkinganddagenhampost.co.uk/sport/football/dagenham-and-redbridge/shea-returns-to-arsenal-1-1145856 |url-status=dead }} On 18 September 2012, he was on the bench because of injuries to Wojciech Szczęsny and Łukasz Fabiański for a UEFA Champions League match against Montpellier HSC.{{cite news |url=https://www.skysports.com/football/montpellier-vs-arsenal/274101 |title=Podolski keeps firing for Gunners |website=Sky Sports |date=19 September 2012 |access-date=28 December 2018}} On 30 June 2013, he was released along with nine other young players at Arsenal.{{cite web |url=https://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/arsenal-release-10-young-players |title=Arsenal release 10 young players |publisher=Arsenal F.C. |date=30 May 2013 |access-date=28 December 2018}}
=Non-League=
After a short spell with Needham Market of Division One North,{{cite news |url=https://www.thenonleaguefootballpaper.com/latest-news/8580/needham-market-star-signs-for-harrow-borough/ |title=Needham Market star signs for Harrow Borough |first=Steven |last=Coney |newspaper=The Non-League Paper |location=London |date=29 October 2013 |access-date=28 December 2018}} in October 2013 Shea signed for Isthmian League Premier Division club Harrow Borough, where he played 36 matches, with 32 of these in the league.
=AFC Wimbledon=
Shea joined League Two club AFC Wimbledon on a free transfer on 4 July 2014.{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/28161512 |title=James Shea: AFC Wimbledon sign former Arsenal goalkeeper |website=BBC Sport |date=4 July 2014 |access-date=28 December 2018}}
Shea was Wimbledon's regular goalkeeper during the 2014–15 season and at the start of the 2015–16 season, but was replaced by loan signings when he was injured, and was not able to regain his place. He was on the substitutes' bench for all of the matches of the League Two play-offs of 2016 where Wimbledon reached the final and eventually won 2–0 against Plymouth Argyle at Wembley Stadium thus securing the club's promotion to League One.{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/36355814 |title=AFC Wimbledon 2–0 Plymouth Argyle |first=Brent |last=Pilnick |website=BBC Sport |date=30 May 2016 |access-date=28 December 2018}}
=Luton Town=
On 3 July 2017, Shea joined Luton Town on a one-year contract.{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/40485921 |title=James Shea: Luton Town sign former AFC Wimbledon goalkeeper |website=BBC Sport |date=3 July 2017 |access-date=3 July 2017}} He played for the club throughout their journey up the leagues, culminating with a Premier League debut on 19 May 2024. On 24 May 2024, the club said it had exercised an option to extend his contract.{{Cite web |title=Luton Town Retained and Released list 2024 |url=https://www.lutontown.co.uk/news/2024/may/retained-released-2024/ |access-date=2024-05-24 |website=www.lutontown.co.uk |language=en-gb}}
International experience
In August 2010, Shea trained with the England squad at Arsenal's London Colney training ground because of an injury to David Stockdale.{{cite web |url=http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/james-shea-trains-with-the-england-squad |title=James Shea trains with the England squad |publisher=Arsenal F.C. |date=31 August 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121014202733/http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/james-shea-trains-with-the-england-squad |archive-date=14 October 2012}}
Career statistics
{{updated|match played 19 May 2023}}
{{notelist}}
Honours
Arsenal
AFC Wimbledon
Luton Town
- EFL Championship play-offs: 2023{{Cite news |title=Luton win shootout to reach Premier League |language=en-GB |work=BBC Sport |url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/65654937 |access-date=2023-05-27}}
- EFL League One: 2018–19{{cite web |url=https://www.soccerbase.com/tournaments/tournament.sd?tourn_id=1645 |title=League One: 2018/19: Current table |website=Soccerbase |publisher=Centurycomm |access-date=5 May 2019}}
{{cite web |url=https://www.soccerbase.com/teams/team.sd?team_id=1628&teamTabs=stats&season_id=151 |title=Luton: Squad details: 2018/19 |website=Soccerbase |publisher=Centurycomm |access-date=5 May 2019}} - EFL League Two runner-up: 2017–18{{cite book |editor-first=John |editor-last=Anderson |title=Football Yearbook 2018–2019 |year=2018 |publisher=Headline Publishing Group |location=London |isbn=978-1-4722-6106-9 |pages=214–215}}
{{cite web |url=https://www.lutontown.co.uk/ifollow/video-archive/?video=promotion-presentation-and-lap-of-honour |title=Promotion presentation and lap of honour |publisher=Luton Town F.C. |access-date=5 May 2019}}
Individual
- Harrow Borough Player of the Year: 2013–14
- EFL League One Golden Glove: 2018–19{{cite web |url=https://www.lutontown.co.uk/news/2019/may/james-shea-james-collins-golden-glove-golden-boot-boot/ |title=James Shea and James Collins win Golden Glove and Golden Boot Awards! |publisher=Luton Town F.C. |date=7 May 2019 |access-date=9 July 2020}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://www.lutontown.co.uk/teams/first-team/goalkeeper/james-shea/ Profile] at the Luton Town F.C. website
{{Luton Town F.C. squad}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Shea, James}}
Category:Footballers from the London Borough of Islington
Category:People from Islington (district)
Category:English men's footballers
Category:Men's association football goalkeepers
Category:Southampton F.C. players
Category:Dagenham & Redbridge F.C. players
Category:Needham Market F.C. players
Category:Harrow Borough F.C. players
Category:AFC Wimbledon players
Category:Luton Town F.C. players
Category:English Football League players
Category:Isthmian League players
Category:Premier League players