Jamie Searle

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Jamie Searle

| fullname = Jamie Spencer Searle

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|2000|11|25|df=yes}}

| birth_place = Whakatāne, New Zealand

| height = 1.91 m{{cite web |title=Jamie Searle |url=https://www.barnsleyfc.co.uk/teams/first-team/goalkeeper/jamie-searle/ |publisher=Barnsley F.C. |access-date=6 October 2022}}

| position = Goalkeeper

| currentclub = Eastbourne Borough

| clubnumber =

| youthyears1 = 2008–2015

| youthclubs1 = Whakatāne Town

| youthyears2 = 2016

| youthclubs2 = Cambridge FC

| youthyears3 = 2017–2018

| youthclubs3 = Melville United

| years1 = 2018–2019

| clubs1 = Melville United

| caps1 = 3

| goals1 = 0

| years2 = 2019–2020

| clubs2 = Aston Villa

| caps2 = 0

| goals2 = 0

| years3 = 2020–2022

| clubs3 = Swansea City

| caps3 = 0

| goals3 = 0

| years4 = 2022–2023

| clubs4 = Barnsley

| caps4 = 1

| goals4 = 0

| years5 = 2023–2025

| clubs5 = Forest Green Rovers

| caps5 = 1

| goals5 = 0

| years6 = 2025–

| clubs6 = Eastbourne Borough

| caps6 = 0

| goals6 = 0

| nationalyears1 = 2021

| nationalteam1 = New Zealand U-23

| nationalcaps1 = 1

| nationalgoals1 = 0

| nationalyears2 = 2022–

| nationalteam2 = New Zealand

| nationalcaps2 = 1

| nationalgoals2 = 0

| club-update = 23:54, 16 February 2024 (UTC)

| nationalteam-update = 25 March 2022

}}

Jamie Searle (born 25 November 2000) is a New Zealand footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for {{English football updater|EastbouB}} club Eastbourne Borough. He was part of the New Zealand squad in the football competition at the 2020 Summer Olympics and made his senior debut in March 2022.{{cite web | url=https://int.soccerway.com/players/jamie-searle/625818/| title=Jamie Searle| publisher=Soccerway | accessdate=17 July 2021}}{{cite news | url= https://www.nbcolympics.com/news/tokyo-olympics-mens-soccer-preview-group-b-south-korea-honduras-new-zealand-romania | title=Tokyo Olympics Men's Soccer Preview – Group B (South Korea, Honduras, New Zealand, Romania) | work =NBC Olympics | date=7 July 2021 | accessdate=17 July 2021 | first =Eric | last =Goodman}}{{cite news | url= https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11095/12356355/football-at-olympics-tokyo-2020-which-premier-league-stars-are-heading-to-the-games | title=Football at Olympics Tokyo 2020: Which Premier League stars are heading to the Games? | work =SkySports | date=15 July 2021 | accessdate=17 July 2021 | first =Ben | last =Grounds}} Searle played senior football for his local side Melville United while still a teenager, earning an academy place at Aston Villa after a trial, before spells at Swansea City and Barnsley.

Early life

Searle was born in 2000 in Whakatāne, and played for Whakatāne Town, Tauranga City and Cambridge FC in his early years. He completed his secondary education at St Peter's School in Cambridge, south-east of Hamilton.{{cite news |last1=Nash |first1=Mathew |title=Whakatane goalkeeper's Olympic dream |url=https://www.sunlive.co.nz/news/272461-whakatane-goalkeepers-olympic-dream.html |access-date=17 July 2021 |work=SunLive |date=12 July 2021}}

Club career

=Melville United and Aston Villa=

Searle began to play for the first team of Melville United during his time at school, making three appearances over three years.

Searle's manager at Melville United, Sam Wilkinson, organised a month-long trial with Aston Villa, and after impressing in friendly matches he signed his first professional contract in August 2019.{{cite news |last1=Ireland |first1=Shane |title='Journey has just started' Aston Villa have made this signing |url=https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/aston-villa-transfer-news-searle-16730324 |access-date=17 July 2021 |work=Birmingham Mail |date=9 August 2019}} For the first half-year, either his father or his mother was living with him in Birmingham; during the COVID-19 pandemic he lived on his own.

=Swansea City=

After his time at Aston Villa, Searle trialled for Blackpool, Sunderland and Swansea City; in July 2020, he signed a one-year contract with Swansea.{{cite news |first=Katee | last= Shanks| url= https://www.nzherald.co.nz/rotorua-daily-post/news/whakatane-footballer-signs-with-english-club-aston-villa/IWKY6ZVMAVQWQKARR5WBFJUIMU/ | title=Whakatāne footballer signs with English club Aston Villa | work=Rotorua Daily Post | date=9 August 2019 | accessdate=18 July 2021}} On 15 June 2021, he signed a one-year extension, with a club option to extend for another season.{{Cite web|url=https://www.swanseacity.com/news/jamie-searle-signs-new-swansea-city-contract|title = Jamie Searle signs new Swansea City contract | Swansea}} He was released by Swansea City at the end of his contract on 30 June 2022.{{cite web |url=https://www.swanseacity.com/news/swansea-city-confirm-retained-list-0 |title=SWANSEA CITY CONFIRM RETAINED LIST |work=Swansea City F.C. |date=19 May 2022 |accessdate=9 June 2022 }}

=Barnsley=

On 16 June 2022, Searle agreed to join League One club Barnsley on a two-year deal upon the expiration of his Swansea City contract.{{cite web|url=https://www.barnsleyfc.co.uk/news/2022/june/jamies-searle-joins-the-reds/|title=JAMIE SEARLE JOINS THE REDS|website=www.barnsleyfc.co.uk|date=16 June 2022}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/61834032|title=Barnsley sign New Zealand goalkeeper Searle|via=www.bbc.co.uk}}

=Forest Green Rovers=

On 23 July 2023, Searle was announced at Forest Green Rovers.{{citeweb|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/66283410|title=Jamie Searle: Forest Green Rovers sign goalkeeper from Barnsley|website=www.bbc.co.uk}}

=Eastbourne Borough=

On 20 June 2025, Searle signed for Eastbourne Borough as their new number one.{{citeweb|url=https://ebfc.co.uk/2025/06/sports-sign-searle/|title=Sports Sign Searle|website=www.ebfc.co.uk}}

International career

Searle was a member of the New Zealand Olympic football team at the Tokyo 2020 games but did not play in their run to the quarter-finals.{{Cite web |date=2021-06-25 |title=Jamie Searle |url=https://olympic.org.nz/athletes/jamie-searle |access-date=2023-09-26 |website=New Zealand Olympic Team |language=en}} Searle made his debut for the senior New Zealand side in March 2022, playing the full 90 minutes in a World Cup qualifier against New Caledonia.{{Cite web |title=New Zealand 7-1 New Caledonia (Mar 24, 2022) Final Score |url=https://www.espn.com/soccer/match/_/gameId/625222 |access-date=2023-09-26 |website=ESPN |language=en}}