Jason Blunt

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Jason Blunt

| image =

| fullname = Jason John Blunt

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1977|8|16|df=y}}

| birth_place = Penzance, England

| death_date =

| height =

| position = Midfielder

| currentclub = Doncaster City (manager)

| youthyears1 = –1995

| youthclubs1 = Leeds United

| years1 = 1995–1998

| years2 = 1998

| years3 = 1998–1999

| years4 = 1999–2001

| years5 = 2001–2003

| years6 = 2003

| years7 = 2003

| years8 = 2003–2004

| years9 = 2004–2005

| years10 = 2005–2006

| years11 = 2007

| years12 = 2007–2009

| clubs1 = Leeds United

| clubs2 = → Raith Rovers (loan)

| clubs3 = Blackpool

| clubs5 = Scarborough

| clubs6 = → Yeovil Town (loan)

| clubs7 = Doncaster Rovers

| clubs8 = Tamworth

| clubs9 = Halifax Town

| clubs10 = → Scarborough (loan)

| clubs11 = Sutton Town

| clubs12 = Goole

| caps1 = 4

| caps2 = 1

| caps3 = 2

| caps4 = ?

| caps5 = 80

| caps6 = 1

| caps7 = 13

| caps8 = 50

| caps9 = 25

| caps10 = 5

| goals1 = 0

| goals2 = 0

| goals3 = 0

| goals4 = ?

| goals5 = 8

| goals6 = 0

| goals7 = 3

| goals8 = 1

| goals9 = 1

| goals10 = 0

| nationalyears1 =

| nationalteam1 = England U18

| nationalcaps1 = 2

| nationalgoals1 = 0

| manageryears1 = 2007

| managerclubs1 = Sutton Town

| manageryears2 = 2024–

| managerclubs2 = Doncaster City

| club-update = 00:46, 24 March 2018 (UTC)

}}

Jason John Blunt (born 16 August 1977) is an English football coach and former professional footballer who played in midfield. He is now manager of Doncaster City.

He was formerly the Leeds United academy under-23s manager in the summer of 2017, after a spell as development squad manager as well as under-18s manager.

Playing career

He began his playing career with Leeds United, making a handful of first-team appearances in the Premier League for the club, making his first team debut under Howard Wilkinson, however, Blunt found places hard to come by with likes of Lee Bowyer, Carlton Palmer, Alfie Haaland, Bruno Ribeiro, Matt Jones and Stephen McPhail all vying for places in Leeds' central midfield, before moving into the Football League and non-League football.{{cite web|url=http://www.leedsunited.com/about-the-academy|title= About The Academy |date=2013|publisher=Leeds United|accessdate=}}

Coaching career

Blunt, who managed Sutton Town for six months in 2007, now coaches sports and physical education at Wakefield Independent School while coaching at Leeds United Academy.{{cite web|url=http://www.leedsunited.com/about-the-academy|title= About The Academy |date=2013|publisher=Leeds United|accessdate=}}

After coaching Leeds' under-12 team, after Richard Naylor left the club in the summer of 2014, Blunt became the new coach of Leeds' under-18s and the development squad manager. For the final five games of the 2014/15 season, Blunt assisted the then Leeds head coach Neil Redfearn in the first team after the suspension of Redfearn's assistant Steve Thompson.

On 5 August 2015, Leeds United appointed Daral Pugh as the head of academy coaching, effectively replacing Redfearn and Blunt (who had previously been filling in for Redfearn during his spell as head coach of the first team), and John Anderson became under-18s manager. Blunt was named as a coach to work alongside Anderson.{{Cite news | title = Leeds United: We've no plans to scale back Thorp Arch academy – Pearson | url = http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/sport/leeds-united/latest-whites-news/leeds-united-we-ve-no-plans-to-scale-back-thorp-arch-academy-pearson-1-7394663 | publisher = Yorkshire Evening Post | date = 5 August 2015 | accessdate = 5 August 2015}}

On 24 June 2016, Blunt was promoted to under-23s/development squad manager.{{cite web | url=http://www.leedsunited.com/news/article/lec42uqb38lc1mj3xwc16s3fz/title/academy-201617-structure-confirmed | title=ACADEMY: 2016/17 STRUCTURE CONFIRMED| publisher=Leeds United Official Site | accessdate=24 June 2016| date=24 June 2016}}

On 7 June 2017, Blunt left his position at Leeds to join Mousehole AFC.{{cite web |

url=http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/sport/football/leeds-united/jason-blunt-quits-role-as-leeds-united-development-squad-coach-1-8582298 | title=Jason Blunt quits role as Leeds United development squad coach| publisher=Leeds United Official Site | accessdate=7 June 2017}}

In March 2018 Blunt left his role at Mousehole AFC to join I2I International Soccer Academy as Lead Coach.

On 1 October 2024, Blunt joined Doncaster City as manager.{{cite news|url=https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/sport/football/former-leeds-united-doncaster-rovers-and-blackpool-man-lands-non-league-managerial-role-4804629|title=Former Leeds United, Doncaster Rovers and Blackpool man lands non-league managerial role|last=Coates|first=Tom|date=1 October 2024|work=The Yorkshire Post|accessdate=25 October 2024}}

International career

During his playing career he represented England U18's in games again France and Scotland.{{cite web|url=http://www.halifaxafc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/FormerPlayerNewsDetail/0,,10437~1235280,00.html |title=Blunt´s New Role |date=2008-02-07 |publisher=Halifax Town AFC |accessdate=2008-09-16 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080413183518/http://www.halifaxafc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/FormerPlayerNewsDetail/0%2C%2C10437~1235280%2C00.html |archivedate=13 April 2008 }}

Personal life

His son, Connor Leak-Blunt, is also a footballer, and after progressing through the academies of Leeds United and Sheffield United, entered non-league football.{{cite news |title=ACADEMY: 2018 SCHOLARS SIGN UP |url=https://www.leedsunited.com/news/academy-news/23292/academy-2018-scholars-sign-up |website=Leeds United |date=26 June 2018 }}{{Cite web |title=Connor Leak-Blunt - Belper Town FC First Team |url=https://www.belpertownfc.co.uk/teams/15523/player/connor-leakblunt-2820558/77539 |access-date=22 May 2022 |website=Belper Town FC}}