Jordan Willis (footballer)

{{short description|English footballer}}

{{Use British English|date=July 2019}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2023}}

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Jordan Willis

| image =

| image_size =

| caption =

| fullname = Jordan Kenneth Willis{{cite web |url=https://www.efl.com/news/2016/june/efl-club-retained-and-released-lists-published/ |title=EFL: Club retained and released lists published |publisher=English Football League |date=23 June 2016 |access-date=10 January 2018}}

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1994|8|24|df=y}}{{Hugman|25766|access-date=12 January 2016}}

| birth_place = Coventry, England

| height = {{convert|1.80|m|order=flip}}{{cite web |url=https://www.ccfc.co.uk/teams/first-team/defender/jordan-willis/ |title=Jordan Willis |publisher=Coventry City F.C. |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181205103343/https://www.ccfc.co.uk/teams/first-team/defender/jordan-willis/ |archive-date=5 December 2018}}

| position = Centre back{{cite news |url=https://www.sunderlandecho.com/sport/football/sunderland-afc/sunderland-receive-response-dubious-goals-committee-after-controversial-jordan-willis-header-oxford-united-1887717 |title=Sunderland receive response from dubious goals committee after controversial Jordan Willis header at Oxford United |first=Mark |last=Donnelly |newspaper=Sunderland Echo |date=22 February 2020 |access-date=9 April 2020}}

| currentclub = Northampton Town

| clubnumber = 15

| youthyears1 = {{0|0000}}–2011

| youthclubs1 = Coventry City

| years1 = 2011–2019

| clubs1 = Coventry City

| caps1 = 179

| goals1 = 4

| years2 = 2019–2022

| clubs2 = Sunderland

| caps2 = 50

| goals2 = 2

| years3 = 2023

| clubs3 = Wycombe Wanderers

| caps3 = 9

| goals3 = 0

| years4 = 2023–

| clubs4 = Northampton Town

| caps4 = 41

| goals4 = 0

| nationalyears1 = 2012

| nationalteam1 = England U18

| nationalcaps1 = 1

| nationalgoals1 = 0

| nationalyears2 = 2013

| nationalteam2 = England U19

| nationalcaps2 = 1

| nationalgoals2 = 0

| club-update = 22.27, 25 February 2025 (UTC)

| nationalteam-update =

}}

Jordan Kenneth Willis (born 24 August 1994) is an English professional footballer who plays as a centre back for {{English football updater|NorthamT}} side Northampton Town. Previously, he spent 8 years in the English Football League with Coventry City and has also played for Sunderland and Wycombe Wanderers.

Club career

=Coventry City=

Willis was born in Coventry, West Midlands.{{cite web |url=https://www.11v11.com/players/jordan-willis-238663/ |title=Jordan Willis |website=11v11.com |publisher=AFS Enterprises |access-date=10 January 2018}} He made his first-team debut for Coventry City as a substitute on 5 November 2011 in a 4–2 Championship loss to Southampton, coming on to replace James McPake after 64 minutes.{{cite web |url=http://www.ccfc.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10269~2506942,00.html |title=Coventry City 2–4 Southampton |publisher=Coventry City F.C. |date=5 November 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111106212857/http://www.ccfc.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0%2C%2C10269~2506942%2C00.html |archive-date=6 November 2011 |url-status=dead}} At the age of 17 years and 72 days he became the tenth youngest Coventry City player of all-time.{{citation needed|date=June 2016}} He made his first start of the following season on 28 August 2012, in a 3–2 win against Birmingham City in the League Cup.[https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/19340446 "Coventry 3–2 Birmingham"]. BBC Sport. 28 August 2012. Retrieved 6 May 2016.

He established himself in the first-team towards the end of the 2013–14 season in the right-back position.{{citation needed|date=June 2016}} A change in formation to a three-man defence saw Willis become a first-choice player for Coventry City at the start of the following season.{{citation needed|date=June 2016}} On 11 October, Jordan Willis captained the Sky Blues for the first time in their game against Crewe Alexandra.{{citation needed|date=June 2016}}

He scored his first goal for Coventry in an EFL Trophy tie against West Ham Under-23s on 30 August 2016.{{cite news |url=http://www.ccfc.co.uk/news/article/2016-17/report-coventry-city-west-ham-united-turnbull-efl-trophy-3281767.aspx |title=REPORT: Coventry City 4–2 West Ham United PL2 – Turnbull at the double as City maintain unbeaten home record |publisher=Coventry City F.C. |date=30 August 2016 |access-date=31 August 2016}} He then scored his first league goal for the club in a 2–0 win against Chesterfield on 1 November 2016.{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/37526704 |title=Coventry City 2–0 Chesterfield |website=BBC Sport |date=1 November 2016 |access-date=5 November 2016}}

Willis left Coventry at the end of 2018–19 season after rejecting the offer of a new contract.{{cite news |url=https://www.coventrytelegraph.net/sport/football/transfer-news/jordan-willis-coventry-city-16518059 |title=Coventry City star's departure confirmed as dressing room dynamic changes |website=CoventryLive |publisher=Reach |date=2 July 2019 |access-date=2 July 2019}}

=Sunderland=

Willis signed for League One club Sunderland on 13 July 2019 on a two-year contract.{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/48975153 |title=Jordan Willis: Sunderland sign defender after Coventry City exit |website=BBC Sport |date=13 July 2019 |access-date=13 July 2019}} Willis scored his first goal for Sunderland on 17 August 2019, a header from a Grant Leadbitter corner, in a 2–1 home victory against Portsmouth.{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/49302414|title=Sunderland 2-1 Portsmouth|date=17 August 2019|access-date=18 August 2019|language=en-GB}} Sunderland announced on 25 May 2022, that he will be released when his contract runs out on 30 June 2022.{{Cite web |date=25 May 2022 |title=Retained list confirmed |url=https://www.safc.com:443/news/team-news/2022/may/retained-and-released-list-202223 |access-date=3 June 2022 |website=Sunderland Association Football Club |language=en}}

=Wycombe Wanderers=

Willis signed for Wycombe on 11 February 2023, until the end of the season.{{Cite web |date=11 February 2023 |title=Wycombe Wanderers sign former Sunderland defender Jordan Willis |url=https://www.bucksfreepress.co.uk/highwycombe/23315137.wycombe-wanderers-sign-former-sunderland-defender-jordan-willis/ |access-date=11 February 2023 |website=Bucks Free Press Newspaper |language=en}}

=Northampton Town=

After over five months without a club,{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/68424799|title='It plays with your head' - life as an out-of-work footballer|via=www.bbc.co.uk}} on 7 October 2023 Willis signed for Northampton Town on a short-term contract lasting initially until January 2024.https://www.ntfc.co.uk/news/2023/october/jordan_willis/, JORDAN WILLIS SIGNS FOR NORTHAMPTON TOWN, Northampton Town FC, 7 October 2023 In December he agreed a contract extension with Northampton Town until the end of the season.{{cite news |title=Jordan Willis: Northampton Town defender signs new deal until end of season |url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/67833515 |access-date=1 March 2024 |work=BBC Sport |date=28 December 2023}}

International career

In February 2012 he was called up to the England under-18 team by manager Noel Blake.[http://www.thefa.com/England/All-Teams/Players/W/jordan-willis "Jordan Willis"]. The Football Association. Retrieved 28 April 2012. He made his debut on 7 March 2012 in a 3–0 win against Poland in Crewe.[http://www.thefa.com/England/mens-u18s/News/match-centre/2012/EnglandvPoland "England 3–0 Poland"]. The Football Association. 7 March 2012. Retrieved 28 April 2012. He made his England under-19 debut on 5 February 2013, in a 3–1 win against Denmark.[http://www.thefa.com/England/mens-u19s/News/Match%20Centre/2013/england-v-denmark "England 3–1 Denmark"]. The Football Association. 5 February 2013. Retrieved 15 February 2013.

Career statistics

{{updated|match played 25 February 2025}}

class=wikitable style=text-align:center

|+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition

rowspan=2|Club

!rowspan=2|Season

!colspan=3|League

!colspan=2|FA Cup

!colspan=2|League Cup

!colspan=2|Other

!colspan=2|Total

DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
rowspan=9|Coventry City

|2011–12{{soccerbase season|62916|2011|access-date=12 January 2016}}

|Championship

300000colspan=2|—30
2012–13{{soccerbase season|62916|2012|access-date=12 January 2016}}

|League One

1010100030
2013–14{{soccerbase season|62916|2013|access-date=12 January 2016}}

|League One

28010101{{efn|name=FLT|Appearance(s) in Football League Trophy}}0310
2014–15{{soccerbase season|62916|2014|access-date=12 January 2016}}

|League One

34010104{{efn|name=FLT}}0400
2015–16{{soccerbase season|62916|2015|access-date=2 September 2016}}

|League One

4000000040
2016–17{{soccerbase season|62916|2016|access-date=2 May 2017}}

|League One

36330205{{efn|name=EFLT|Appearances in EFL Trophy}}2465
2017–18{{soccerbase season|62916|2017|access-date=20 August 2018}}

|League Two

35041003{{efn|One appearance in EFL Trophy, two appearances and one goal in League Two play-offs}}1422
2018–19{{soccerbase season|62916|2018|access-date=2 July 2019}}

|League One

381100000391
colspan=2|Total

!179||4||11||1||5||0||13||3||208||8

rowspan=4|Sunderland

|2019–20{{soccerbase season|62916|2019|access-date=21 March 2020}}

|League One

|35

210202{{efn|name=EFLT}}0402
2020–21{{soccerbase season|62916|2020|access-date=21 March 2021}}

|League One

|15

000104{{efn|name=EFLT}}0200
2021–22{{soccerbase season|62916|2021|access-date=21 March 2022}}

|League One

|0

000000000
colspan=2|Total

!50||2||1||0||3||0||6||0||60||2

Wycombe Wanderers

|2022–23{{soccerbase season|62916|2022|accessdate=11 February 2022}}

|League One

|9

000000090
rowspan=3|Northampton Town

|2023–24{{soccerbase season|62916|2023|accessdate=28 November 2023}}

|League One

|27

0100000280
2024–25{{soccerbase season|62916|2024|accessdate=18 August 2024}}

|League One

|14

000001{{efn|name=EFLT}}0150
colspan=2|Total

!41||0||1||0||0||0||1||0||43||0

colspan=3|Career total

!279||6||13||1||8||0||20||3||320||10

{{notelist}}

Honours

Coventry City

  • EFL Trophy: 2016–17{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/39404886 |title=Coventry City 2–1 Oxford United |first=Ged |last=Scott |website=BBC Sport |date=2 April 2017 |access-date=2 May 2017}}
  • EFL League Two play-offs: 2018{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/44192549 |title=Coventry City 3–1 Exeter City |first=James |last=Law |website=BBC Sport |date=28 May 2018 |access-date=28 May 2018}}

Sunderland AFC

References

{{reflist}}