Players - Brad Jones

Brad Jones
Birthdate: 19 March 1982
Birthplace: Armadale, Australia
Other clubs: Middlesbrough (1999-2010), Shelbourne (loan 2001), Stockport County (loan 2002-03), Rotherham United (loan 2003), Blackpool (loan 2003 + 2004-05), Sheffield Wednesday (loan 2006), Derby County (loan 2011), Bradford City (2015-16), NEC Nijmegen (2016), Feyenoord (2016-18), Al Nassr (2018-21), Perth Glory (2021-)
Signed from: Middlesbrough
Signed for LFC: £2.3m, 18.08.2010
International debut: 05.02.2007 vs. Denmark
International caps: 3/0 (1/0 at LFC) - 05.01.2011
Liverpool debut: 22.09.2010
Last appearance: 26.12.2014
Contract expiry: 01.07.2015
Win ratio: 55.56% W:15 D:5 L:7
Total games/goals opposite LFC: 2 / 0
League games / goals / assists: 11 / 0 / 0
Total games / goals / assists: 27 / 0 / 0
League clean sheets: 3
Total clean sheets: 8

Player Profile

With adequate if relatively inexperienced back-up to Pepe Reina in the form of Diego Cavalieri and Peter Gulacsi, it was perhaps something of a surprise when Liverpool made a move for Middlesbrough’s Brad Jones in the opening week of the 2010/11 Premier League season. Jones knew when he signed for Liverpool that only injury, suspension and the occasional cup match would see him being named in his new club’s first team from the start. Bradley Jones was born in Armadale, a city close to Perth in Western Australia but his mother was actually from Maghull on Merseyside so he had connections with Liverpool right from the start. As a teenager he played for a couple of years in Australia before joining Middlesbrough’s youth set-up and subsequently being offered a professional contract on his seventeenth birthday in March 1999. But it would be five long years before he made his senior debut in goal for the club from Teesside, although he did receive a winners’ medal as an unused substitute to compatriot Mark Schwarzer in the 2004 League Cup final when Boro defeated Bolton Wanderers 2-1.

Schwarzer’s reliability, fitness and consistency meant that Jones’ first-team opportunities were limited. This resulted in four loan spells with English Football League clubs, as well as one in the Republic of Ireland. But when Schwarzer joined Fulham at the end of the 2007/08 season, Jones found himself in the spotlight. He was though unable to prevent Middlesbrough’s relegation to the Championship in 2009, nor help them back into the top division a year later. At international level Jones was first called up by his country to replace Schwarzer in a friendly match in February 2007 with his first senior start coming against Uruguay in the middle of the same year. He was named as one of three goalkeepers in Australia’s 23-man squad for South Africa but withdrew as his young son had been diagnosed with cancer.

It was no surprise that Jones only played twice for Liverpool's first team during the whole of the 2010/11 season, against Northampton Town in the League Cup at Anfield in September and against Utrecht in December when the club had already qualified for the knock-out stage of the Europa League. On 24 March 2011 Jones moved to Derby County in an 'emergency loan' deal during which he featured seven times. But four of those seven matches were lost and Jones conceded sixteen goals. Jones passed his thirtieth birthday during the 2011/12 season but was still third-choice behind Pepe Reina, 29 as the season closed, and Alexander Doni, who was slightly his senior. Tragically, about halfway through the season, Jones lost his five-year-old son Luca to cancer. Jones was propelled unexpectedly into the spotlight at Ewood Park at Blackburn only a few days after his partner, Dani, had given birth to another son, Nico. Jones had to come on when Doni was sent off after conceding a penalty. Jones saved Yakubu's penalty and immediately thrust his arms skywards in a gesture that everyone watching understood completely. As Jones himself put it: "Luca is with me every day. His picture is in my wash-bag, his toys are in my travel-bag. I take him everywhere. In that sense, I’ve definitely got someone watching over me. It was nice to save the penalty as it has been a difficult time with losing my son. Maybe he gave me that good fortune." Jones kept goal splendidly as Liverpool beat Everton 2-1 in the FA Cup semi-final at Wembley. That was his last first-team appearance of the season. As a sign of his progress Jones signed a new long-term contract in December 2012. Brendan Rodgers was very pleased with the custodian: "Brad, who was a No 3 or No 4 keeper here, has really kicked on since the summer and in the games he has played since the summer, showed he is very loyal and supportive No 2."

Jones is a lifelong Liverpool supporter: "There were two things I said when I was eight years old; one was that I was going to play for Australia, which I have, and the other was playing for Liverpool." After making only four first-team appearances in the previous two seasons, Jones made fifteen starts in 2012/13 but never seriously threatened Pepe Reina as the club's first-choice goalkeeper. Jones was very much an understudy in 2013/14 as well, making just three first-team appearances in the FA Cup-ties against Oldham, Bournemouth and Arsenal.

Jones made five first-team appearances in 2014/15, three in the Premier League and two in the League Cup. He might have had a longer run in the team but was injured at Burnley on Boxing Day, replaced by Simon Mignolet and did not get back into the team again as Mignolet's form improved in the second half of the season. Jones passed his thirty-third birthday during the season which ended with him being released by the club with one year left on his contract. Jones joined League One club Bradford City on a one-year contract on 17 August 2015, but after three games for them it was terminated  by mutual consent two months later. He returned to Australia and trained with Perth Glory then in January 2016 he signed a short term deal for Dutch Eredivisie side NEC Nijmegen making 17 appearances. He left the club in the summer and joined Feyenoord on 7 July as the Dutch side faced a goalkeeping injury crisis. He enjoyed a sensational season at the Rotterdam club, appearing in 32 of 34 league games as they won the Eredivisie for the first time since 1999. He remained for another season, appearing 31 times but with Kenneth Vermeer returning to full fitness he was allowed to leave in the summer of 2018, joining Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia. He agreed a two year deal and was a title winner in his first season. In his second Al Nassr had to settle for being runners up but Jones was the best keeper in the league, with twelve clean sheets and his contract was extended for another year. On its expiry he returned to Australia in 2021, agreeing a two year deal with his hometown club Perth Glory.
Appearances per season
Season League FA LC Europe Other Total
Totals 11 6 5 5 0 27
2010-2011 0 0 1 1 0 2
2011-2012 1 1 0 0 0 2
2012-2013 7 2 2 4 0 15
2013-2014 0 3 0 0 0 3
2014-2015 3 0 2 0 0 5
A more detailed look at the player's appearances
Apps Minutes Opponent
2 180 Swansea City
2 180 Oldham Athletic
2 180 Everton
2 180 Bournemouth
2 180 Arsenal
2 180 Anzhi Makhachkala
1 120 Northampton Town
1 90 Tottenham
1 90 Mansfield Town
1 90 Utrecht
1 90 Young Boys
1 90 Reading
1 90 Gomel
1 90 WBA
1 90 Manchester United
1 90 Southampton
1 90 Norwich City
1 90 Newcastle United
1 90 Chelsea
1 64 Blackburn Rovers
1 16 Burnley
Total Started/substitutions
26 Started
125 On the bench
1 Substitute
1 Substituted
Total Venue
15 Away
11 Home
1 Neutral
Total Competition
11 Premier League
6 FA Cup
5 League Cup
5 Europa League
Total W D L Win % Manager
23 13 4 6 56.5% Brendan Rodgers
2 2 0 0 100% Kenny Dalglish
2 0 1 1 0% Roy Hodgson
Clean sheets per season
Season League FA LC Europe Other Total
Totals 3 2 0 3 0 8
2010-2011 0 0 0 1 0 1
2011-2012 0 0 0 0 0 0
2012-2013 2 0 0 2 0 4
2013-2014 0 2 0 0 0 2
2014-2015 1 0 0 0 0 1
Milestone Appearances
# Date Against Stadium Competition
1 22.09.2010 Northampton Town Anfield League Cup
Related Articles
Liverpool FC’s Brad Jones’ journey from ‘skinny’ kid to main man at Wembley

On 12 April 2012 by Philip Kirkbride at the Liverpool Echo.

How Brad Jones has gone from loan ranger to Liverpool's man with the gloves at Wembley

From the Daily Mail on 11 April 2012. By DAN RIPLEY.

Jones reveals Kop memories

Published on liverpoolfc.tv on 17 August 2010.

Other Clubs
Club Season Club rank League apps League goals Total apps Total goals
Shelbourne 2000-2001 League of Ireland 2 0 2 0
Stockport County 2002-2003 England Second Division 1 0 1 0
Middlesbrough 2003-2004 England Premier League 1 0 2 0
Rotherham United 2003-2004 England Second Division 0 0 0 0
Blackpool 2003-2004 England Second Division 5 0 7 0
Middlesbrough 2004-2005 England Premier League 5 0 5 0
Blackpool 2004-2005 England League Division 1 12 0 12 0
Middlesbrough 2005-2006 England Premier League 9 0 16 0
Middlesbrough 2006-2007 England Premier League 2 0 4 0
Sheffield Wednesday 2006-2007 England Championship 15 0 15 0
Middlesbrough 2007-2008 England Premier League 1 0 3 0
Middlesbrough 2008-2009 England Premier League 16 0 22 0
Middlesbrough 2009-2010 England Championship 23 0 23 0
Derby 2010-2011 England Championship 7 0 7 0
Bradford City 2015-2016 England League One 3 0 3 0
NEC Nijmegen 2015-2016 Netherlands 1 17 0 17 0
Feyenoord 2016-2017 Netherlands 1 32 0 42 0
Feyenoord 2017-2018 Netherlands 1 31 0 42 0
Al Nasr 2018-2019 Saudi Arabia 1 25 0 32 0
Al Nassr 2019-2020 Saudi Arabia 1 29 0 41 0
Al Nassr 2020-2021 Saudi Arabia 1 24 0 30 0
Perth Glory 2021-2022 Australia 1 5 0 5 0
Total 265 0 331 0