Jordan Jones departs Wigan Athletic 🗞️

For the second time in less than two months, Jordan Jones has departed Wigan Athletic due to an expiry of his contract.

Aug 22, 2024

There can’t be many stories in football where a player’s contract with the same club expires twice within a couple of months. However, Jordan Jones’ first contract with Wigan Athletic expired on June 30th 2024, and he departed again today.

Part One: The Summer Signing

Part Two: The Fallout?

Part Three: The Return

Part Four: The Contract Situation

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The Summer Signing ✍🏼

On August 4th 2021, it was announced that Jordan Jones had signed for Wigan Athletic from Scottish Premiership side, Rangers.

The then 26-year-old signed a three-year deal and joined Leam Richardson’s squad alongside Ben Amos, Jordan Cousins, Gwion Edwards, Tom Naylor, Max Power, Jack Whatmough, Charlie Wyke, Stephen Humphrys, James McClean, Joe Bennett, and Jason Kerr, in a major summer rebuild following our administration and relegation from the Championship.

Before putting on a Latics shirt, the Northern Ireland international had picked up 20 goals and 35 assists in 231 games, across his time at various levels and competitions for Middlesbrough, Cambridge United, Hartlepool, Kilmarnock, Rangers, and Sunderland.

Jones made his Wigan Athletic debut on August 7th 2021, just three days after signing, as a 67th-minute substitute against his former club, Sunderland, in the League One 2021/22 season opener.

A Carabao Cup penalty shootout victory over Hull City days later saw Jones complete his first 90 minutes in blue and white.

The Fallout? 🤔

From the start of the 2021/22 season until New Year’s Day, Jordan Jones featured in just 15 games and completed just three 90 minutes. Two of those completions were in the Carabao Cup First and Third Round, and the remaining in an EFL Trophy Second Round tie away at Accrington Stanley. The winger averaged 30 minutes of action across his nine League One appearances and provided two assists in all competitions.

It was clear that Leam Richardson was unable to put his faith in Jones, and on January 31st 2022, Wigan Athletic announced that Jones had joined Scottish Premiership side, St Mirren, on loan for the remainder of the campaign.

“I’m at a stage of my career where I feel like it’s vital for me to play and start doing well again.”

Jordan Jones on joining St Mirren.

Throughout Jones’ time north of the border, he made 13 appearances for St Mirren, completed six 90 minutes, contributed to 4 wins and 2 draws, scored 1 and assisted 1. Both goal contributions came in the same game against Kelty Hearts in a Scottish FA Cup Round of 16 win.

After returning to Wigan Athletic following the loan expiry, Jones was not selected by Richardson to travel with the squad to a preseason warm-weather training camp in Spain. After the Gaffer was questioned as to why the winger was excluded, he stated: “There’s nothing hidden. He’s in training every day. He’s a senior player and gets treated with that respect. For the good of his career, he needs to kick on and find a home.” (Source: Wigan Today)

On July 19th 2022, Wigan Athletic announced that Jones had returned north of the border to join his former club, Kilmarnock, on loan for the full season.

“I’ve had a difficult twelve months but I am desperate to get back to my best and what better place for me to do that than Kilmarnock, which feels like my home”

Jordan Jones on joining Kilmarnock.

Jones made his second debut for the Killies in a Viaplay Cup Group B encounter with Stenhousemuir on July 23rd. After an hour, Jones was subbed and was not included in another matchday squad until their Scottish Premiership fixture against Livingston FC on September 17th, due to injury.

It was a tough start to life back in Scotland, and the season for Kilmarnock got even tougher. Over the season, the Killies recorded 8 wins, 7 draws, and 18 losses in the first phase, scoring just 29 goals (second lowest in the division) and conceding 58 (joint-most in the division). During the relegation round games, Jones made 3 appearances over the 5 fixtures, totalling just 34 minutes.

In all competitions throughout the 2022/23 season, Jones contributed to 3 goals, scoring 1 and assisting 2.

During his second stint in Scotland on loan from Wigan Athletic, Leam Richardson had been sacked in November, and this opened up a possibility for Jones to kick on under a new manager back in blue and white. There has been speculation that the two didn’t see eye to eye, and reading between the lines of the quotes, it wouldn’t surprise me if that was the truth.

The Return 🫡

When Jordan Jones returned to Christopher Park, a new Gaffer welcomed him back to training - Shaun Maloney. On May 23rd 2023, Latics confirmed their retained list for the 2023/24 campaign, which included Jordan Jones, and on August 3rd it was confirmed that the winger would wear the number 14 for the season.

An injury kept Jones out for the opening three games of our League One season, but he replaced Sean Clare in the 63rd minute of our August encounter with Barnsley. To build back up to full fitness, Jones played 165 minutes of football over our opening EFL Trophy fixtures against Leicester City U21s and Fleetwood, picking up an assist in each.

The winger returned to League One action on October 21st, picking up another assist despite being a late substitute against Exeter City. This game secured Shaun Maloney’s trust in him, and he became a regular starter across 25 of the next 28 league games, our three FA Cup fixtures, and made appearances in the Second Round and Round of 16 of our EFL Trophy run.

In November, Jones was nominated for the Sky Bet League One Player of the Month award, following his three assists and a brilliant goal against Fleetwood Town 🏆

Jones finished the 2023/24 season with 47 key passes (most in the side by 13), 9 assists (most in the side by 4), and attempted 215 crosses (most in the side by 61). He became a massive part of the way Latics attacked last season, as he was a handful for many defenders to contain, and he even helped out defensively by occasionally playing in a wing-back role.

Throughout the 2023/24 season, we saw the real Jordan Jones that we all hoped for when we signed him back in August 2021. For whatever reason, it just wasn’t working out for him under Leam Richardson’s management, but Shaun Maloney unlocked the best out of him and he was exciting to watch.

The Contract Situation 📝

June 30th 2024 was the expiry date marked on Jones’ contract that he originally signed, and despite extension talks with the winger and his agent, Shaun Maloney admitted that it looked “almost impossible”.

On June 18th 2024, Jones and the club released statements outlining that an agreement could not be met to extend the winger’s contract. Reading between the lines, wages seemed to be the major, if not the only, stumbling block.

“Contract discussions have finished and as disappointed as I am to be leaving I respect the situation the club is in and wish the club success moving forward.”

Extract from Jordan Jones’ parting statement.

Over the summer, Jones spent time training in Dubai, with regular sessions alongside former Latics legend, Max Power, in order to keep his fitness up while waiting for the right offer to come in for the 2024/25 season and beyond.

On the eve of the new season, Wigan Athletic, who had suffered injuries to several forward players over the preseason, announced that Jones had returned to the club on a short-term contract. The terms of the deal were set to expire before the summer transfer window shut, allowing Jones to become a free agent and sign for a new club.

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