Jonathan Bland
Welsh footballer
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jonathan Patrick Richard Bland (born 24 October 2005)[4] is a professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for EFL League One club Barnsley.[5] He is a Wales Under-21 international.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Jonathan Patrick Richard Bland[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 24 October 2005 | ||
| Place of birth | Shrewsbury, England[2] | ||
| Height | 1.81 m (5 ft 11 in) | ||
| Position | Midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Barnsley | ||
| Number | 30[3] | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2012–2022 | West Bromwich Albion[2] | ||
| 2022–2024 | Barnsley | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2024– | Barnsley | 57 | (0) |
| 2024–2025 | → Peterborough Sports (loan) | 22 | (0) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2019 | Wales U15 | 5 | (0) |
| 2021 | Wales U16 | 2 | (0) |
| 2023 | Wales U19 | 2 | (0) |
| 2025– | Wales U21 | 6 | (0) |
|
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 23:22, 2 September 2026 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals as of 17:19, 31 March 2026 (UTC) | |||
Early life
Born in Shrewsbury, Shropshire Jonathan Bland qualifies for Wales through his paternal grandparents [6] who hail from Pembrokeshire.
He was educated at Belvidere School, Shrewsbury,[2] and as well as football he played for Shrewsbury Cricket Club[2] and represented Shropshire at cricket up to U14.
Career
After spending nearly 10 years at West Bromwich Albion,[2] Bland joined Barnsley's academy in January 2022.[7]
In his first full season at the club he was named Academy Player of the Season,[7] captained the U18s to their first ever Professional Development League title[8] and made his international debut for Wales U19s against Sweden.[9]
He made his senior debut in the EFL Trophy against Manchester City EDS at Oakwell on 26 September 2023, coming on as a 68th-minute substitute.[10] He made his first senior start in the same competition the following season, against Manchester United U21s at Oakwell on 20 August 2024.[11]
Bland signed a Professional contract with Barnsley in January 2024.[12]
In November 2024, he signed a short term loan deal with National League North side Peterborough Sports until 1 January 2025, which was subsequently extended until the end of the 2024–25 season.[13]
In February 2025, Bland was recalled from loan returning to Barnsley [5] making his EFL League One debut in the 1–1 home draw with Cambridge United on 22 March, coming on as a 19th minute substitute. [14] The following week he made his first league start in another 1–1 draw, away at Wigan Athletic. [15]
At the end of the 2024–25 season he was named Barnsley's Young Player of the Year along with fellow Academy Graduates Kieren Flavell & Fabio Jalo.[16]
International career
Career statistics
- As of match played 2 September 2026
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Barnsley | 2023–24[21] | EFL League One | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1[a] | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2024–25[22] | EFL League One | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3[a] | 0 | 12 | 0 | |
| 2025–26[23] | EFL League One | 45 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 53 | 0 | |
| 2026–27[24] | EFL League One | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | |
| Total | 57 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 70 | 0 | ||
| Peterborough Sports (loan) | 2024–25[25] | National League North | 22 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 2[b] | 0 | 24 | 0 | |
| Career total | 79 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 94 | 0 | ||
- Appearance(s) in EFL Trophy