Owen Bailey
English footballer (born 1999)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Owen John Edward Bailey (born 22 January 1999) is an English professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for EFL League One club Doncaster Rovers.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Owen John Edward Bailey[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 22 January 1999 | ||
| Place of birth | Newcastle upon Tyne, England | ||
| Height | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)[1] | ||
| Position | Midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Doncaster Rovers | ||
| Number | 4 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| –2021 | Newcastle United | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2021–2023 | Gateshead | 74 | (9) |
| 2023– | Doncaster Rovers | 133 | (19) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 16:13, 6 April 2026 (UTC) | |||
Career
Born in Newcastle upon Tyne,[1] Bailey began his career at Newcastle United, captaining the under-23 team.[2] Bailey suffered from injuries which saw him out-of-action for 538 days.[2][3] After being released by Newcastle, he played in non-league with Gateshead,[4] before signing for Doncaster Rovers in June 2023, having trialled with the club in 2021.[5][6][7]
On 13 May 2023, Bailey signed for Doncaster Rovers on a two-year contract.[8]
Bailey was a regular starter throughout the 2023–24 League Two season, making 59 first‑team appearances and featuring in all league matches as Doncaster finished 5th in the League Two table. [9]
Bailey scored his first English Football League goal for Doncaster in a 1–0 victory against Wrexham on 2 April 2024, heading home from a James Maxwell cross just before half-time.[10]
Ahead of the 2025–26 season, Bailey was named club captain having led the club through the majority of the title-winning 2024–25 season.[11]
On 9 August 2025, he scored both goals in a 2–1 away win against Mansfield Town, equalising in the 76th minute and then scoring the stoppage-time winner.[12]
Bailey was named the EFL League One Player of the Month for August 2025 following a series of strong performances at the start of the 2025–26 season. The Doncaster Rovers captain scored four goals during the month and played a key role as the club made a positive return to League One following promotion. He was selected ahead of fellow nominees Jamie Reid, Matty Stevens and Nathan Trott . Upon receiving the award, Bailey credited his teammates and coaching staff, stating that individual recognition was a reflection of the collective effort of the squad.[13]
Career statistics
- As of match played 6 April 2026[1]
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | EFL Cup | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Newcastle United U21 | 2017–18 | — | — | — | 1[a] | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||||
| 2018–19 | — | — | — | 5[a] | 0 | 5 | 0 | |||||
| 2019–20 | — | — | — | 1[a] | 0 | 1 | 0 | |||||
| Total | — | — | — | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0 | |||||
| Gateshead | 2021–22 | National League North | 42 | 4 | 5 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 47 | 4 | |
| 2022–23 | National League | 32 | 5 | 3 | 0 | — | 4[b] | 2 | 39 | 7 | ||
| Total | 74 | 9 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 86 | 11 | ||
| Doncaster Rovers | 2023–24[14] | League Two | 46 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 8[c] | 1 | 59 | 3 |
| 2024–25[15] | League Two | 46 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2[a] | 0 | 54 | 5 | |
| 2025–26[16] | League One | 41 | 12 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 3[a] | 0 | 50 | 15 | |
| Total | 133 | 19 | 10 | 2 | 7 | 1 | 13 | 1 | 163 | 23 | ||
| Career total | 207 | 28 | 18 | 2 | 7 | 1 | 24 | 3 | 255 | 34 | ||
- Appearance(s) in EFL Trophy
- Six appearances, one goal in EFL Trophy, Two appearances in English Football League play-offs