Ashley Hay (footballer)

Ashley Hay
Personal information
Full name Ashley Stephen Thomas Hay[1]
Date of birth (2003-07-10) 10 July 2003 (age 21)
Place of birth Stevenage, England
Height 1.81 m (5 ft 11 in)[2]
Position(s) Forward
Team information
Current team
 Cheltenham Town
(on loan from Brentford)
Number 11
Youth career
Luton Town
Hitchin Town
Letchworth Garden City Eagles
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2020–2022 Baldock Town 45 (24)
2022 Biggleswade Town 4 (1)
2022 Baldock Town 1 (0)
2022–2023 Hitchin Town 34 (8)
2023– Brentford 0 (0)
2025– → Cheltenham Town (loan) 1 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 21:36, 17 January 2025 (UTC)

Ashley Stephen Thomas Hay (born 10 July 2003) is an English professional footballer who plays as a forward for EFL League Two club Cheltenham Town, on loan from Premier League club Brentford.

Hay is a product of the Luton Town academy and began his senior career in non-League football in 2020. He began his professional career with Brentford in 2023.

Career

Non-League football

A forward, Hay began his career with spells in the Luton Town academy, the Hitchin Town youth system and with Letchworth Garden City Eagles.[3][4][5][6] He began his senior career with Spartan South Midlands League Premier Division club Baldock Town in August 2020.[5] Hay scored 35 goals in 64 appearances,[7] prior to moving up a step to transfer to Southern League Premier Division Central club Biggleswade Town in July 2022.[6] Following a short spell in which he scored one goal in seven appearances,[7] Hay transferred across the division to return to Hitchin Town in September 2022.[8] He scored 11 goals in 39 appearances during a 2022–23 season in which he was voted the club's Supporters' Player of the Year.[7][9] Shortly after re-signing for the 2023–24 season,[9] Hay departed the club.[10]

Brentford

On 31 August 2023, following a successful trial, Hay transferred to the B team at Premier League club Brentford.[10] He signed a contract running until January 2024 and later signed an extension until the end of the 2023–24 season.[10][11] Hay finished the 2023–24 season tied with Iwan Morgan as the B team's leading goalscorer, with 9 goals.[12] He also captained the team on occasion during the season.[13] Hay signed a new two-year contract, with the option of a further year, in June 2024.[14]

Following a first team friendly appearance and 14 goals in 15 appearances for the B team during the first half of the 2024–25 season,[15] Hay joined League Two club Cheltenham Town on loan for the remainder of the season on 1 January 2025.[16]

Personal life

While a non-League footballer, Hay worked in McDonald's and undertook an apprenticeship as a plumber.[17] While a Brentford player, he shared accommodation with teammate Benjamin Arthur.[13]

Career statistics

As of match played 17 January 2025
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup League cup Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Baldock Town 2020–21[18] Spartan South Midlands League Premier Division 10 5 0 0 0 0 7[a] 5 17 10
2021–22[7] Spartan South Midlands League Premier Division 35 19 4 1 0 0 8[b] 5 47 25
Total 45 24 4 1 0 0 15 10 64 35
Biggleswade Town 2022–23[7] Southern League Premier Division Central 4 1 2 0 0 0 1[c] 0 7 1
Baldock Town 2022–23[7] Spartan South Midlands League Premier Division 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
Hitchin Town 2022–23[7] Southern League Premier Division Central 34 8 0 0 0 0 5[d] 3 39 11
2023–24[19] Southern League Premier Division Central 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Total 34 8 0 0 0 0 5 3 39 11
Brentford 2023–24[20] Premier League 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2024–25[21] Premier League 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Total 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Cheltenham Town (loan) 2024–25[21] League Two 1 0 0 0 0 0 1[e] 0 2 0
Career total 84 33 6 1 0 0 22 13 112 47
  1. ^ 5 appearances and 4 goals in Spartan South Midlands League Spring Cup, 2 appearances and 1 goal in FA Vase
  2. ^ 3 appearances in FA Vase, 2 appearances and 3 goals in Spartan South Midlands League Premier Division Cup, 2 appearances and 2 goals in Spartan South Midlands League Challenge Trophy, 1 appearance in Herts Charity Cup
  3. ^ Apperance in FA Trophy
  4. ^ Appearances in Herts Senior Cup
  5. ^ Appearance in EFL Trophy

Honours

Individual

References

  1. ^ "2023/24 Premier League squad lists". www.premierleague.com. Retrieved 13 September 2023.
  2. ^ "Ashley Hay". www.brentfordfc.com. Retrieved 22 September 2024.
  3. ^ "Heading South… Sports Take On Hitchin". Mickleover Football Club. 24 November 2022. Retrieved 2 September 2023.
  4. ^ "Weekly Bulletin From Roy". Hitchin Town FC. 25 January 2019. Retrieved 2 September 2023.
  5. ^ a b "Confirmed Signings Part 10". www.baldocktownfc.com. Retrieved 2 September 2023.
  6. ^ a b Whitney, Steve. "O'Keefe Adds Three More to His Group". Retrieved 2 September 2023.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g "Ashley Hay | Player Profile". Aylesbury United Archive. Retrieved 1 September 2023.
  8. ^ @HitchinTownFC (24 September 2022). "✍️ | Ashley Hay breaking news!! We are delighted to welcome striker @ashleyhay_10 from @Biggleswade1874. Ashley goes straight into today's squad. 💛💚" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  9. ^ a b c "Player of the Year Commits to Canaries". Retrieved 1 September 2023.
  10. ^ a b c "Ashley Hay signs for Brentford B". www.brentfordfc.com. Retrieved 1 September 2023.
  11. ^ "Weekly Bulletin – 12th January". Hitchin Town FC. 12 January 2024. Retrieved 19 January 2024.
  12. ^ "Ashley Hay: Always Improving". www.brentfordfc.com. Retrieved 9 July 2024.
  13. ^ a b Tabuteau, Sam. "Ashley Hay looking to build on whirlwind first year at Brentford". hounslowherald.com. Retrieved 3 November 2024.
  14. ^ "Brentford academy confirm summer departures and extensions". www.brentfordfc.com. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  15. ^ "Brentford 0 QPR 0: Minutes for first-team players in Jersey Road friendly". www.brentfordfc.com. Retrieved 5 September 2024.
  16. ^ "Ashley Hay joins Cheltenham Town on loan". www.brentfordfc.com. Retrieved 1 January 2025.
  17. ^ "Brentford news: Youngsters Ashley Hay and Benjamin Arthur on their football journeys". BBC Sport. 14 August 2024. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
  18. ^ "Ashley Hay – Baldock Town FC 1st Team". www.baldocktownfc.com. Retrieved 14 September 2023.
  19. ^ "Match Report: Hitchin Town v Alvechurch on Saturday, 5 Aug 2023". The Southern League. Retrieved 4 October 2023.
  20. ^ "Games played by Ashley Hay in 2023/2024". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 17 January 2025.
  21. ^ a b "Games played by Ashley Hay in 2024/2025". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 17 January 2025.