Josh Gordon (footballer)

Josh Gordon

Personal information
Full name	Joshua Luke Gordon[1]
Date of birth	(1994-10-10) 10 October 1994 (age 30)[2]
Place of birth	Stoke-on-Trent, England[2]
Height	5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)[2]
Position(s)	Striker
Team information
Current team	Walsall
Number	10
Youth career
2002–2011	Stoke City
2011–2013	Newcastle Town
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
	Newcastle Town
	Nantwich Town
2016	Rhyl	1	(0)
	Nantwich Town
	Stafford Rangers
2017–2018	Leicester City	0	(0)
2018–2021	Walsall	107	(21)
2021–2023	Barrow	73	(21)
2023–2024	Burton Albion	18	(0)
2024	→ Walsall (loan)	21	(1)
2024–	Walsall	5	(1)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 09:46, 19 January 2025 (UTC)

Joshua Luke Gordon (born 10 October 1994) is an English professional footballer who plays as a striker for EFL League Two club Walsall.[2]

Career

Gordon played youth football for his hometown club Stoke City but was released as a sixteen-year-old.[3] He eventually joined the junior ranks at Newcastle Town before making his way through the age groups to the first team playing in the Evo-Stik Division One South.[4][5] He combined his early non-league football career with playing basketball, before giving up the latter to focus on football.[6]

A spell at Nantwich Town followed before he moved to Welsh club Rhyl in February 2016.[7] He made just one league appearance for Rhyl before returning to Nantwich.[2]

After a successful spell with Stafford Rangers, where he scored 11 times in the 2016–17 season, he earned a move to reigning Premier League Champions Leicester City in April 2017.[3][8]

Having failed to break into the first team at Leicester, Gordon signed for Walsall in August 2018.[9][10] He scored his first professional goal in an EFL Cup tie with Macclesfield Town on 28 August 2018.[11]

Gordon won Walsall's 2019–20 Player of the Season award, after finishing as top scorer with 12 goals for the club.[12] He was offered a new contract by Walsall in November 2020, which he rejected.[13]

On 16 June 2021 it was announced that Gordon would transfer to Barrow at the end of the month, after failing to agree a new contract with Walsall.[14] He was one of three Barrow players to be offered a new contract at the end of the 2022–23 season.[15]

On 19 June 2023, Gordon was announced to be joining League One club Burton Albion on a two-year deal having rejected the offer of a new Barrow contract.[16][17]

In January 2024, Gordon returned to former club Walsall on loan until the end of the season.[18][19] He scored his first goal back, and only goal of the season, in a 3–1 win over Doncaster Rovers.[20]

On 1 July 2024, Gordon returned to Walsall on a permanent basis, signing a two-year deal.[21][22] He scored his first goal of the season in a 4–0 win against Swindon Town.[23]

Personal life

Gordon studied for a university degree alongside his non-league career, earning a BA (Hons) in Sports Development and Coaching from the University of Staffordshire.[6][24]

Career statistics

As of match played 18 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
Rhyl	2015–16[2]	Welsh Premier League	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0
Leicester City U23	2017–18[25]	—			—		—		4[a]	0	4	0
Walsall	2018–19[26]	League One	37	7	3	0	2	1	3[a]	1	45	9
	2019–20[27]	League Two	34	9	2	0	1	0	3[a]	3	40	12
	2020–21[28]	League Two	36	5	0	0	1	0	1[a]	1	38	6
	Total		107	21	5	0	4	1	7	5	123	27
Barrow	2021–22[29]	League Two	36	6	3	1	2	0	2[a]	0	43	7
	2022–23[30]	League Two	37	15	1	0	2	0	2[a]	0	42	15
	Total		73	21	4	1	4	0	4	0	85	22
Burton Albion	2023–24[31]	League One	18	0	1	0	1	0	3[a]	0	23	0
Walsall (loan)	2023–24[31]	League Two	21	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	21	1
Walsall	2024–25[32]	League Two	5	1	0	0	2	0	1[a]	1	8	2
Career total			225	44	10	1	11	1	19	6	265	52

1. Appearance(s) in EFL Trophy

Honours

Individual

• Walsall Player of the Year: 2019–20[33]

References

1. "Notification of shirt numbers: Walsall" (PDF). English Football League. p. 74. Retrieved 27 October 2019.
2. Josh Gordon at Soccerway. Retrieved 9 August 2018.
3. Adam Bate (3 July 2017). "Josh Gordon interview: His amazing move from non-league to Leicester". Sky Sports. Retrieved 9 August 2018.
4. "Steve Burr toying with a couple more signings as Stafford Rangers prepare to welcome back Josh Gordon". Stoke Sentinel. 8 August 2018. Retrieved 8 July 2019.
5. "Record-Breakers Scoop Top Sports Award!". Northern Premier. 9 June 2014. Retrieved 8 July 2019.
6. "Walsall's Josh Gordon is a familar [sic] tale known all too well to EFL clubs". 14 October 2020.
7. "Josh Gordon signs for Rhyl". Welsh Premier League. 3 February 2016. Retrieved 9 August 2018.
8. "Josh Gordon: Leicester City sign Stafford Rangers striker". BBC Sport. 8 April 2017. Retrieved 8 July 2019.
9. "Josh Gordon Joins Walsall On A Permanent Deal". Leicester City F.C. 9 August 2018. Retrieved 9 August 2018.
10. "Walsall: Josh Gordon and Isaiah Osbourne join Saddlers". BBC Sport. 9 August 2018. Retrieved 9 August 2018.
11. "Walsall 3–3 Macclesfield". BBC. 28 August 2018. Retrieved 10 September 2018.
12. "Josh Gordon and Alfie Bates pick up season awards from Walsall Supporters' Trust". Express and Star. May 2020.
13. Keen, Liam (13 May 2021). "Exclusive: Josh Gordon rejected new Walsall deal in November". www.expressandstar.com.
14. "Barrow sign ex-Walsall striker Gordon". BBC Sport.
15. "Barrow Confirm Retained List". www.barrowafc.com. 9 May 2023. Retrieved 9 May 2023.
16. "BREWERS SIGN STRIKER JOSH GORDON". www.burtonalbionfc.co.uk. 19 June 2023. Retrieved 19 June 2023.
17. "Burton to sign strikers Stockton and Gordon". BBC Sport. 19 June 2023.
18. "Josh Gordon returns to Walsall". www.saddlers.co.uk. 11 January 2024. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
19. "Walsall sign Burton Albion striker Gordon on loan". BBC Sport. 11 January 2024.
20. "Walsall 3-1 Doncaster Rovers". BBC Sport. Retrieved 24 September 2024.
21. "Josh Gordon rejoins the Saddlers". www.saddlers.co.uk. 1 July 2024. Retrieved 1 July 2024.
22. "Josh Gordon: Walsall re-sign striker from Burton on two-year deal". BBC Sport. 1 July 2024.
23. "Swindon 0 Walsall 4: Saddlers run riot on the road". Express and Star. 17 August 2024.
24. "Staffs graduate signed by Leicester City FC". Staffordshire University. Archived from the original on 11 August 2018. Retrieved 9 August 2018.
25. "Games played by Josh Gordon in 2017/2018". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 29 September 2020.
26. "Games played by Josh Gordon in 2018/2019". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 29 September 2020.
27. "Games played by Josh Gordon in 2019/2020". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 29 September 2020.
28. "Games played by Josh Gordon in 2020/2021". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 29 September 2020.
29. "Games played by Josh Gordon in 2021/2022". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 26 August 2021.
30. "Games played by Josh Gordon in 2022/2023". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 6 August 2022.
31. "Games played by Josh Gordon in 2023/2024". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 15 January 2024.
32. "Games played by Josh Gordon in 2024/2025". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 16 January 2025.
33. Matt Maher (15 June 2020). "Josh Gordon and Wes McDonald scoop double honours in Walsall awards". Express and Star. Retrieved 27 February 2023.