Jason Wilcox

Infobox Football biography
playername= Jason Wilcox


fullname = Jason Wilcox
height =
nickname =
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1971|7|15|df=y
cityofbirth = Bolton
countryofbirth = England
dateofdeath =
cityofdeath =
countryofdeath =
currentclub =
clubnumber =
position = Winger (retired)
youthyears =
youthclubs =
years = 1989–1999
1999–2004
2004–2006
2005–2006
2006
clubs = Blackburn Rovers
Leeds United
Leicester City
→ Blackpool (loan)
Blackpool
caps(goals) = 271 (31)
081 0(4)
020 0(1)
012 0(0)
014 0(0)
nationalyears = 1994–1998
1996–2000
nationalteam = England B
England
nationalcaps(goals) = 002 0(0)
003 0(0)
pcupdate =
ntupdate =

Jason Wilcox (born 15 July 1971 in Bolton, Lancashire, England) is a former professional footballer who played as a left winger.

Wilcox grew up in a suburb of Bolton with his parents and brother, and he did so until moving to Blackburn aged sixteen after his father wrote to the Lancashire club asking for a trial. After training on Sunday, Wilcox signed a contract on Monday, after Blackburns Youth Team Manager, Jim Furnell, described him as "one of the best young wingers in English football."

Wilcox began his career at Blackburn Rovers, clocking up over 300 games and scoring 33 goals for the Lancashire club. Wilcox suffered the lows of relegation while at Blackburn, but also enjoyed the success of winning the Premiership title in 1995.

He was Blackburn's longest serving player at the time of joining Leeds United in a £3m deal in December 1999. That season he help the Yorkshire side to the semi-finals of the UEFA Cup, where they lost to Galatasaray. A year later he was part of the club's run to the UEFA Champions League semi-finals. He made 106 appearances for Leeds, scoring 6 goals.

In 2004 Wilcox was signed on a free by Leicester. He initially signed a one year deal which was extended by another year in the summer of 2005. Wilcox made a good start to his Leicester career, but unfortunately picked up a cruciate ligament injury in October 2004. It was feared it would end his season but hard work paid off and he returned in City's 3-1 win over Millwall on April 2 2005. On January 28 2006, Wilcox joined Blackpool on a free transfer following a two-month spell on loan to the club but was released at the end of the 2005-2006 season.

He won his first England cap in a 3-0 win over Hungary in 1996. He went on to play against France and Argentina. These turned out to be his only 3 caps. He made the squad for Euro 2000 but did not play through injury.

Judo

As a 14-year-old brought up in Bolton, Wilcox was a black belt in Judo and even represented England. [ [http://archive.thisislancashire.co.uk/1999/4/24/773859.html This Is Lancashire - Jim fixed it for Jason ] ] After retiring from football, Wilcox established his own school of judo — The Wilcox Masters of Martial Arts — and has schools in Blackburn, Accrington and Whalley.

Private life

Wilcox currently lives in Manchester with his wife and four children, and as well as paying regular visits to his judo schools he also coaches his two sons' separate football teams, Swinton U-18s and Swinton U-8s. Both his sons have promising futures in football and hope to follow in their father's footsteps and become professionals, his eldest son particularly so, as upon leaving the Manchester City academy, a host of Premier League clubs are chasing his signature including Arsenal and Manchester United. One of his daughters however is a black belt in judo and hopes to represent Great Britain at the London 2012 Olympic games.

References

External links

*Soccerbase|8499|Jason Wilcox