Jake Hessenthaler

Jake Hessenthaler

Personal information
Full name	Jakob Andrew Hessenthaler [1]
Date of birth	(1994-04-20) 20 April 1994 (age 30) [2]
Place of birth	Gravesend, England [3]
Height	5 ft 9 in (1.76 m) [4]
Position(s)	Midfielder
Team information
Current team	Dagenham & Redbridge
Number	4
Youth career
2002–2009	Chelsea
2009–2013	Gillingham
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2013–2018	Gillingham	159	(7)
2012	→ Whitstable Town (loan)
2013	→ Merstham (loan)
2013	→ Lewes (loan)
2013	→ Tamworth (loan)	6	(0)
2013	→ Margate (loan)	6	(0)
2018–2020	Grimsby Town	72	(1)
2020–2023	Crawley Town	99	(5)
2023	→ Woking (loan)	7	(0)
2023–	Dagenham and Redbridge	55	(1)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 20:59, 27 October 2024 (UTC)

Jakob Andrew Hessenthaler (born 20 April 1994) is an English professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for National League club Dagenham and Redbridge.

He initially came through the youth academy at Chelsea, before later turning professional with Gillingham. He went on to play 181 times over a five-year stay that also brought loan spells with non-league sides Merstham, Lewes, Tamworth and Margate. He joined Grimsby Town where he remained for several seasons before joining Crawley Town in 2020.

Career

Gillingham

Born in Gravesend, Kent, Hessenthaler began his career with Chelsea as an Under-8 in their youth system and was 15 when Chelsea released him after seven years with the club. ^[5]

He signed his first professional contract with Gillingham in February 2013. ^[3] In February 2012, he joined Isthmian League Division One South side Whitstable Town on a work-experience loan, along with Josh Hare. ^[6] In January 2013, Hessenthaler signed for Merstham on loan. ^[7] After loan spells with non-League clubs Lewes, ^[8] Tamworth ^[9] and Margate, ^[10] he made his debut for Gillingham on 30 November 2013 as an 85th minute substitute in a 4–1 away league loss to Rotherham. ^[11]

On 7 February 2014, Hessenthaler signed a new long-term deal at Gillingham to keep him contracted until the end of the 2017–18 season. ^[12] He scored his first goal for Gillingham in a 4–2 win at home to Coventry City on 11 March 2014, with a 40-yard strike in the 90th minute. ^{[13] [14]} His goal against Coventry earned him Gillingham's 'Goal of the Season' award, whilst he also won the club's 'Young Player of the Year' award for the 2013–14 season. ^[15]

Grimsby Town

He was released by Gillingham at the end of the 2017–18 season ^[16] and signed a two-year contract with Grimsby Town on 25 June 2018. ^[17] He scored his first goal for Grimsby in a 2–1 EFL Trophy win over Notts County on 4 September 2018. ^[18]

On 28 January 2020, he suffered a punctured lung, a broken rib, and ligament damage across the shoulder and collarbone as a result of a challenge by Simeon Jackson in the first minute of a 3–1 victory over Stevenage. ^{[19] [20]}

Crawley Town

Hessenthaler was released by Grimsby at the end of the 2019–20 season. ^[21] On 1 September 2020, he signed for fellow League Two side Crawley Town. ^[22] He scored his first goal for Crawley on 30 January 2021 in a 3–1 defeat against Cambridge United. ^[23]

On 31 January 2023, Hessenthaler joined National League club Woking on loan until the end of the season. ^[24]

Dagenham and Redbridge

On 21 July 2023, Hessenthaler signed a two-year deal with Dagenham and Redbridge. ^[25]

Personal life

Hessenthaler is the son of former Gillingham player and manager Andy Hessenthaler, the nephew of Darren Hare, who has worked as the club's youth team manager, and the cousin of former Gillingham teammate Josh Hare. ^[26]

Honours

Individual

• Gillingham Young Player of the Season: 2013–14 ^[15]

Career statistics

As of match played 5 November 2024

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition

Club	Season	League			FA Cup		League Cup		Other		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Gillingham	2012–13 [27]	League Two	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
	2013–14 [28]	League One	19	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	19	1
	2014–15 [29]	League One	37	1	1	0	1	0	6 [a]	0	45	1
	2015–16 [30]	League One	38	4	1	0	2	1	2 [a]	0	43	5
	2016–17 [31]	League One	28	1	2	1	1	0	2 [b]	0	33	2
	2017–18 [32]	League One	37	0	2	0	1	0	1 [b]	0	41	0
	Total		159	7	6	1	5	1	11	0	181	9
Tamworth (loan)	2012–13 [27]	Conference Premier	6	0	—		—		—		6	0
Margate (loan)	2013–14	IL Premier Division	6	0	—		—		—		6	0
Grimsby Town	2018–19 [33]	League Two	44	0	3	0	1	0	2 [b]	1	50	1
	2019–20 [34]	League Two	28	1	2	0	3	0	2 [b]	0	35	1
	Total		72	1	5	0	4	0	4	1	85	2
Crawley Town	2020–21 [35]	League Two	46	1	4	0	0	0	1 [b]	0	51	1
	2021–22 [36]	League Two	32	4	1	0	1	0	1 [b]	0	35	4
	2022–23 [37]	League Two	21	0	1	1	3	0	2 [b]	0	27	1
	Total		99	5	6	1	4	0	4	0	113	6
Woking (loan)	2022–23 [37]	National League	7	0	—		—		—		7	0
Dagenham & Redbridge	2023–24 [38]	National League	46	1	1	0	—		1 [b]	0	48	1
	2024–25 [39]	National League	9	0	0	0	—		2 [c]	0	11	0
	Total		55	1	1	0	—		3	0	59	1
Career total			404	14	18	2	13	1	22	1	457	18

1. Appearance(s) in Football League Trophy
2. Appearance(s) in EFL Trophy
3. Appearance(s) in National League Cup

References

1. "Professional retain list & free transfers: 2012/13" (PDF). The Football League. p. 63. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 August 2014.
2. "Jake Hessenthaler – Player Profile". Sky Sports . Retrieved 7 December 2013.
3. Brown, Thomas (16 August 2013). "Margate loan Gills midfielder Jake Hessenthaler". Isle of Thanet Gazette. Archived from the original on 11 December 2013. Retrieved 7 December 2013.
4. "Jake Hessenthaler". Gillingham F.C. Archived from the original on 25 June 2018. Retrieved 25 June 2018.
5. Hart, Simon (11 September 2014). "Life beyond the Premier League: Jake Hessenthaler is flourishing with his dad in the Gills' dugout". The Independent. London. Retrieved 25 June 2018.
6. "Gillingham youngsters preparing to find out professional futures". Kent Online. 24 February 2012. Retrieved 26 July 2023.
7. "Youngsters on the move". gillinghamfootballclub.com. Gillingham F.C. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
8. Griggs, Howard (16 February 2013). "Lewes boss adds four to his squad". The Argus. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
9. Cawdell, Luke (20 February 2013). "Gillingham's development squad player Jake Hessenthaler makes Tamworth debut at Stockport County". Kent Online. Retrieved 27 March 2021.
10. "Margate Borrow Hessenthaler". 19 August 2013. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
11. "Rotherham United 4–1 Gillingham". Gillingham F.C. 30 November 2013. Retrieved 7 November 2013.
12. "Jake Hessenthaler Signs New Deal". Gillingham F.C. 7 February 2014.
13. "Gillingham 4–2 Coventry". BBC Sport. 12 March 2014. Retrieved 25 June 2018.
14. "Hess delighted to bag first Gills goal". gillinghamfootballclub.com. Gillingham F.C. Retrieved 4 December 2020.
15. "Jake Hessenthaler bags two awards at Player of the Year event". gillinghamfootballclub.com. Gillingham F.C. Retrieved 4 December 2020.
16. "Lee Martin: Gillingham release captain and Scott Wagstaff and Jake Hessenthaler". BBC Sport. 18 May 2018. Retrieved 21 May 2018.
17. "And Here's MIchael Jolley's sixth summer signing" . Retrieved 25 June 2018.
18. "Grimsby Town 2–1 Notts County – recap the action & reaction as Magpies suffer defeat in Harry Kewell's first game". Nottingham Post. 4 September 2018. Retrieved 10 September 2018.
19. "Grimsby's Hessenthaler punctures lung". BBC Sport. Retrieved 26 October 2020.
20. "Grimsby Town's Jake Hessenthaler faces long lay-off". Grimsby Telegraph. 29 January 2020. Retrieved 26 October 2020.
21. Green, Trevor (21 May 2020). "Grimsby Town release NINE players". Grimsby Telegraph. ISSN   0307-1235 . Retrieved 27 June 2020.
22. "Jake Hessenthaler: Crawley Town sign midfielder after Grimsby exit". BBC Sport. 1 September 2020. Retrieved 1 September 2020.
23. "Cambridge 3-1 Crawley". BBC Sport. 30 January 2021. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
24. "JAKE HESSENTHALER DEPARTS ON LOAN". www.crawleytownfc.com. 31 January 2023. Retrieved 31 January 2023.
25. "Daggers sign Jake Hessenthaler". daggers.co.uk. Dagenham & Redbridge FC. Retrieved 21 July 2023.
26. Cawdell, Luke (17 July 2012). "Gillingham youth boss Darren Hare believes third year scholars Jake Hessenthaler and Josh Hare have it all to prove". Kent Online. Retrieved 20 January 2015.
27. Jake Hessenthaler at Soccerway. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
28. "Games played by Jake Hessenthaler in 2013/2014". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
29. "Games played by Jake Hessenthaler in 2014/2015". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
30. "Games played by Jake Hessenthaler in 2015/2016". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
31. "Games played by Jake Hessenthaler in 2016/2017". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
32. "Games played by Jake Hessenthaler in 2017/2018". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 15 June 2018.
33. "Games played by Jake Hessenthaler in 2018/2019". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 25 June 2018.
34. "Games played by Jake Hessenthaler in 2019/2020". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 2 September 2020.
35. "Games played by Jake Hessenthaler in 2020/2021". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 2 September 2020.
36. "Games played by Jake Hessenthaler in 2021/2022". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 23 August 2021.
37. "Games played by Jake Hessenthaler in 2022/2023". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 27 July 2022.
38. "Games played by Jake Hessenthaler in 2023/2024". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 27 July 2022.
39. "Games played by Jake Hessenthaler in 2024/2025". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 27 July 2022.

External links

• Jake Hessenthaler profile at the Grimsby Town F.C. website
• Jake Hessenthaler profile at the Gillingham F.C. website
• Jake Hessenthaler profile at the Margate F.C. website
• Soccerbase profile
• Jake Hessenthaler at Soccerway