| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | James Anthony Golding [1] | ||
| Date of birth | 10 August 2004 | ||
| Place of birth | Sutton, England | ||
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||
| Position | Centre back | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Oxford United | ||
| Number | 35 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2012–2020 | AFC Wimbledon | ||
| 2020–2022 | Oxford United | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2021– | Oxford United | 3 | (0) |
| 2022 | → Banbury United (loan) | 11 | (2) |
| 2023 | → Banbury United (loan) | 3 | (0) |
| 2023 | → Dartford (loan) | 9 | (1) |
| 2023 | → Maidenhead United (loan) | 10 | (0) |
| 2024 | → Maidenhead United (loan) | 7 | (2) |
| 2024–2025 | → Southend United (loan) | 14 | (3) |
| 2025–2026 | → Crewe Alexandra (loan) | 12 | (0) |
| International career | |||
| 2022–2023 | Republic of Ireland U19 | 4 | (0) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 15:47, 13 January 2026 (UTC) | |||
James Anthony Golding (born 10 August 2004) is a professional footballer who plays as a defender for EFL Championship club Oxford United.
On 26 October 2021, Golding made his professional debut, coming on as a substitute for Jamie Hanson in the 78th minute in a 3–2 win against Tottenham Hotspur Academy in the EFL Trophy. [2]
On 11 January 2022, Golding joined Banbury United on an initial month long loan, [3] with the loan later being extended to the end of the season. [4]
On 23 March, Golding signed his first professional contract with United. [5] On 30 April, the final game of the 2021–22 season, Golding was given his first League One start in a 1–1 draw against Doncaster Rovers. [6]
On 11 August 2023, Golding joined Dartford on a one month loan. [7] He then joined Maidenhead United on loan on 26 September. [8]
On 5 September 2024, Golding returned to Maidenhead United on loan until January 2025. [9] On 6 December 2024, he joined fellow National League side Southend United on a short-term loan deal. [10]
On 11 August 2025, Golding joined League Two club Crewe Alexandra on a season-long loan, [11] making his debut the following day in Crewe's 3–1 first round EFL Cup defeat at Stockport County. [12] Injured in a 2–1 defeat at Cambridge United on 29 November 2025, Golding was recalled by Oxford on 3 January 2026. [13]
Golding received his first call up to the Republic of Ireland U19 squad on 30 May 2022, ahead of two friendlies against Iceland U19 in Spain. [14] He made his debut on 1 June, coming on in the 77th minute in a 3–0 win. [15]
Golding is the brother of fellow professional footballer Michael Golding and scholar Aidan Golding. [16] [17]
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | EFL Cup | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Oxford United | 2021–22 [19] | League One | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 [a] | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 2022–23 [20] | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 [a] | 0 | 6 | 0 | ||
| 2023–24 [21] | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 [a] | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 2024–25 [22] | Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2025–26 [23] | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 0 | 0 | |||
| Total | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 9 | 0 | ||
| Banbury United (loan) | 2021–22 | SFL Premier Division Central | 14 | 2 | — | — | 1 [b] | 0 | 15 | 2 | ||
| Dartford (loan) | 2023–24 | National League South | 9 | 1 | 1 | 0 | – | 0 | 0 | 10 | 1 | |
| Maidenhead United (loan) | 2023–24 | National League | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 1 [c] | 0 | 11 | 0 | |
| Maidenhead United (loan) | 2024–25 | National League | 7 | 2 | 3 | 0 | – | 0 | 0 | 10 | 2 | |
| Southend United (loan) | 2024–25 | National League | 14 | 3 | 0 | 0 | – | 1 [d] | 0 | 15 | 3 | |
| Crewe Alexandra (loan) | 2025–26 | League Two | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 [a] | 0 | 15 | 0 |
| Career total | 69 | 8 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 85 | 8 | ||