| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Joseph Anthony Adams [1] | ||
| Date of birth | 13 February 2001 | ||
| Place of birth | Bolton, England [2] | ||
| Height | 1.76 m (5 ft 9 in) [3] | ||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Kerry | ||
| Number | 10 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| –2018 | Bury | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2018–2019 | Bury | 3 | (0) |
| 2019–2022 | Brentford | 0 | (0) |
| 2021 | → Grimsby Town (loan) | 6 | (1) |
| 2022 | Dundalk | 33 | (1) |
| 2023 | Southport | 10 | (0) |
| 2023 | Atherton Collieries | 7 | (3) |
| 2023–2024 | Warrington Rylands 1906 | 12 | (5) |
| 2024 | Atherton Collieries | 4 | (0) |
| 2024 | Widnes | 1 | (0) |
| 2024–2025 | Longridge Town | 5 | (1) |
| 2025– | Kerry | 1 | (1) |
| International career | |||
| 2017 | Wales U17 | 3 | (0) |
| 2018–2020 | Wales U19 | 11 | (2) |
| 2020 | Wales U20 | 1 | (0) |
| 2020–2022 | Wales U21 | 11 | (5) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 12:53, 15 February 2025 (UTC) | |||
Joseph Anthony Adams (born 13 February 2001) is a professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for League of Ireland First Division club Kerry.
A graduate of the Bury academy, Adams made sporadic appearances during 18 months as a professional at the club and transferred to Brentford in 2019. After 2+1⁄2 years of exclusively B team football, he transferred to Dundalk in 2022. Following the 2022 season, Adams moved into non-League football. He returned to Irish football with Kerry in 2025. Adams is a former Wales youth international.
A midfielder, Adams joined Bury at the age of seven. [4] Having graduated through the club's academy, [5] he made his first team debut as a substitute for Adam Thompson after 72 minutes of a 3–2 League One defeat to Northampton Town on 14 April 2018. [6] After making four further senior appearances, [7] Adams signed a 2+1⁄2-year professional contract in December 2018. [8] His progression was such that later that month, he was recognised by League Football Education for his football and academic progress. [9] After remaining with the U18 team and making only one further senior appearance during the 2018–19 season, [7] Adams elected to depart Gigg Lane in July 2019. [5] He was voted the club's 2018–19 Young Player of the Year. [10]
On 19 July 2019, Adams transferred to the B team at Championship club Brentford and signed a three-year contract for an undisclosed fee. [4] He scored 18 goals in 65 B team appearances during 2+1⁄2 years with the club and gained experience as a right wing back. [11] [12] Despite receiving a first team squad number during the 2019–20 season, [13] Adams failed to win a call into a matchday squad. [3] On 1 February 2021, Adams joined League Two club Grimsby Town on loan until the end of the 2020–21 season. [14] On his second appearance, in a league match versus Crawley Town on 25 February, [15] Adams assisted Filipe Morais for the Mariners' opening goal and scored what proved to be the winner in a 2–1 victory. [16] After four further appearances, [15] the loan was terminated early on 9 April. [17] Adams departed Brentford in January 2022. [11]
In January 2022, Adams signed a one-year contract with League of Ireland Premier Division club Dundalk for an undisclosed fee. [2] [18] [19] He made 34 appearances and scored one goal during the 2022 season, [3] his only campaign with the club. [20]
On 14 March 2023, Adams signed an undisclosed-length contract with National League North club Southport. [10] He made 12 appearances during the remainder of the 2022–23 season and was a part of the club's Lancashire FA Challenge Trophy-winning squad. [21] [22] On 26 September 2023, Adams transferred to Northern Premier League Premier Division club Atherton Collieries. [23] After three goals in eight appearances, [24] he transferred across the division to Warrington Rylands 1906. [25] Adams ended the 2023–24 season with 12 appearances and five goals. [26]
In July 2024, Adams transferred back to Atherton Collieries, [27] which had been relegated to the Northern Premier League First Division West in his absence. [28] He made a further five appearances before departing in September 2024. [29] [30] On 19 October 2024, Adams made a single appearance for Widnes, of the same division, [31] before transferring to North West Counties League Premier Division club Longridge Town. [32]
On 29 January 2025, Adams transferred to League of Ireland First Division club Kerry. [33] On his debut appearance versus Finn Harps on the opening night of the 2025 season, Adams scored the opening goal, but was later sent off for a straight red card in the 2–0 win. [34]
Adams won 26 caps and scored seven goals for Wales at U17, U19, U20 and U21 levels. [8] [35] [36] [37]
| Club | Season | League | National cup [a] | League cup [b] | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Bury | 2017–18 [6] | League One | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 2018–19 [7] | League Two | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 [c] | 0 | 4 | 0 | |
| Total | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 0 | ||
| Grimsby Town (loan) | 2020–21 [15] | League Two | 6 | 1 | ― | ― | ― | 6 | 1 | |||
| Dundalk | 2022 [3] | League of Ireland Premier Division | 33 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ― | ― | 34 | 1 | ||
| Southport | 2022–23 [21] | National League North | 10 | 0 | ― | ― | 3 [d] | 0 | 13 | 0 | ||
| Atherton Collieries | 2023–24 [24] | Northern Premier League Premier Division | 7 | 3 | ― | ― | 1 [e] | 0 | 8 | 3 | ||
| Warrington Rylands 1906 | 2023–24 [26] | Northern Premier League Premier Division | 12 | 5 | ― | ― | 0 | 0 | 12 | 5 | ||
| Atherton Collieries | 2024–25 [29] | Northern Premier League First Division West | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ― | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | |
| Total | 11 | 3 | 1 | 0 | ― | 1 | 0 | 13 | 3 | |||
| Widnes | 2024–25 [38] | Northern Premier League First Division West | 1 | 0 | ― | ― | ― | 1 | 0 | |||
| Longridge Town | 2024–25 [39] | North West Counties League Premier Division | 5 | 1 | ― | ― | 1 [f] | 1 | 6 | 2 | ||
| Kerry | 2025 [3] | League of Ireland First Division | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ― | ― | 1 | 1 | ||
| Career total | 82 | 11 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 92 | 13 | ||
Southport
Individual
