| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Jonathan Patrick Richard Bland [1] | ||
| Date of birth | 24 October 2005 | ||
| Place of birth | Shrewsbury, England [2] | ||
| Height | 1.81 m (5 ft 11 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Barnsley | ||
| Number | 30 [3] | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2012–2022 | West Bromwich Albion [2] | ||
| 2022–2024 | Barnsley | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2024– | Barnsley | 9 | (0) |
| 2024–2025 | → Peterborough Sports (loan) | 22 | (0) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2019 | Wales U15 | 5 | (0) |
| 2021 | Wales U16 | 2 | (0) |
| 2023 | Wales U19 | 2 | (0) |
| 2025– | Wales U21 | 1 | (0) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 10:10, 07 May 2025 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals as of 10:19, 9 June 2025 (UTC) | |||
Jonathan Patrick Richard Bland (born 24 October 2005) [4] is a Welsh professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for EFL League One club Barnsley. [5] He is a Wales Under-21 international.
Born in Shrewsbury, Shropshire Jonathan Bland qualifies for Wales through his paternal grandparents [6] who hail from Pembrokeshire.
He was educated at Belvidere School, Shrewsbury, [2] and as well as football he played for Shrewsbury Cricket Club [2] and represented Shropshire at cricket up to u14.
After spending nearly 10 years at West Bromwich Albion, [2] Bland joined Barnsley's academy in January 2022. [7]
In his first full season at the club he was named Academy Player of the Season, [7] captained the U18s to their first ever Professional Development League title [8] and made his international debut for Wales U19s against Sweden. [9]
He made his senior debut in the EFL Trophy against Manchester City EDS at Oakwell on 26 September 2023, coming on as a 68th-minute substitute. [10] He made his first senior start in the same competition the following season, against Manchester United U21s at Oakwell on 20 August 2024. [11]
Bland signed a Professional contract with Barnsley in January 2024. [12]
In November 2024, he signed a short term loan deal with National League North side Peterborough Sports until 1 January 2025, which was subsequently extended until the end of the 2024/25 season. [13]
In February 2025, Bland was recalled from loan returning to Barnsley [5] making his EFL League One debut in the 1-1 home draw with Cambridge United on 22nd March, coming on as a 19th minute substitute. [14] The following week he made his first league start in another 1-1 draw, away at Wigan Athletic. [15]
At the end of the 24/25 season he was named Barnsley's Young Player of the Year along with fellow Academy Graduates Kieren Flavell & Fabio Jalo. [16]
He has represented Wales at U15, [17] U16 [18] & U18 [19] levels. On 6 June 2025 Bland made his Wales under-21 debut, coming on as a 63rd minute substitute in a friendly match against Norway. [20]
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Barnsley | 2023–24 [21] | EFL League One | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 [a] | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2024–25 [22] | EFL League One | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 [a] | 0 | 12 | 0 | |
| Total | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 13 | 0 | ||
| Peterborough Sports (loan) | 2024–25 [23] | National League North | 22 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 2 [b] | 0 | 24 | ||
| Career total | 31 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 37 | 0 | ||