Joshua Key (footballer)

Joshua Key

Key playing for Exeter City F.C. in 2022.
Personal information
Full name	Joshua Myles Abraham Key [1]
Date of birth	(1999-11-19) 19 November 1999 (age 25)
Place of birth	Torquay, England
Height	6 ft 0 in (1.82 m) [2]
Position(s)	Defender
Team information
Current team	Swansea City
Number	2
Youth career
0000–2015	Torquay United
2015–2018	Exeter City
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2018–2023	Exeter City	129	(7)
2018	→ Bideford (loan)	15	(3)
2018–2019	→ Tiverton Town (loan)	40	(4)
2019–2020	→ Tiverton Town (loan)	16	(4)
2023–	Swansea City	55	(2)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 20:33, 4 January 2025 (UTC)

Joshua Myles Abraham Key is an English professional footballer who plays as a defender for EFL Championship club Swansea City.

Career

Key started his career at Torquay United while attending St Cuthbert Mayne School in Torquay, but joined local rivals Exeter City after the Gulls were forced to close their youth academy as part of cost-cutting measures. ^{[2] [3]} The winger was part of a successful Grecians youth setup, winning the Youth Alliance South West Division as part of Exeter's under-18 side. ^[4] Key joined Bideford on a three-month loan deal in February 2018, ^[5] making his debut in against Tiverton Town on 7 February. ^[6] He earned praise from manager Sean Joyce for his performances for the Robins, ^[7] and was offered a senior contract by Exeter for the following season. ^[4]

In July 2018, Key (alongside teammate Joel Randall) joined Southern League Premier Division South side Tiverton Town on an initial six-month loan deal. ^[8] Key made his professional debut for Exeter in November 2018 during Exeter's EFL Trophy tie against Bristol Rovers, coming on as a substitute for Chiedozie Ogbene in the 60th minute. ^[9] He scored his first goal for the club in an EFL Trophy tie against Forest Green Rovers on 8 September 2020. ^[10] He then scored his first League Two goal in Exeter's 2–1 win at Mansfield Town on 26 September 2020. ^[11]

On 4 July 2023, Key signed for Championship club Swansea City on a three-year contract. ^[12]

Personal life

Key is of Irish descent through a grandmother, and is the great-grandson of Myles Abraham who captained the Ireland national rugby union team before World War I. ^[13]

Career statistics

As of match played 7 May 2023

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition

Club	Season	Division	League		FA Cup		League Cup		Other		Total
			Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Exeter City	2017–18	EFL League Two	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
	2018–19 [14]		0	0	0	0	0	0	1 [a]	0	1	0
	2019–20 [15]		0	0	0	0	0	0	2 [a]	0	2	0
	2020–21 [16]		43	1	3	0	1	0	1 [a]	1	48	2
	2021–22 [17]		44	2	3	0	0	0	2 [a]	0	49	2
	2022–23 [18]	EFL League One	42	4	2	0	2	0	2 [a]	0	48	4
Total			129	7	8	0	3	0	8	1	148	8
Bideford	2017–18 [19]	Southern League West Division	15	3	0	0	0	0	3 [b]	1	18	4
Tiverton Town	2018–19	Southern League Premier South	48	5
Tiverton Town	2019–20	Southern League Premier South	19	6
Career total			211	21	8	0	3	0	11	2	233	23

1. Appearance(s) in the EFL Trophy
2. Appearances in the Devon St Luke's Challenge Cup

Honours

Exeter City

• League Two runner-up: 2021–22 ^[20]

References

1. "Notification of shirt numbers: Exeter City" (PDF). English Football League. p. 26. Retrieved 19 October 2019.
2. "Joshua Key - Midfielder - First Team - Exeter City FC". Exeter City F.C. Archived from the original on 26 January 2021. Retrieved 25 March 2020.
3. Pilnick, Brent (16 June 2015). "Torquay United close youth academy as part of cost cuts". BBC Sport. Retrieved 25 March 2020.
4. Byrom, David (7 February 2018). "Who are the three under-18 players to have been offered deals by Exeter City?". Devon Live . Retrieved 13 November 2018.
5. Larkins, Simon (1 February 2018). "Josh Key joins Bideford on loan". Exeter City F.C. Retrieved 13 November 2018.
6. Byrom, David (7 February 2018). "Bideford manager Sean Joyce on Exeter City loanees Josh Key and Max Smallcombe". Devon Live . Retrieved 13 November 2018.
7. Byrom, David (14 March 2018). "Bideford manager heaps praise on on-loan Exeter City youngsters". Devon Live . Retrieved 13 November 2018.
8. "Joel Randall and Josh Key join Tiverton Town on six-month loan deals". Exeter City F.C. 23 July 2018. Retrieved 23 September 2018.
9. Evely, John (13 November 2018). "A raw Gas side are beaten in the Checkatrade Trophy". Bristol Live . Retrieved 13 November 2018.
10. "Exeter City 3 Forest Green Rovers 2 - late Josh Key goal sees Grecians win thriller". devonlive.com. 8 September 2020. Retrieved 9 September 2020.
11. "Mansfield Town 1-2 Exeter City" . Retrieved 26 September 2020.
12. "Swansea City seal signing of Josh Key". www.swanseacity.com. 4 July 2023. Retrieved 4 July 2023.
13. "Swansea's Key aims to make a sporting family proud" – via www.bbc.com.
14. "Games played by Joshua Key in 2018/2019". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 30 December 2022.
15. "Games played by Joshua Key in 2019/2020". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 30 December 2022.
16. "Games played by Joshua Key in 2020/2021". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 30 December 2022.
17. "Games played by Joshua Key in 2021/2022". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 30 December 2022.
18. "Games played by Joshua Key in 2022/2023". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 30 December 2022.
19. "The Loan Report: May 3". Exeter City F.C. 3 May 2018. Retrieved 6 November 2018.
20. "Port Vale end Exeter's League two title hopes". BBC Sport. 7 May 2022. Retrieved 5 February 2023.

External links

• Joshua Key player profile Archived 26 January 2021 at the Wayback Machine at Exeter City
• Joshua Key at Soccerbase