Mark Jones (footballer, born 1979)


Mark Andrew Jones is an English former footballer who played as a striker.
He played in the Football League for Wolverhampton Wanderers, Cheltenham Town and Chesterfield before a spell in Scottish football with Raith Rovers.

Career

Jones began his career as a trainee with Aston Villa before moving to Wolverhampton Wanderers, in a move that cost his new club £75,000 in compensation.
After turning professional, he made his senior debut on 18 August 1998 in a 5–0 League Cup win over Barnet. His first league appearance came on 7 November 1998, as a substitute in a 6–1 victory at Bristol City in the First Division that was Colin Lee's first game in charge.
The striker spent a month on loan at Cheltenham Town in October 1999, where he started his first professional games, before returning to Molineux after four appearances, but no goals. During the remainder of the 1999–2000 season at Wolves he made only one further substitute appearance as the club missed out on the play-offs by one place for the second year in succession.
Unable to break into the Wolves team he moved to Third Division Chesterfield on a free transfer in July 2000. After a handful of appearances and one goal against Rotherham United in the Football League Trophy, he was soon loaned out to Scottish First Division side Raith Rovers in February 2001. Here, he scored four times during eight games.
After a spell of substitute appearances back at Saltergate, Jones returned to Raith in a permanent deal in November 2001. He scored once for his new club during the remainder of the season and at its conclusion he was released, upon which he drifted into non-league football back in the West Midlands.