Shandon Baptiste
Shandon Harkeem Baptiste is a Grenadian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Brentford. He is a product of the Oxford United and Reading academies and has been capped by Grenada at international level.
Club career
Oxford United
A midfielder, Baptiste began his youth career with Reading and after his release, he undertook a scholarship with Oxford United in September 2015. Despite suffering two successive dislocated shoulder injuries during the 2016–17 season, he signed a six-month professional contract in May 2017, which commenced in August 2017. Baptiste made two EFL Trophy appearances during the first half of the 2017–18 season and in December 2017 he signed a new 18-month contract, with the option of a further year. Late in December, he departed the club on loan for the remainder of the season.Baptiste began the 2018–19 League One season as a regular in the team and scored his first senior goal in a 3–0 EFL Cup second-round victory over Newport County on 28 August 2018. After his sixth appearance of the season, he signed a four-year contract extension. Baptiste missed two months with a third shoulder dislocation and upon his return in January 2019, he suffered a season-ending anterior cruciate ligament injury during an FA Cup third round match versus Brentford. He made 14 appearances and scored one goal during the 2018–19 season.
Baptiste returned to full training in early August 2019 and was a virtual ever-present for the club through the first half of the 2019–20 season. He was heavily involved in the Us' run to the quarter finals of the EFL Cup, scoring in a 4–0 victory over Premier League club West Ham United in the third round and captaining the team versus Manchester City in the quarter-finals. Baptiste made 27 appearances and scored four goals during the 2019–20 season, before departing the club on 31 January 2020. During two-and-a-half seasons as a professional at the Kassam Stadium, Baptiste made 43 appearances and scored five goals.
Hampton & Richmond Borough (loan)
On 22 December 2017, Baptiste joined National League South club Hampton & Richmond Borough on a one-month loan, which was later extended until the end of the 2017–18 season. He made 23 appearances in a season which ended in defeat on penalties to Braintree Town in the National League South play-off Final.Brentford
On 31 January 2020, Baptiste transferred to Championship club Brentford for an undisclosed fee and signed a -year contract, with the option of a further year.International career
Baptiste made three friendly appearances for Grenada during the 2017–18 season and scored one goal. He was named in the squad for four 2019–20 CONCACAF Nations League qualifying matches in September 2019, but later declined the call up, in order to maintain his potential eligibility for England.Style of play
Baptiste is a box-to-box midfielder and has been described as "energetic, great on the ball and works very hard pressing".Personal life
Baptiste was born in Grenada and moved to England at the age of three.Career statistics
Club
International
International goals
| No | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
| 1. | 12 November 2017 | Ato Boldon Stadium, Couva, Trinidad and Tobago | 1–0 | 2–2 | Friendly |