Fresh from scoring a penalty in a Wembley shootout to send Notts County back into the Football League last month, Jodi Jones has another big occasion to look forward to: Malta vs England on Friday night.
The 25-year-old was born in Bow, grew up in London and has spent his entire professional career playing in the English football pyramid, but is eligible to represent the Falcons through his father.
The Notts County winger is expected to earn his eighth international cap against Gareth Southgate’s squad in the countries’ Euro 2024 qualifier in Ta’ Qali after enjoying a stunning end to the 2022-23 season.
Jones came off the bench to set up Aiden Baldwin’s 97th-minute equaliser against Boreham Wood in the National League play-off semi-final before netting a 120th-minute winner, and then converted his spot-kick in a 4-3 penalty shootout win over Chesterfield in the final.
The Magpies bounced back after missing out on automatic promotion to Wrexham, and Jones is looking forward to meeting the Welsh side in the EFL after questioning their “fairy tale” rise under Hollywood star owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney.
“Not to take any credit from Wrexham, they’re a quality team, they are a great side with a fantastic manager but people were saying it’s this mad fairy tale… they have literally got League One players, you expect them to be up there,” he tells i from Malta’s training camp.
“You could say the same for Notts because we’re a massive club. But coming down to the football played this season I think we deserved it more than anybody. I feel like a lot of people had their eyes on Wrexham because of Ryan Reynolds. Next season I cannot wait to play against them.”
On that winner against Boreham Wood, Jones, who endured an injury-ravaged six-year spell at Coventry prior to joining Notts County in January after a short stint with Oxford United, adds: “It was like all the hard times I’ve had just got wiped away in that one moment. It was perfect.”
THE NATIONAL LEAGUE DELIVERS AGAIN!
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) May 7, 2023
Jodi Jones scores in the 120th minute to send @Official_NCFC to @TheVanaramaNL play-off final. pic.twitter.com/4DYlT5h9Sm
Such was both clubs’ dominance in the fifth tier – Wrexham finished on 111 points and Notts County on 107, 27 and 23 points ahead of third-placed Chesterfield respectively – they have each been installed as early favourites for promotion in League Two next term.
“Notts are not a National League side and they’re not a League Two side so I believe we’ll go up next season,” Jones says. “It’s one of the reasons I’ve stayed because I have massive belief in the manager and coaches we have. It’s the same for Wrexham. I think we’ll both be up there next season competing.”
For now, though, Jones’ attentions are fixed on the national team. His call-up came about after receiving a direct message on Instagram from an opponent in the EFL.
“Luke Gambin [Malta and Sutton United] dropped me a message on Insta and said they were asking about me out there and to let him know if I’d be up for it and passed on my number to the president. I had the opportunity to play here and I thought ‘Why not?’”
Jones has already faced the reigning European champions Italy during his short international career, but competing against England will be especially significant. Particularly if two of his former teammates are involved.
“I know Eberechi Eze from my time at Arsenal and I played with James Maddison at Coventry so it will be very exciting if they play as well,” he says.
“It will be nice to see James. We haven’t seen each other for quite a long time. He was probably one of my closest mates when I was there.
“We used to stay out together all the time and practice free-kicks. We used to take turns to ask the manager who should stay out and practice because sometimes they would want us to rest!”
On Eze, who could make his debut on Friday, he adds: “I still remember clearly my dad – he’s got a good eye for a player – saying to me that Ebere would definitely go and have a good career. At the time, Ebere was a striker so a different player to what he is now but my dad was right.”
Jones acknowledges that it will be “tough” with 167 places separating Malta from England in Fifa’s world rankings. He has had to adapt from seeing plenty of the ball for his club, to barely touching it for his country – “Even when you get a free-kick your eyes light up ‘Oh my God, I’ve got a chance!’”
But that hasn’t stopped his mind from wandering into dream territory and contemplating how he might celebrate if he scores another momentous goal.
“If anyone says they haven’t dreamt of doing something like that they’re lying. I’ve pictured it loads of times. My son is 16 months old and does a little dance every day so if I do score I might try and do that as a celebration.
“Obviously nobody expects us to win, if we did it would be absolutely amazing. But there’s no point playing football if you’re not going to enjoy it.”
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