{{Short description|English footballer (born 2003)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Infobox football biography | name = Jamal Baptiste | image = Jamal Baptiste 18042026 (1).jpg | image_size = | caption = Baptiste in 2026 | fullname = Jamal Marcus Baptiste<ref>Ancestry.com. ''England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1916-2007'' [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2008.</ref> | birth_date = {{birth date and age|2003|11|11|df=y}}<ref name="11v11">{{cite web |url=https://www.11v11.com/players/jamal-baptiste-266474/|title=Jamal Baptiste|website=11v11.com |publisher=AFS Enterprises |access-date=3 November 2021}}</ref> | birth_place = Redbridge, England | height = 1.85m<ref name="11v11"/> | position = Centre-back | currentclub = Rotherham United<br>(on loan from Sheffield United) | clubnumber = 15 | youthyears1 = 2011–2020 | youthclubs1 = West Ham United | years1 = 2020–2023 | clubs1 = West Ham United | caps1 = 0 | goals1 = 0 | years2 = 2023–2024 | clubs2 = Manchester City | caps2 = 0 | goals2 = 0 | years3 = 2023 | clubs3 = → Lommel (loan) | caps3 = 3 | goals3 = 0 | years4 = 2024– | clubs4 = Sheffield United | caps4 = 1 | goals4 = 0 | years5 = 2025– | clubs5 = → Rotherham United (loan) | caps5 = 29 | goals5 = 1 | nationalyears1 = 2019 | nationalteam1 = England U16 | nationalcaps1 = 6 | nationalgoals1 = 0 | nationalyears2 = 2019 | nationalteam2 = England U17 | nationalcaps2 = 2 | nationalgoals2 = 0 | nationalyears3 = 2021 | nationalteam3 = England U19 | nationalcaps3 = 6 | nationalgoals3 = 0 | club-update = 00:42, 1 April 2026 (UTC) | ntupdate = 20:45, 13 November 2021 (UTC) }}
'''Jamal Marcus Baptiste''' (born 11 November 2003) is an English professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for {{English football updater|RotherhU}} club Rotherham United, on loan from {{English football updater|SheffieU}} club Sheffield United.
==Club career== Baptiste joined West Ham United at the age of eight.<ref name = "FL">{{cite web|url=https://www.football.london/west-ham-united-fc/players/west-ham-wonderkid-jamal-baptiste-19266387|title=West Ham wonderkid Jamal Baptiste outlines his inspiration after signing first pro deal|publisher=Football London|date=12 November 2020|accessdate=12 June 2022}}</ref> In the 2018–19 season, Baptiste broke into West Ham's under-18 squad, whilst still a schoolboy. Baptiste later debuted for the under-23s at the age of 15, becoming the second youngest ever player to represent West Ham's under-23 side.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.whufc.com/teams/academy/squad/jamal-baptiste|title=Jamal Baptiste|publisher=West Ham United F.C.|accessdate=23 January 2021}}</ref> Upon his 17th birthday, on 11 November 2020, Baptiste signed his first professional contract with West Ham.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.whufc.com/news/articles/2020/november/12-november/jamal-baptiste-signs-first-professional-contract|title=Jamal Baptiste signs first professional contract|publisher=West Ham United F.C.|date=12 November 2020|accessdate=23 January 2021}}</ref> On 23 January 2021, Baptiste made his debut, as a substitute, for West Ham in a 4–0 FA Cup win against Doncaster Rovers.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/live/football/55672550|title=West Ham United 4–0 Doncaster Rovers|publisher=BBC Sport|date=23 January 2021|accessdate=23 January 2021}}</ref> On 9 December 2021, he played a full-match for West Ham in a 1–0 home defeat against Dinamo Zagreb in the Europa League.<ref name="Colman 2023"/>
In May 2023, Baptiste said he would be leaving West Ham at the end of the 2022–23 season as he felt he had played sufficient academy level football and was ready to play in a first-team environment. He also revealed a diagnosis of Guillain–Barré syndrome which had kept him out of the game for five months, and the help he had received with treatment from the personal doctor of West Ham chairman, David Sullivan.<ref name="Colman 2023">{{cite web | last=Colman | first=Jonty | title=Jamal Baptiste confirms West Ham exit and lifts lid on David Moyes' comments | website=Football.London | date=24 May 2023 | url=https://www.football.london/west-ham-united-fc/jamal-baptiste-west-ham-future-26981335 | access-date=26 May 2023}}</ref>
On 2 September 2023, Baptiste made a move to English club Manchester City as a free agent, and on the same day, he was loaned out to Belgian side Lommel.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://tribuna.com/en/news/football-2023-09-01-jamal-baptiste-joins-man-city-as-free-agent-from-west-ham/ |title=Jamal Baptiste joins Man City as free agent from West Ham |publisher=Tribuna.com |date=2 September 2023 }}</ref> The loan was for half a season, until the end of 2023.<ref>{{cite web|publisher=Lommel SK|url=https://www.lommelsk.be/nl/nieuws.php?nieuwsId=1643|title=WELKOM JAMAL BAPTISTE!|trans-title=WELCOME JAMAL BAPTISTE!|date=6 September 2023|access-date=10 September 2023|language=nl}}</ref>
Without playing for the club, he was released by Manchester City at the end of the 2023–24 season.<ref>{{cite web | last=Lucas | first=Damien Charles | title=Man City release star they signed from West Ham after just one year | website=Hammers News | date=6 June 2024 | url=https://www.hammers.news/news/man-city-release-star-they-signed-from-west-ham-after-just-one-year/ | access-date=6 June 2024}}</ref>
On 5 November 2024, he signed for Championship club Sheffield United, joining the club's under-21s side.<ref> {{cite web|url=https://www.sufc.co.uk/news/2024/november/05/jamal-baptiste-signs/|title=Jamal Baptiste signs|website=www.sufc.co.uk|date=5 November 2024|accessdate=8 November 2024}}</ref>
==International career== In October 2019, after previously representing England's under-16 side, Baptiste was called up for England's under-17s for the first time.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.whufc.com/news/articles/2019/october/04-october/west-ham-united-academy-trio-receive-england-call-ups|title=West Ham United Academy trio receive England call-ups|publisher=West Ham United F.C.|date=4 October 2019|accessdate=23 January 2021}}</ref>
On 2 September 2021, Baptiste made his debut for England U19, starting a 2–0 victory over Italy U19s at St George's Park.<ref>{{Cite web|title=England MU19s 2-0 Italy|url=https://www.englandfootball.com/articles/2021/Sep/02/20210209-england-mu19s-2-0-italy-report|access-date=2021-09-03|website=EnglandFootball.com|language=en}}</ref>
==Style of play== Terry Westley, academy manager at West Ham during Baptiste's formative years, has praised Baptiste's height, power and pace.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2019/10/14/west-ham-youngster-must-pay-no-attention-to-big-praise/|title=West Ham youngster must pay no attention to big praise|publisher=HITC|date=14 October 2020|accessdate=12 June 2022}}</ref> West Ham defender Angelo Ogbonna has lauded Baptiste's composure,<ref name = "FL"/> with former West Ham striker Carlton Cole comparing Baptiste to former West Ham academy graduate Rio Ferdinand after coaching Baptiste in the club's academy. Baptiste himself has said he models his game on Virgil van Dijk and former West Ham and England defender Matthew Upson.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hammers.news/club-news/carlton-cole-says-impressive-academy-prospect-jamal-baptiste-has-been-training-with-west-ham-first-team-and-could-be-the-new-rio-ferdinand/|title=Carlton Cole says impressive academy prospect Jamal Baptiste has been training with West Ham first team and could be the new Rio Ferdinand|date=8 July 2020 |publisher=Hammers News|accessdate=12 June 2022}}</ref>
==Career statistics== {{Updated|match played 9 December 2021}} {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" |+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition |- !rowspan="2"|Club !rowspan="2"|Season !colspan="3"|League !colspan="2"|FA Cup !colspan="2"|EFL Cup !colspan="2"|Other !colspan="2"|Total |- !Division!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals |- |rowspan="3"|West Ham United U21 |2019–20<ref name="sb1920">{{soccerbase season|126489|2019|access-date=15 February 2021}}</ref> |colspan="3"|—||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||1{{Efn|name=EFLT|Appearance(s) in EFL Trophy}}||0||1||0 |- |2020–21<ref name="sb2021">{{soccerbase season|126489|2020|access-date=15 February 2021}}</ref> |colspan="3"|—||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||3{{Efn|name=EFLT|Appearance(s) in EFL Trophy}}||0||3||0 |- !colspan="2"|Total !0||0||0||0||0||0||4||0||4||0 |- |rowspan="4"|West Ham United |2020–21<ref name="sb2021" /> |rowspan="3"|Premier League |0||0||1||0||0||0||0||0||1||0 |- |2021–22<ref name="sb2021" /> |0||0||0||0||0||0||1{{efn|name=UEL|Appearance(s) in UEFA Europa League}}||0||1||0 |- |2022–23<ref name="sb2021" /> |0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0 |- !colspan="2"|Total !0||0||1||0||0||0||1||0||2||0 |- !colspan="3"|Career total !0||0||1||0||0||0||5||0||6||0 |}
{{notelist}}
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *{{soccerway|jamal-baptiste/640183}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Baptiste, Jamal}} Category:2003 births Category:Living people Category:Men's association football defenders Category:English men's footballers Category:Black British sportsmen Category:21st-century Black British people Category:England men's youth international footballers Category:Footballers from the London Borough of Redbridge Category:English expatriate men's footballers Category:West Ham United F.C. players Category:Manchester City F.C. players Category:Lommel SK players Category:Sheffield United F.C. players Category:Challenger Pro League players Category:English expatriate sportspeople in Belgium Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Belgium Category:21st-century English sportsmen Category:English Football League players