{{Short description|Welsh footballer}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2026}} {{Infobox football biography | name = James Crole | image = | full_name = <!-- if different --> | birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=y|2004|02|22}} | birth_place = Bridgend, Wales | height = | position = Striker | currentclub = Newport County | clubnumber = 16 | youthyears1 = | youthclubs1 = Newport County | youthyears2 = | youthclubs2 = Cardiff City | years1 = 2022–2024 | clubs1 = Cardiff City | caps1 = 0 | goals1 = 0 | years2 = 2023 | clubs2 = → Torquay United (loan) | caps2 = 2 | goals2 = 0 | years3 = 2024 | clubs3 = → Queen's Park (loan) | caps3 = 1 | goals3 = 0 | years4 = 2024–2026 | clubs4 = Penybont | caps4 = 48 | goals4 = 27 | years5 = 2026– | clubs5 = Newport County | caps5 = 20 | goals5 = 1 | nationalyears1 = 2022 | nationalteam1 = Wales U18 | nationalcaps1 = 2 | nationalgoals1 = 1 | nationalyears2 = 2022 | nationalteam2 = Wales U19 | nationalcaps2 = 3 | nationalgoals2 = 2 | club-update = 16:44, 2 May 2026 (UTC) | ntupdate = 19:04, 25 February 2024 (UTC) }}
'''James Crole''' (born 22 February 2004) is a Welsh footballer who plays as a striker for {{English football updater|NewportC}} club Newport County. He is a Wales youth international.
==Club career== ===Cardiff City=== Crole joined the Cardiff City academy from the Newport County academy at under-14 level.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cardiffcityfc.co.uk/news/u18-our-new-apprentices-202021|title=U18 | Our new apprentices for 2020/21 | Cardiff|website=www.cardiffcityfc.co.uk}}</ref> He signed his first professional contract with Cardiiff City for two years in June 2022.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cardiffcityfc.co.uk/news/promising-young-players-sign-new-contracts-ccs|title=Promising young players sign new contracts at CCS | Cardiff|website=www.cardiffcityfc.co.uk}}</ref>
In January 2023 Crole joined National League club Torquay United on loan for the remainder of the 2022-23 season.<ref>[https://torquayunited.com/crole-becomes-a-gull/ Crole To Become A Gull], Torquay United F.C., 6 January 2023. Retrieved 3 June 2024.</ref>
On 27 February 2023, Crole made his senior debut for Cardiff City in the EFL Cup third round 5–2 defeat to Blackburn Rovers.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/66862358|title=Blackburn Rovers 5-2 Cardiff City: Andrew Moran stars as hosts reach Carabao Cup fourth round|work=BBC Sport |date=27 September 2023}}</ref>
On 1 January 2024 Crole joined Scottish Championship club Queen's Park on loan for the remainder of the 2023-24 season.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cardiffcityfc.co.uk/news/loan-james-crole-joins-queens-park|title=Loan | James Crole joins Queen's Park | Cardiff|website=www.cardiffcityfc.co.uk}}</ref> He made his debut for Queen's Park on 3 February 2024 in the 1-0 win against Inverness.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/68115187|title=Inverness CT 0-1 Queen's Park: Dom Thomas winner earns visitors crucial win|work=BBC Sport |date=3 February 2024}}</ref>
Crole departed Cardiff upon the expiry of his contract at the end of the 2023–24 season.<ref> {{cite web|url=https://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/cardiff-city-confirm-12-players-29311763|title=Cardiff City confirm 12 players will leave as five offered new deals|publisher=Wales Online|last=Williams|first=Glen|date=7 June 2024|accessdate=18 January 2026}}</ref>
===Penybont=== In July 2024, Crole joined Cymru Premier club Penybont.<ref> {{cite web|url=https://clwbpeldroed.org/2024/07/13/penybont-james-crole-newport/|title=Cardiff City star lands at Penybont as Newport County snap up Haverfordwest talisman|publisher=Clwb Pel-Droed|last=Drinkwater-James|first=Max|date=13 July 2024|accessdate=18 January 2026}}</ref> Crole was joint winner of the Cymru Premier Golden Boot award for the 2024–25 season, scoring 16 alongside Caernarfon Town's Louis Lloyd.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Jones |first=Dave |date=20 April 2025 |title=Just 16 goals won this season's Cymru Premier golden boot - why the drastic drop? |url=https://nwsport.co.uk/2025/04/20/just-16-goals-won-this-seasons-cymru-premier-golden-boot-why-the-drastic-drop/ |access-date=13 April 2026 |website=NW Sport |language=en-GB}}</ref>
===Newport County=== In January 2026, Crole joined EFL League Two club Newport County on a two-and-a-half year deal for an undisclosed fee.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/c87r3j8e9j7o|title=Newport County news: James Crole and Tanatswa Nyakuhwa join Exiles|date=14 January 2026|website=BBC Sport}}</ref><ref> {{cite web|url=https://www.newport-county.co.uk/news/club-announcement-james-crole|title=CLUB ANNOUNCEMENT: JAMES CROLE|website=www.newport-county.co.uk|date=14 January 2026|accessdate=18 January 2026}}</ref> He made his debut for the side on 17 January 2026 in a 3-2 league defeat to Gillingham.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Gillingham 3-2 Newport County: Spirited County beaten by late goals |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/live/c62w6kz26r1t |date=19 January 2026 |website=BBC Sport |language=en-GB}}</ref> Crole scored his first Newport goal in the EFL League Two 2-1 win against Barnet on 14 March 2026.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Barnet 1-2 Newport County: Visitors climb out of relegation zone |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/live/cy4w9xmkr0vt |date=14 March 2026 |website=BBC Sport |language=en-GB}}</ref>
==International== Crole was called up to the Wales under-19 squad in September 2022 for the 2023 UEFA European Under-19 Championship qualification matches against Hungary, Republic of Ireland and Gibraltar.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cardiffcityfc.co.uk/news/young-bluebirds-called-represent-wales-u19-side|title=Young Bluebirds called up to represent Wales' U19 side! | Cardiff|website=www.cardiffcityfc.co.uk}}</ref> He featured in all three matches, scoring two goals against Gibraltar.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://queensparkfc.co.uk/cardiff-citys-james-crole-on-loan-to-queens-park/|title=Cardiff City's James Crole on loan to Queen's Park|first=Ian|last=Cairns|date=31 January 2024}}</ref>
==Career statistics== {{updated|match played 2 May 2026}}<ref>{{soccerway|new_id=crole-james/KOyAR063|access-date=13 April 2026}}</ref> {| 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"|National cup !colspan="2"|League cup !colspan="2"|Continental !colspan="2"|Other !colspan="2"|Total |- !Division!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals |- | rowspan="3" |Cardiff City |2022–23 | rowspan="2" |EFL Championship |0||0||0||0||0||0||colspan="2"|–||0||0||0||0 |- |2023–24 |0||0||0||0||1||0||colspan="2"|–||1{{efn|name=WLC|Appearance for Cardiff City U21s in Welsh League Cup}}||0||2||0 |- ! colspan="2" |Total !0!!0!!0!!0!!1!!0!!0!!0!!1!!0!!2!!0 |- |Torquay United (loan) |2022–23 |National League |2||0||0||0|| colspan="2" |–|| colspan="2" |–||0||0||2||0 |- |Queen's Park (loan) |2023–24 |Scottish Championship |1||0||0||0||0||0|| colspan="2" |–||0||0||1||0 |- | rowspan="3" |Penybont |2024–25 | rowspan="2" |Cymru Premier |31||16||0||0||1||1|| colspan="2" |–||0||0||32||17 |- |2025–26 |17||11||2||3||2||4||2{{efn|name=UECL|Appearances in UEFA Conference League}}||0||0||0||23||18 |- ! colspan="2" |Total !48!!27!!2!!3!!3!!5!!2!!0!!0!!0!!55!!35 |- |Newport County |2025–26 |EFL League Two |20||1||0||0||0||0|| colspan="2" |–||0||0||20||1 |- ! colspan="3" |Career total !71!!28!!2!!3!!4!!5!!2!!0!!1!!0!!80!!36 |}
{{notelist}}
== Honours == '''Individual'''
* Cymru Premier Golden Boot: 2024–25<ref name=":0" />
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * {{Soccerbase|172188}} * {{Soccerway|646841}}
{{Newport County A.F.C. squad}} {{Cymru Premier Golden Boot}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Crole, James}} Category:2004 births Category:Living people Category:Footballers from Bridgend Category:Welsh men's footballers Category:Men's association football forwards Category:Cardiff City F.C. players Category:Queen's Park F.C. players Category:Penybont F.C. players Category:Newport County A.F.C. players Category:Cymru Premier players Category:English Football League players Category:Scottish Professional Football League players Category:21st-century Welsh sportsmen Category:Wales men's youth international footballers Category:National League (English football) players