# James Crole
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{{Short description|Welsh footballer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2026}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = James Crole
| image =
| full_name =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=y|2004|02|22}}
| birth_place = [Bridgend](/source/Bridgend), [Wales](/source/Wales)
| height =
| position = [Striker](/source/Forward_(association_football))
| currentclub = [Newport County](/source/Newport_County_A.F.C.)
| clubnumber = 16
| youthyears1 =
| youthclubs1 = [Newport County](/source/Newport_County_A.F.C.)
| youthyears2 =
| youthclubs2 = [Cardiff City](/source/Cardiff_City_F.C.)
| years1 = 2022–2024
| clubs1 = [Cardiff City](/source/Cardiff_City_F.C.)
| caps1 = 0
| goals1 = 0
| years2 = 2023
| clubs2 = → [Torquay United](/source/Torquay_United_F.C.) (loan)
| caps2 = 2
| goals2 = 0
| years3 = 2024
| clubs3 = → [Queen's Park](/source/Queen's_Park_F.C.) (loan)
| caps3 = 1
| goals3 = 0
| years4 = 2024–2026
| clubs4 = [Penybont](/source/Penybont_F.C.)
| caps4 = 48
| goals4 = 27
| years5 = 2026–
| clubs5 = [Newport County](/source/Newport_County_A.F.C.)
| caps5 = 20
| goals5 = 1
| nationalyears1 = 2022
| nationalteam1 = [Wales U18](/source/Wales_national_under-18_football_team)
| nationalcaps1 = 2
| nationalgoals1 = 1
| nationalyears2 = 2022
| nationalteam2 = [Wales U19](/source/Wales_national_under-19_football_team)
| 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](/source/association_football) who plays as a [striker](/source/Forward_(association_football)) for {{English football updater|NewportC}} club [Newport County](/source/Newport_County_A.F.C.). He is a Wales youth international.
==Club career==
===Cardiff City===
Crole joined the [Cardiff City](/source/Cardiff_City_F.C.) academy from the [Newport County](/source/Newport_County_A.F.C) academy at under-14 level.[{{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}}] He signed his first professional contract with Cardiiff City for two years in June 2022.[{{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}}]
In January 2023 Crole joined [National League](/source/National_League_(division)) club [Torquay United](/source/Torquay_United_F.C.) on loan for the remainder of the 2022-23 season.[[https://torquayunited.com/crole-becomes-a-gull/ Crole To Become A Gull], Torquay United F.C., 6 January 2023. Retrieved 3 June 2024.]
On 27 February 2023, Crole made his senior debut for Cardiff City in the [EFL Cup](/source/EFL_Cup) third round 5–2 defeat to [Blackburn Rovers](/source/Blackburn_Rovers_F.C.).[{{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}}]
On 1 January 2024 Crole joined [Scottish Championship](/source/Scottish_Championship) club [Queen's Park](/source/Queen's_Park_F.C.) on loan for the remainder of the 2023-24 season.[{{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}}] He made his debut for Queen's Park on 3 February 2024 in the 1-0 win against Inverness.[{{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}}]
Crole departed Cardiff upon the expiry of his contract at the end of the [2023–24 season](/source/2023%E2%80%9324_Cardiff_City_F.C._season).[ {{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}}]
===Penybont===
In July 2024, Crole joined [Cymru Premier](/source/Cymru_Premier) club [Penybont](/source/Penybont_F.C.).[ {{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}}] Crole was joint winner of the [Cymru Premier Golden Boot](/source/Cymru_Premier_Golden_Boot) award for the [2024–25 season](/source/2024%E2%80%9325_Cymru_Premier), scoring 16 alongside [Caernarfon Town's](/source/Caernarfon_Town_F.C.) [Louis Lloyd](/source/Louis_Lloyd).[{{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}}]
===Newport County===
In January 2026, Crole joined [EFL League Two](/source/EFL_League_Two) club [Newport County](/source/Newport_County_A.F.C.) on a two-and-a-half year deal for an undisclosed fee.[{{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}}][ {{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}}] He made his debut for the side on 17 January 2026 in a 3-2 league defeat to [Gillingham](/source/Gillingham_F.C.).[{{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}}] Crole scored his first Newport goal in the EFL League Two 2-1 win against [Barnet](/source/Barnet_F.C.) on 14 March 2026.[{{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}}]
==International==
Crole was called up to the Wales under-19 squad in September 2022 for the [2023 UEFA European Under-19 Championship qualification](/source/2023_UEFA_European_Under-19_Championship_qualification) matches against Hungary, Republic of Ireland and Gibraltar.[{{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}}] He featured in all three matches, scoring two goals against Gibraltar.[{{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}}]
==Career statistics==
{{updated|match played 2 May 2026}}[{{soccerway|new_id=crole-james/KOyAR063|access-date=13 April 2026}}]
{| 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](/source/Cardiff_City_F.C.)
|[2022–23](/source/2022%E2%80%9323_Cardiff_City_F.C._season)
| rowspan="2" |[EFL Championship](/source/EFL_Championship)
|0||0||0||0||0||0||colspan="2"|–||0||0||0||0
|-
|[2023–24](/source/2023%E2%80%9324_Cardiff_City_F.C._season)
|0||0||0||0||1||0||colspan="2"|–||1{{efn|name=WLC|Appearance for Cardiff City U21s in [Welsh League Cup](/source/Welsh_League_Cup)}}||0||2||0
|-
! colspan="2" |Total
!0!!0!!0!!0!!1!!0!!0!!0!!1!!0!!2!!0
|-
|[Torquay United](/source/Torquay_United_F.C.) (loan)
|[2022–23](/source/2022%E2%80%9323_National_League)
|[National League](/source/National_League_(division))
|2||0||0||0|| colspan="2" |–|| colspan="2" |–||0||0||2||0
|-
|[Queen's Park](/source/Queen's_Park_F.C.) (loan)
|[2023–24](/source/2023%E2%80%9324_Queen's_Park_F.C._season)
|[Scottish Championship](/source/Scottish_Championship)
|1||0||0||0||0||0|| colspan="2" |–||0||0||1||0
|-
| rowspan="3" |[Penybont](/source/Penybont_F.C.)
|[2024–25](/source/2024%E2%80%9325_Cymru_Premier)
| rowspan="2" |[Cymru Premier](/source/Cymru_Premier)
|31||16||0||0||1||1|| colspan="2" |–||0||0||32||17
|-
|[2025–26](/source/2025%E2%80%9326_Cymru_Premier)
|17||11||2||3||2||4||2{{efn|name=UECL|Appearances in [UEFA Conference League](/source/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](/source/Newport_County_A.F.C.)
|[2025–26](/source/2025%E2%80%9326_Newport_County_A.F.C._season)
|[EFL League Two](/source/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](/source/Cymru_Premier_Golden_Boot): [2024–25](/source/2024%E2%80%9325_Cymru_Premier)