{{Short description|English footballer (born 2003)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=May 2022}} {{Use British English|date=May 2022}} {{Infobox football biography | name = Jayden Wareham | image = | image_size = | caption = | fullname = Jayden Darren George Wareham<ref name="Soccerway">{{Cite news |title=J. Wareham |url=https://int.soccerway.com/players/jayden-wareham/647629/ |publisher=Soccerway |accessdate=9 May 2022}}</ref> | birth_date = {{birth date and age|2003|05|13|df=y}} | birth_place = Ascot, England<ref>{{Cite news |title=Jayden Wareham |url=https://www.chelseafc.com/en/teams/academy/jayden-wareham |publisher=Chelsea F.C. |accessdate=9 May 2022}}</ref> | height = 1.77m<ref name="Soccerway"/> | position = Forward | currentclub = Exeter City | clubnumber = 9 | youthyears1 = 2011–2014 | youthclubs1 = Reading | youthyears2 = 2014–2019 | youthclubs2 = Queens Park Rangers | youthyears3 = 2019–2020 | youthclubs3 = Woking | years1 = 2020–2021 | clubs1 = Woking | caps1 = 17 | goals1 = 2 | years2 = 2021–2023 | clubs2 = Chelsea | caps2 = 0 | goals2 = 0 | years3 = 2022–2023 | clubs3 = → Leyton Orient (loan) | caps3 = 5 | goals3 = 0 | years4 = 2023–2025 | clubs4 = Reading | caps4 = 44 | goals4 = 5 | years5 = 2025– | clubs5 = Exeter City | caps5 = 46 | goals5 = 19 | club-update = 17:10, 2 May 2026 (UTC) }} '''Jayden Darren George Wareham''' (born 13 May 2003) is an English professional footballer who plays as a forward for EFL League One side Exeter City.
==Career== ===Woking=== Wareham started his career at Reading and then Queens Park Rangers before he was released in 2019 and eventually joining National League side, Woking.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Chelsea close to signing Woking's Jayden Wareham |url=https://www.getsurrey.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/chelsea-close-signing-wokings-jayden-20487109 |publisher=Get Surrey |first=Clive |last=Youlton |date=28 April 2021 |accessdate=9 May 2022}}</ref> After impressing for the under-18 and under-23 sides, he made his debut for The Cards in January 2020, during a 6–2 away defeat to Sutton United, replacing Jake Gray with four minutes remaining.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Sutton United vs. Woking |url=https://int.soccerway.com/matches/2020/01/01/england/conference-national/sutton-united-fc/woking-fc/3054225/ |publisher=Soccerway |date=1 January 2020 |accessdate=9 May 2022}}</ref> Wareham played two more times in this campaign, and was also named the club's academy player of the year, before signing a new one-year contract with the Surrey-based side in October 2020.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Wareham signs senior deal |url=https://wokingfc.co.uk/news/article/7175/ |publisher=Woking F.C. |first=Glen |last=Harrington |date=2 October 2020 |accessdate=9 May 2022}}</ref> On 26 January 2021, he scored his first goals for the club coming off the bench to rescue a point in a 2–2 away draw against Bromley, netting in both the 72nd and 86th minute.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Bromley vs. Woking |url=https://int.soccerway.com/matches/2021/01/26/england/conference-national/bromley-fc/woking-fc/3370330/ |publisher=Soccerway |date=26 January 2021 |accessdate=9 May 2022}}</ref>
During his two-year spell at Woking, Wareham accolated twenty appearances to his name, scoring twice with both coming against Bromley, before earning himself a trial with Premier League side, Chelsea in March 2021.
===Chelsea=== Following a successful trial period, in which he featured three times, scoring once for the under-18 side, Wareham agreed a move to Chelsea in May 2021, signing a two-year deal.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Sources: Chelsea agree to sign striker Wareham today from English club |url=https://www.footballinsider247.com/sources-chelsea-agree-to-sign-striker-wareham-today-from-english-club/ |publisher=Football Insider |first=Wayne |last=Veysey |date=4 May 2021 |accessdate=9 May 2022}}</ref> Upon his arrival he was placed into the under-23 side for the 2021–22 campaign and went onto feature twenty-seven times, finishing the season as the age group's top goal scorer with seven goals to his name, with notable goals coming in the EFL Trophy and the UEFA Youth League.<ref name="Soccerway"/>
On 16 June 2023, Chelsea announced that Wareham would leave the club when his contract expired at the end of June.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Retained list and goodbye to Bakayoko |url=https://www.chelseafc.com/en/news/article/retained-list-and-goodbye-to-bakayoko |access-date=2023-06-16 |website=www.chelseafc.com |language=en-gb}}</ref>
====Loan to Leyton Orient==== On 1 September 2022, Wareham joined EFL League Two side Leyton Orient on a season-long loan.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Orient |first=Leyton |title=Orient secure loan signing of Jayden Wareham |url=https://leytonorient.com/news/2022/september/01/orient-secure-loan-signing-of/ |access-date=2022-09-01 |website=Leyton Orient}}</ref> It took the Ascot-born striker just over two weeks to make his Leyton Orient debut, with it coming during an EFL Trophy group stage tie against Sutton United, in which he netted two goals within the first 10 minutes of the eventual 3–1 victory.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Leyton Orient vs. Sutton United |url=https://uk.soccerway.com/matches/2022/09/20/england/football-league-trophy/leyton-orient-fc/sutton-united-fc/3830158/ |publisher=Soccerway |date=20 September 2022 |accessdate=18 May 2023}}</ref> These goals proved to be his only contribution in an Orient shirt, with Chelsea cutting the loan short in January 2023.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Jayden Wareham recalled from loan |url=https://www.leytonorient.com/news/2023/january/11/jayden-wareham-recalled-from-loan/ |publisher=Leyton Orient F.C. |date=11 January 2023 |accessdate=18 May 2023}}</ref> He returned to West London with seven appearances and two goals to his name during the six-month spell.
===Reading=== On 1 September 2023, Wareham returned to his boyhood club, Reading signing a one-year deal following his release from Chelsea.<ref>{{Cite web |last=FC |first=Reading |date=2023-09-01 |title=Four new recruits sign up to one-year deals with our Under-21s |url=https://readingfc.co.uk//news/2023/september/01/four-new-recruits-sign-up-to-one-year-deals-with-our-under-21s/ |access-date=2023-09-01 |website=Reading FC}}</ref> Later that month, he made his debut for the club starting in their historic 9–0 away victory over Exeter City in the EFL Trophy, featuring for just over an hour.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Exeter City vs. Reading |url=https://uk.soccerway.com/matches/2023/09/19/england/football-league-trophy/exeter-city-fc/reading-fc/4184007/ |publisher=Soccerway |date=19 September 2023 |accessdate=21 September 2023}}</ref>
On 8 May 2024, Reading activated a one-year extension to Wareham's contract, keeping him at the club until the summer of 2025.<ref>{{cite web |title=READING FC RETAINED LIST CONFIRMED |url=https://www.readingfc.co.uk/news/2024/may/08/retained-list-2024-07may24/ |website=readingfc.co.uk |publisher=Reading F.C. |access-date=8 May 2024 |date=8 May 2024}}</ref> He scored his first goal for Reading in an EFL Trophy tie against West Ham United U21s on 20 August 2024.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/c9qgx88w4pro |title=Man Utd U21s produce late comeback in EFL Trophy |publisher=BBC |date=20 August 2024 |access-date=23 August 2024}}</ref> Wareham scored his first league goal for Reading in a 2-1 away win against Exeter City on 22 October 2024,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Match Report: Exeter City 1 Reading 2 {{!}} Exeter City F.C. |url=https://www.exetercityfc.co.uk/news/match-report-exeter-city-1-reading-2 |access-date=2025-03-07 |website=www.exetercityfc.co.uk |language=en}}</ref> before scoring his first league goal at the Madjeski Stadium 11 February 2025 in a 1-1 draw against Shrewsbury Town.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Reading 1-1 Shrewsbury Town |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/live/c5yerll9l3kt |access-date=2025-03-07 |website=BBC Sport |language=en-GB}}</ref>
=== Exeter === On 26 June 2025, Exeter City announced they had signed Wareham on a two-year deal, with a club option of a third year, for an undisclosed fee.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-06-26 |title=Ethan Brierley & Jayden Wareham: Exeter City midfielder and striker |url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/c04dzkwpqdlo |access-date=2025-06-26 |website=BBC Sport |language=en-GB}}</ref>
==Career statistics== {{updated|match played on 2 May 2026}}<ref name="Soccerway"/>
{| 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"|Woking | 2019–20 |National League |3||0||0||0||colspan="2"|—||0||0||3||0 |- | 2020–21 |National League |14||2||1||0||colspan="2"|—||0||0||14||2 |- !colspan="2"|Total !17!!2!!1!!0!!colspan="2"|—!!0!!0!!17!!2 |- |rowspan="3"|Chelsea U21 |2021–22<ref name="sb2122">{{soccerbase season|128558|2021|access-date=12 November 2025}}</ref> |colspan="3"|—||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||3{{Efn|Appearances for Chelsea U21 in EFL Trophy}}||0||3||0 |- |2022–23<ref name="sb2223">{{soccerbase season|128558|2022|access-date=12 November 2025}}</ref> |colspan="3"|—||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||0||0||0||0 |- !colspan="2"|Total !0!!0!!0!!0!!0!!0!!3!!0!!3!!0 |- |Leyton Orient (loan) |2022–23<ref name="sb2223"/> |League Two |5||0||0||0||0 |0||2{{efn|name=EFLT|Appearance(s) in EFL Trophy}}||2||7||2 |- | rowspan="3" |Reading |2023–24<ref name="sb2324">{{soccerbase season|128558|2023|access-date=12 November 2025}}</ref> |League One |7||0||0||0||0 |0||4{{efn|name=EFLT}}||0||11||0 |- |2024–25<ref name="sb2425">{{soccerbase season|128558|2024|access-date=12 November 2025}}</ref> |League One |37||5||3||0||1||0||3{{efn|name=EFLT}}||2||44||7 |- ! colspan="2" |Total !44!!5!!3!!0!!1!!0!!7!!2!!55!!7 |- |Exeter City |2025–26<ref name="sb2526">{{soccerbase season|128558|2025|access-date=26 June 2025}}</ref> |League One |46||19||3||2||0||0||4{{efn|name=EFLT}}||1||53||22 |- ! colspan="3" |Career total !112||26||7||2||1||0||16||5||135||33 |}
{{notelist}}
== Honours == '''Leyton Orient'''
* EFL League Two: 2022–23<ref>{{Cite web |date=22 April 2023 |title=Leyton Orient 2-0 Crewe: Richie Wellens' side seal League Two title |url=https://www.skysports.com/football/leyton-orient-vs-crewe-alexandra/report/468899 |access-date=23 April 2023 |website=Sky Sports}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *{{soccerbase|id=128558}} *{{soccerway|id=647629}}
{{Exeter City F.C. Player of the Year}} {{Exeter City F.C. squad}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wareham, Jayden}} Category:2003 births Category:Living people Category:English men's footballers Category:Men's association football forwards Category:Queens Park Rangers F.C. players Category:Woking F.C. players Category:Chelsea F.C. players Category:Leyton Orient F.C. players Category:Reading F.C. players Category:Exeter City F.C. players Category:National League (English football) players Category:English Football League players Category:21st-century English sportsmen