Zech Medley
FullnameZechariah Joshua Henry Medley[1]
Birth date9 July 2000 (age 26)[2]
Birth placeGreenwich, England
Height6.4 ft (1.95 metres)[2]
PositionCentre-back
CurrentclubFleetwood Town
Clubnumber3
Youthyears 12008–2016
Youthclubs 1Chelsea
Youthyears 22016–2018
Youthclubs 2Arsenal
Years 12018–2021
Clubs 1Arsenal
Caps 10
Goals 10
Years 22020–2021
Clubs 2→ Gillingham (loan)
Caps 212
Goals 20
Years 32021
Clubs 3→ Kilmarnock (loan)
Caps 38
Goals 31
Years 42021–2024
Clubs 4KV Oostende
Caps 458
Goals 43
Years 52024–
Clubs 5Fleetwood Town
Caps 528
Goals 52
Years 62026
Clubs 6→ Bromley (loan)
Caps 69
Goals 60
Nationalyears 12015–2016
Nationalteam 1England U16
Nationalcaps 18
Nationalgoals 10
Club-update17:10, 15 May 2026 (UTC)

Zechariah Joshua Henry Medley (born 9 July 2000) is an English professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for club Fleetwood Town.

Club career

Born in Greenwich, Greater London, Medley joined the youth academy at Chelsea when he was eight years old.[3]

Arsenal

Upon leaving Chelsea, he joined the youth academy at Arsenal in December 2016.[4] He captained the Arsenal under-18's at the beginning of the 2017–18 season before moving to the under-23 side.[3]

On 22 October 2018, Medley appeared on the bench for the Arsenal senior side for the first time in a Premier League match against Leicester City.[5] A month later, on 29 November, Medley made his senior competitive debut for Arsenal in the Europa League against Vorskla Poltava, coming on as a 60th-minute substitute for Rob Holding.[6]

Loan spells

Medley had joined League One club Gillingham on a season-long loan on 10 August 2020, becoming their fourth signing of the summer.[7] On 5 September, he made his debut in a 1–0 win against Southend United in the EFL Cup.[8] He made a total of 18 appearances for the club before he was recalled on 1 February 2021.[9] He immediately joined Scottish Premiership side Kilmarnock on loan until the end of the season.[10] On 6 February, he made his debut in a 2–0 loss against St Mirren in the Scottish Premiership.[11] On 27 February, he scored his first goal for Kilmarnock in a 1–1 draw against Dundee United in the Scottish Premiership.[12][13]

KV Oostende

On 21 June 2021, Medley joined Belgian First Division A side KV Oostende on a permanent deal, signing a four-year contract with the option of an additional year.[14]

Fleetwood Town

On 2 July 2024, Medley returned to England, signing for League Two club Fleetwood Town on a two-year deal.[15] In August 2024, he underwent surgery following a ruptured achilles,[16] returning to playing with the club's Development Squad in March 2025.[17]

On 29 January 2026, Medley joined League Two leaders Bromley on loan until the end of the season.[18]

On 15 May 2026, Fleetwood announced he would be leaving in the summer when his contract expired.[19]

International career

Born in England, Medley is of Jamaican descent.[20] He is a youth international for England.[21]

Career statistics

[22][23]

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
ClubSeasonLeagueNational cup[a]League cup[b]ContinentalOtherTotal
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Arsenal2018–19[24]Premier League0010002[c]03[d]060
2019–20[25]Premier League000000002[d]020
2020–21[26]Premier League000000000000
Total001000205080
Gillingham (loan)2020–21[26]League One1200020—40180
Kilmarnock (loan)2020–21[26]Scottish Premiership812000——101
KV Oostende2021–22[22]Belgian Pro League18120———201
2022–23[22]Belgian Pro League15110———161
2023–24[22]Challenger Pro League25150———301
Total58380000000663
Fleetwood Town2024–25[27]League Two710010—0081
2025–26[28]League Two2112100—4[d]2274
Total28221100042355
Bromley (loan)2025–26[28]League Two90————90
Career total115613130201321469
  1. ^ Includes FA Cup, Scottish Cup, Belgian Cup
  2. ^ Includes EFL Cup, Scottish League Cup
  3. ^ Appearances in UEFA Europa League
  4. ^ Appearances in EFL Trophy

Honours

Bromley

References

  1. ^ "2020/21 Premier League squads confirmed". Premier League. 20 October 2020. Retrieved 21 October 2020.
  2. ^ "Zech Medley: Overview". Premier League. Retrieved 17 August 2019.
  3. ^ Wilson, Andy (22 October 2018). "Zech Medley: Who is the academy star on the Arsenal bench tonight? Where does he play?". Express. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
  4. ^ "Zech Medley joins Arsenal after successful trial – where does he fit?". Daily Cannon. 7 December 2016. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
  5. ^ "Arsenal 3-1 Leicester City". Soccerway
  6. ^ "Vorskla vs Arsenal". Soccerway
  7. ^ "Promising Arsenal youngster is one of our own". Gillingham Football Club. 10 August 2020. Retrieved 10 August 2020.
  8. ^ "Report | Gillingham 1-0 Southend United". www.gillinghamfootballclub.com. Retrieved 16 February 2021.
  9. ^ "Medley recalled by Arsenal and signs for Kilmarnock on loan". www.gillinghamfootballclub.com. Retrieved 16 February 2021.
  10. ^ "Zech Medley signs load deal from Arsenal". kilmarnockfc.co.uk. 1 February 2021. Retrieved 1 February 2021.
  11. ^ "St Mirren 2-0 Kilmarnock: Hosts pile on misery for managerless Kilmarnock". Sky Sports. Retrieved 16 February 2021.
  12. ^ "Loan Watch: Kolasinac, Medley both on target". www.arsenal.com. Retrieved 3 March 2021.
  13. ^ "Kilmarnock 'still have work to do' - Wright". BBC Sport. Retrieved 3 March 2021.
  14. ^ "KVO HAALT VERDEDIGER VAN ARSENAL" (in Dutch). K.V. Oostende. 21 June 2021. Retrieved 22 June 2021.
  15. ^ "Zech Medley added to Town's ranks". www.fleetwoodtownfc.com. 2 July 2024. Retrieved 2 July 2024.
  16. ^ "Injury update: Zech Medley". www.fleetwoodtownfc.com. 30 August 2024. Retrieved 29 January 2026.
  17. ^ "Medley: After 206 days out, it was great to be back playing". www.fleetwoodtownfc.com. 20 March 2025. Retrieved 29 January 2026.
  18. ^ "Zech Medley joins Bromley on loan from Fleetwood Town". www.bromleyfc.co.uk. 29 January 2026. Retrieved 29 January 2026.
  19. ^ "Fleetwood Town: Ched Evans among three players offered new contracts". BBC Sport. 2026-05-15. Retrieved 2026-05-15.
  20. ^ "Arsenal Planning To Offer New Contract To Promising Nigerian Defender:: All Nigeria Soccer - The Complete Nigerian Football Portal". www.allnigeriasoccer.com
  21. ^ "England under-16s suffer late 4-3 loss against Japan". The Football Association. 27 October 2015. Retrieved 1 April 2019.
  22. ^
  23. ^ "Zech Medley". Soccerbase. 2 February 2021. Retrieved 2 February 2021.
  24. ^
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  28. ^
  29. ^ "Bromley 3–1 Walsall – Ravens seal League Two title". BBC Sport. 2 May 2026. Retrieved 3 May 2026.