Football's ultimate journeyman finally retires aged 46 after over 50 transfers
Football's ultimate journeyman is finally hanging up his boots after changing clubs 51 times during his career. Jefferson Louis has announced his decision to retire at the age of 46 after most recently starring for non-league side Thame United.
The striker has represented a list of clubs so extensive during his 29-year spell in football that even he has previously admitted to losing count. Louis started out back in 1996 when he made his debut for Risborough Rangers at the age of 17.
Since then he has shifted around the lower divisions of English football, turning out for the likes of Wrexham, Oxford United and Lincoln City. His former clubs also include Newport County, Bristol Rovers and Mansfield Town.
Louis' career highlights include lining up against Arsenal for Oxford United in an FA Cup third round tie in 2003 and playing for the Caribbean island of Dominica. However, he has now confirmed the end of his playing career following his fourth stint with Thame United.
Posting on X, Louis said: "A young boy that had a dream, and I lived it, but it's now time to call it a day! To go to the age of 46 is something I'm hugely proud of. Massive thanks to my former managers, team-mates and fans that have supported me throughout. Now to give back to the next generation."
According to a statement from his most recent team, Thame United, Louis played 903 games in total during almost three decades in football, scoring 293 goals.
The club said: "Jeff, who has had four stints at Thame United, has announced that he is retiring from competitive football A staggering 903 competitive games of football, with 293 goals to his name across a number of teams.
"Jefferson spent four years at Thame and finishes his career leaving with three Oxfordshire Senior Cups. A massive congratulations on an amazing career Jeff, from everyone at Thame United and we wish you all the best for the future."
Louis talked extensively about the drawbacks of his nomadic existence during an interview with The Telegraph back in 2014. He said: "It's like I'm cursed. When I signed for Wrexham, [manager] Dean Saunders said, 'I wish I had you when you was young. You'd be a Premiership player now.'
"For them to say this makes me think, wow. Something went wrong for me, innit? People say he must be a rebel, Jefferson must have been rude. And it's tarnished me. Some managers think I must be a bad apple."
Louis' career has not been without its controversies. He spent a short spell in prison at the age of 22 for dangerous driving. And while playing for Wrexham, he gave an X-rated touchline interview to Setanta Sports after being substituted during a game against Altrincham. When asked why he was brought off, he said: "I was f***ed."
He said playing for Scottish football manager Steve Evans at Crawley Town was another low point. "It was the worst thing I ever did," Louis said. "His man-management is terrible. We're playing AFC Wimbledon on the Tuesday. After the game he asked my opinion.
"I said we went a bit too negative. He went mental at me. He started effing and blinding, spitting everywhere. But he asked my opinion."
In more recent years, Louis has found enjoyment in teaching children who have been excluded from school. And despite some tough experiences, he insists he has no regrets about his career.
"I'm just happy with what I achieved," he said. "I played international football. I met my idol Thierry Henry. I've been back page in a newspaper. That's what I try and drill into the kids at school. Don't have no regrets."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scotsman
28 minutes ago
- Scotsman
Celtic's game of chicken begins - and poker players should be sitting comfortably next week
Many feel Rodgers has not been properly backed - but this Champions League tie is navigable Sign up to our Football newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... A return to past assignments awaits Celtic on Wednesday night. After three seasons of automatic qualification to the Champions League, they must negotiate a play-off to reach the promised land and a £40 million bounty - starting at Parkhead on Wednesday night. It seems a little unfair for a team that reached the knockout stages last season and performed so admirably in European football's top-tier competition to be given such a task. With Scottish football's UEFA coefficient having slipped in recent seasons, this is the by-product: a two-legged shoot-out with Kazakh champions Kairat Almaty. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Celtic have not successfully navigated a Champions League qualification campaign since midway through current manager Brendan Rodgers' first spell in charge of the club. Back in the 2017/18 campaign, they defeated another team from Kazakhstan - Astana - to qualify for the group stages. Since then, at various hurdles they have lost to AEK Athens, CFR Cluj, Ferencvaros and Midtjylland. Nobody is taking Kairat lightly. Celtic's Kieran Tierney leads training ahead of the match against Kairat Almaty. | SNS Group Memories of running Bayern Munich close in Bavaria just six months ago have long dissipated into the air. Facing Kairat is not a glamorous tie. Their home city of Almaty is further east than Afghanistan, on the outer reaches of UEFA's span. Kairat edged past Slovan Bratislava - a side that Celtic spanked 5-1 in the Champions League last year - in the last qualifying round on penalties. They chucked away a 2-0 lead to lose 3-2 on domestic duty at the weekend. Celtic are warm favourites to progress. Much has been made of Celtic's transfer business so far this summer and the lack of arrivals. The fear amongst a jittery fanbase is that Rodgers and his coaching staff have been left short for such a pivotal match. Only left-back Kieran Tierney, signed on a free transfer from Arsenal, and attacking midfielder Benjamin Nygren (£1.5 million signing from FC Nordsjaelland) have made it into Celtic's starting XI. The lack of recruits in the forward line is irritating many. That would include Rodgers, who has made little secret of his wish for more firepower in his team. Their current No 9 Adam Idah has yet to score this season, while last season's top-scorer Daizen Maeda only opened his account on Friday night. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad hghghg Nicolas Kuhn has been sold to Como for £16m and Jota has a long-term knee injury. Doubts remain over the suitability of wide players Yang Hjun-jun and James Forrest for elite-level matches, while the deputies to Idah - young Irishman Johnny Kenny, new Japanese 24-year-old Shin Yamada and Fulham academy player Callum Osmand - are unproven at Champions League level. It is a narrative that has dominated Celtic's season thus far, although results have not been impacted. In their three competitive matches so far, Rodgers' side have beaten St Mirren 1-0, Aberdeen 2-0 and Falkirk 4-1. Old Firm rivals Rangers have made ten new signings and are in a worse position. One wonders whether there are some smug smiles in the Celtic board room. Why the mass hysteria? However, with Rodgers entering the last 12 months of his contract, some feel that the directors' reluctance to back him properly before a Champions League qualifier is akin to playing a game of chicken with a manager who previously walked out for Leicester, no doubt partly spurred on by the club's recruitment policy back in 2019.
Daily Record
an hour ago
- Daily Record
World media reacts to seething Rangers mega rage as famous Ibrox atmosphere brutally called out
The boo sea of Ibrox raged after they watched Russell Martin's side come apart at the seams and tee up Brugge for mega millions "Ibrox this, Ibrox that." Only 24 hours after Gary Neville praised Rangers' legendary atmosphere under the lights there were counter claims that the famous old racket had been muzzled on a chastening night for Russell Martin. A £40m Champions League golden ticket is out of reach with only a stunning three-goal triumph in Belgium offering redemption now. But, in truth, can you blame the Rangers punter for being below par? Grave concerns about Martin's tactics were aired in the build-up a collective fanbase lacking faith soon found evidence for their concerns as the Belgians battered them and scored three goals in the first 20 minutes. Danilo's consolation will likely be a moot point and Martin's fighting talk wasn't backed up by his public who see a side who show only meek resistance when the heat is on. Concerns about Russell's Rangers are rising on these shores and now the fragility of this team has been exposed to a worldwide audience. Record Sport runs the rule over the best reaction. Nieuwsblad (Belgium) Club Brugge is already counting its chickens before they hatch. Literally. The 40 million that will surely be collected through the Champions League's league phase can be added to the bank. It would have to be incredibly lopsided in the second leg for this blue-and-black team to slip away. Nobody believes that. Thank you very much, Rangers. Right? It was the Glasgow giants themselves who rolled out the red carpet for Club. The clock hadn't even read three minutes when Tzolis kicked the ball forward. Djiga, the defender Anderlecht and AA Gent had longed for in the past, was counting on goalkeeper Jack Butland. The keeper was counting on Djiga. A communication blunder, which Vermant capitalised on. He did follow up and curled the ball over the flailing Butland into the empty net: 0-1. Four minutes later, it was bingo again, from a corner by Tzolis. The way Spileers was left completely alone is a testament to amateur-level defending. The 20-year-old defender only had to put his foot to the ball: 0-2. Swearing, whistling, banging on the benches: no, there was no sign of the witches' cauldron that can be Ibrox. Things rattled so loudly at Rangers that the Scottish supporters were already taking aim at their own team. And the swearing in Glasgow only grew louder. While Rangers do have to work hard this weekend, the blue-blacks have a week to prepare for the second leg. This can't go wrong. NU (Netherlands) Club Brugge had scored after just three minutes at Ibrox Stadium, though Rangers did the preparatory work. After a miscommunication between defender Nasser Djiga and goalkeeper Jack Butland, Romeo Vermant finished beautifully with a lob. Rangers had barely recovered from the shock when the ball was back in the net. Jorne Spileers tapped in from a corner. The highlight of the evening came in the twentieth minute. Brandon Mechele, in his 500th appearance for Club Brugge, fired a beautiful shot into the far corner. HNL (Belgium) Ibrox this, Ibrox that. It took Club Brugge just seven minutes to silence Rangers' stadium, one of the loudest in Europe. In the third minute, Romeo Vermant took advantage of a misunderstanding between defender Djiga and goalkeeper Butland to make it 0-1 with a wonderful lob. The final score was 1-3. Club can't let this slip away on Wednesday. The Champions League beckons. Could Nicky Hayen's tuxedo be hanging ready? VL (Netherlands) Ibrox really got into the swing of things on Tuesday evening when Rangers hosted the Belgian giants. Confidence was high at the Scottish club, but Rangers were soon disappointed. A deafening silence followed as Club Brugge unbelievably executed a thrashing in the opening twenty minutes. Incidentally, Cyriel Dessers witnessed the incident from the stands, as the Belgian striker was injured. The fiery Ibrox atmosphere was quickly extinguished, thanks to Club Brugge's solid handling of the situation. After twenty minutes, the score was already 0-3. A blunder at the back led to Romeo Vermant making it 0-1 after two minutes, who gratefully capitalized. Four minutes later, Jorne Spileers also had plenty of time and space, tapping in the second goal from a corner. Brandon Mechele, playing his 500th match for the club, made it 0-3 with a long-range shot. Ibrox booed their own team, who were already dizzy in the net and seemed to have forgotten about the Champions League stage. Meanwhile, Carlos Forbs then 'forgot' to make it 0-4.
STV News
an hour ago
- STV News
When Muhammad Ali stepped into the ring in a Scottish ice rink
It's 60 years since Muhammad Ali stepped into the ring at Paisley Ice Rink for an exhibition bout against his friend and sparring partner, Jimmy Ellis. The visit came just months after Ali – then only 23 years old – stunned the world by knocking out Sonny Liston to become the global heavyweight champion. Fresh from that seismic victory, the man who styled himself 'The Greatest' embarked on an ambitious exhibition tour, which brought him, briefly, to Renfrewshire. For one local teenager, the memory has never faded. Retired boxing promoter Tommy Gilmour was only 13 when Ali came to Scotland. His father, also Tommy, was the champion's Scottish agent, giving the young boy rare access to Ali's dressing room. Getty Images American WBC world heavyweight boxing champion Muhammad Ali is greeted by a traditional Scottish pipe band on his arrival at Glasgow Airport, 18th August 1965. Ali is in the city for a series of exhibition matches. (Photo by Daily Express/Pictorial Parade/) 'There was nobody I'd rather meet than Ali' He told STV News: 'He was quite introverted. He had to be pushed into taking a picture with me – he just wanted to sit on his own. 'But because of our friendship with Angelo Dundee and Chris Dundee, they told him, 'This is Tommy's son, you need to get your picture taken with him.' It was nice to have a famous father.' The photograph, showing a boy dwarfed by Ali in a white robe, has remained Tommy's most treasured possession. STV News Muhammad Ali with Tommy Gilmour in his dressing room Even more precious is a signed card – a memento from the days when Ali was still in the middle of his transformation from Cassius Clay to Muhammad Ali. 'He had these cards with him when he was changing his name,' Gilmour said. 'That's why at the bottom it's printed Cassius Clay. But he kindly wrote, 'To Tommy, from Muhammad Ali.' 'There is nobody I would rather meet than Muhammad Ali.' Tommy Gilmour recalled meeting the fighter Retired coach Robert Armstrong remembers it clearly. As a 17-year-old boxer in the crowd, watching Ali in his prime was 'special'. 'It was phenomenal. He was a one-off – brilliant to watch. 'The whole town was buzzing and wanted to see him.' But for many in Paisley that night in 1965, the event didn't live up to expectations. Local newspapers reported that Ali looked tired after weeks of touring and put on a disappointing performance. Some fans, expecting fireworks, booed the champion. Muhammad Ali in the ring Ali reportedly snapped back at the hecklers: 'All booing must stop when the king's in the ring.' Later that evening, he cancelled his hotel booking and caught the next flight out of Scotland. Robert couldn't recall any heckling himself, but added: 'If people booed, they don't know anything about boxing. 'People thought they'd see Ali at his best, but an exhibition isn't a real fight – it's more of a spar. 'He danced around, he showed some moves, but he wasn't there to knock his opponent out. 'Still, it was special to see him in the flesh.' STV News Retired coach Robert Armstrong was a young boxer when he watched the 'special' exhibition Today, 60 years on, the echoes of that visit live on in gyms across Renfrewshire. At the Colosseum Gym in Renfrew, Robert Armstrong's son Neil now trains the next generation of Scottish fighters. 'We get boys from all kinds of backgrounds,' says Neil. 'Some stick with it, some don't. But we've got a couple who will be in the Commonwealth Games Scotland team, and we're hoping for medals.' The real inspiration, however, may lie with the youngest faces in the gym – boys barely into their teens, already lacing up gloves with determination. 'I really enjoy it. It's a great sport, a great community. I want to keep doing it and become an amateur,' says one, pausing between rounds. Another adds: 'I used to be bullied at school and now I just want to protect myself.' Decades after that fateful night at Paisley Ice Rink, the crowd may have booed, but Ali's presence planted seeds that still grow strong. And perhaps, somewhere in a small Scottish gym today, another young fighter is learning to float like a butterfly, sting like a bee – and dreaming of becoming The Greatest. Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
