James Chester

James Chester

Chester lining up for Wales in 2016
Personal information
Full name	James Grant Chester
Date of birth	(1989-01-23) 23 January 1989 (age 28)
Place of birth	Warrington, England
Height	1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Playing position	Centre back
Club information
Current team	Aston Villa
Number	12
Youth career
0000–2007	Manchester United
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2007–2011	Manchester United	0	(0)
2009	→ Peterborough United (loan)	5	(0)
2009	→ Plymouth Argyle (loan)	3	(0)
2010–2011	→ Carlisle United (loan)	18	(2)
2011–2015	Hull City	156	(7)
2015–2016	West Bromwich Albion	13	(0)
2016–	Aston Villa	37	(3)
National team‡
2014–	Wales	22	(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 10:32, 25 March 2017 (UTC). ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 09:44, 27 March 2017 (UTC)

James Grant Chester (born 23 January 1989) is a professional footballer who plays as a centre back for Championship club Aston Villa and the Wales national team.

Chester began his career with Manchester United but made only one appearance for the club. He had spells on loan at Peterborough United, Plymouth Argyle and Carlisle United before joining Hull City in January 2011 on a permanent contract. He spent three-and-a-half years there before signing for West Bromwich Albion in 2015. After only one year with West Brom, Chester joined Championship club Aston Villa in the summer of 2016. He made his debut for the Welsh senior team in June 2014 and has gone on to play at UEFA Euro 2016, helping his country to make it to the semi-final of a major international tournament for the first time in its history.

Chester was born in Warrington, Cheshire. He began his career with his local club, Winwick Athletic, where, at the age of five, he was already playing in the club's under-9s team. At the age of eight, he joined Manchester United, and signed a trainee contract at the age of 16 in July 2005. He went straight into the club's under-18s team, making 17 appearances in the 2005–06 season. He also got his first taste of reserve-team football on 21 February 2006, when he was named as an unused substitute for a 4–1 away win over Everton. He continued in the under-18 side in 2006–07, and scored his first goal in a United shirt on 9 December 2006, scoring the opening goal in a 3–1 away defeat by Manchester City. He made his debut for the reserve team on 15 February 2007, helping to hold Bolton Wanderers to a 0–0 draw. At the end of the season, he played in the teams for both the FA Youth Cup and Manchester Senior Cup finals. However, the teams lost both finals, losing to Liverpool on penalties in the former and to Manchester City in the latter.