Jordon Mutch

Jordon James Edward Sydney Mutch (born 2 December 1991) is an English professional footballer who plays as a central midfielder.

Mutch joined Birmingham City in 2007 from Derby County's youth system.

In the summer of 2007, Mutch decided to leave Derby, choosing to rejoin Westley, by then Academy director at Birmingham City, despite competition from clubs including Liverpool and Aston Villa.

Because of the player's youth, no transfer fee was payable, but a compensation package was agreed with Derby for his services.

While still a schoolboy, aged 15 years 298 days, Mutch was selected in the 16-man squad for Birmingham's League Cup third-round match against Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park in September 2007.

The Premier League confirmed that match rules permitted selection of a player of that age, but changed their minds only hours before the match after becoming aware of the Football Association's Child Protection regulations which specified a minimum age of 16 for players in open-age football.

Reserve player David Howland, who was not registered with a Premier League squad number, had to travel to Blackburn at the last minute with special dispensation to take Mutch's place on the bench wearing an unnumbered shirt.

During the 2007–08 season Mutch made more appearances for the reserve team than any other outfield player, as well as playing 14 games for the under-18 side, and was voted Academy Player of the Season.

He was in the starting eleven for the Birmingham Senior Cup 5–0 victory over Burton Albion; though nominally a reserve team several first-team players were included.

He made his competitive debut for the club in the League Cup in August 2008, and his first appearance in the Football League while on loan to Hereford United the following year.

Mutch was named on the bench for the January 2008 third-round FA Cup tie at Huddersfield Town, aged 16 years 34 days.

Had he entered the game he would have broken Trevor Francis's record as the youngest player to make a competitive first-team appearance for the club; however the team struggled and manager Alex McLeish felt unable to give him his debut.

In the build-up to the 2008–09 season, Mutch was part of the first-team squad and, together with fellow youngsters Jared Wilson and Sone Aluko, went on the club's pre-season tour to Austria, where his performances were remarked on favourably by other players.

He was included in the starting eleven in pre-season domestic friendlies, but McLeish was reluctant to push him into first-team football at Championship level before he was ready.

Mutch finally made his first-team debut as a half-time replacement for Gary McSheffrey in the second-round League Cup defeat at Southampton on 26 August 2008, thus becoming, at 16 years 268 days, Birmingham's second-youngest debutant of all time, after Trevor Francis.

In October 2008, Mutch was ordered to take a period of complete rest because his rapid rate of growth had placed excessive strain on the growth plates in his legs.

Rest and surgery corrected the problem, which had caused fractures in both feet, and Mutch accepted the offer of a first professional contract in April 2009.

Mutch joined Hereford United of League Two on 26 November 2009 on a Football League Youth Loan, an arrangement which allowed the player to appear for Birmingham's reserve and youth teams on days when Hereford have no fixture.

The loan ran until 2 January 2010.

He went straight into the starting eleven for Hereford's second round FA Cup match, at home to Colchester United two days later, and played the whole of the game, which Hereford lost to a stoppage-time goal.

Mutch made his debut in the Football League on 1 December, in a 3–1 win away against Northampton Town; his free-kick was parried by Northampton's goalkeeper to set up a goal for Mathieu Manset.

On 25 January 2010, Mutch joined Doncaster Rovers of the Championship, also on a month's Football League youth loan.

He made his debut the next day as a second-half substitute in the 4–1 home defeat against Middlesbrough; he scored from a "stunning 25-yard shot" to give his new club a consolation.

The loan was eventually extended to the end of the season.

After being given a first-team squad number by Birmingham for the 2010–11 season, Mutch joined Championship club Watford on a month's Football League youth loan, later extended until January 2011.

Though Watford manager Malky Mackay was keen for Mutch to remain with the club, he was recalled to Birmingham in January, having scored five goals from 23 League matches.

Mutch's first start came in "an experimental Birmingham line-up" in the third-round FA Cup-tie at Millwall;he played the full 90 minutes in a 4–1 win.

He made his Premier League debut on 22 January 2011, replacing the rested Craig Gardner ahead of the League Cup semi-final second leg, and again played the whole match as Birmingham lost 5–0 at Manchester United.

A few days later, he signed a three-year extension to his contract, which had been due to expire at the end of the season.

His second Premier League match, at Everton in March, was eventful.

With Gardner, Barry Ferguson and Keith Fahey all injured, Mutch started the game in central midfield.

After 17 minutes, Jean Beausejour opened the scoring with a header from Mutch's lofted cross.

When referee Peter Walton attempted to caution the player for a foul on Louis Saha, he found himself without yellow cards, so showed the player an imaginary card instead.

He also spent loan spells in the Championship with Doncaster Rovers and Watford, and became a first-team regular for Birmingham, before leaving for Cardiff City in 2012.

Mutch contributed to Cardiff's promotion to the Premier League in his first season, and after their relegation in 2014 he returned to the top flight with Queens Park Rangers.

Unable to establish himself in their first team, he signed for Crystal Palace in January 2015.

Mutch spent the second half of the 2017–18 season on loan to Reading and the 2018 Major League Soccer season with Vancouver Whitecaps FC, before leaving Palace by mutual consent in January 2019.

After short spells with South Korean K League 1 club Gyeongnam, Aalesund of the Norwegian Eliteserien, and Australian A-League club Western Sydney Wanderers, he joined Macarthur FC in 2021.

He has represented his country at levels from under-17 to under-21.

Mutch, from Alvaston, Derby, began his football career in Derby County's youth system, where he spent five years working under Academy director Terry Westley.