Former Norwich City goalkeeper Paul Jones is rebuilding his football career after a year out of action – by joining the summer overhaul along the A47 at King’s Lynn Town.
Jones has rekindled his relationship with Linnets boss Ian Culverhouse – who was his youth team boss at Orient when he was a teenager.
The 34-year-old moved to Carrow Road in 2016 as understudy to John Ruddy, but played just one senior game, a 6-1 EFL Cup win over Coventry, moving on two years later to join Fleetwood and then, in August 2019, Sheffield Wednesday.
His last senior appearance was for Fleetwood in November 2018 in the Football League Trophy.
“I haven’t had a club for this season currently but that was more my doing,” said Jones. “I have got a young family and with all of the circumstances going on the offers I was having were a long way from home and I didn’t want to do that.
“That is why King’s Lynn ticked a lot of boxes for me, where I am at age-wise, family-wise, location so, yes, it just suits everything for me and hopefully it suits the club as well.
“I live in Norwich, I have done since I signed for Norwich a few years ago, but actually Ian was my youth team manager at Leyton Orient when I first started as a 16 year old so there is a connection there.
“I am excited, I have obviously been chatting to Ian and the club for a few weeks now and I am delighted that it is done, it is over the line and I can get my head down ready for next season.”
Jones is the Linnets’ third signing for the new National League season, joining midfielders Ethan Coleman and Munashe Sundire, while club stalwarts Michael Gash and Ryan Jarvis made their farewells to The Walks at the final game of the season on Saturday.
Jones’ career began at Exeter and took him on to Peterborough, Crawley and Portsmouth before he headed to Norfolk – and with more than 400 senior appearances under his belt he will give Culverhouse the experience his defence needs
“I started out in this league as an 18-year-old for Exeter so again it was quite a while ago, but I have played at this level, I know what it is about, I know what is required to get promoted out of the league and I hope that my experience can rub off on my team-mates and we have a good season,” he said.
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