James Golding (footballer)
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | James Anthony Golding[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 10 August 2004 | ||
| Place of birth | Sutton, England | ||
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||
| Position | Centre back | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Oxford United | ||
| Number | 35 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2012–2020 | AFC Wimbledon | ||
| 2020–2022 | Oxford United | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2021– | Oxford United | 3 | (0) |
| 2022 | → Banbury United (loan) | 11 | (2) |
| 2023 | → Banbury United (loan) | 3 | (0) |
| 2023 | → Dartford (loan) | 9 | (1) |
| 2023 | → Maidenhead United (loan) | 10 | (0) |
| 2024 | → Maidenhead United (loan) | 7 | (2) |
| 2024–2025 | → Southend United (loan) | 14 | (3) |
| 2025–2026 | → Crewe Alexandra (loan) | 12 | (0) |
| 2026– | → Southend United (loan) | 7 | (2) |
| International career | |||
| 2022–2023 | Republic of Ireland U19 | 4 | (0) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 20:32, 17 March 2026 (UTC) | |||
James Anthony Golding (born 10 August 2004) is a professional footballer who plays as a defender for EFL Championship club Oxford United.
Club career
Oxford United
On 26 October 2021, Golding made his professional debut, coming on as a substitute for Jamie Hanson in the 78th minute in a 3–2 win against Tottenham Hotspur Academy in the EFL Trophy.[2]
On 11 January 2022, Golding joined Banbury United on an initial month long loan,[3] with the loan later being extended to the end of the season.[4]
On 23 March, Golding signed his first professional contract with United.[5] On 30 April, the final game of the 2021–22 season, Golding was given his first League One start in a 1–1 draw against Doncaster Rovers.[6]
On 11 August 2023, Golding joined Dartford on a one-month loan.[7] He then joined Maidenhead United on loan on 26 September.[8]
On 5 September 2024, Golding returned to Maidenhead United on loan until January 2025.[9] On 6 December 2024, he joined fellow National League side Southend United on a short-term loan deal.[10]
On 11 August 2025, Golding joined League Two club Crewe Alexandra on a season-long loan,[11] making his debut the following day in Crewe's 3–1 first round EFL Cup defeat at Stockport County.[12] Injured in a 2–1 defeat at Cambridge United on 29 November 2025, Golding was recalled by Oxford on 3 January 2026.[13]
International career
Golding received his first call up to the Republic of Ireland U19 squad on 30 May 2022, ahead of two friendlies against Iceland U19 in Spain.[14] He made his debut on 1 June, coming on in the 77th minute in a 3–0 win.[15]
Personal life
Golding is the brother of fellow professional footballer Michael Golding and scholar Aidan Golding.[16][17]
Career statistics
- As of match played 29 November 2025[18]
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | EFL Cup | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Oxford United | 2021–22[19] | League One | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1[a] | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 2022–23[20] | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2[a] | 0 | 6 | 0 | ||
| 2023–24[21] | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1[a] | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 2024–25[22] | Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2025–26[23] | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 0 | 0 | |||
| Total | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 9 | 0 | ||
| Banbury United (loan) | 2021–22 | SFL Premier Division Central | 14 | 2 | — | — | 1[b] | 0 | 15 | 2 | ||
| Dartford (loan) | 2023–24 | National League South | 9 | 1 | 1 | 0 | – | 0 | 0 | 10 | 1 | |
| Maidenhead United (loan) | 2023–24 | National League | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 1[c] | 0 | 11 | 0 | |
| Maidenhead United (loan) | 2024–25 | National League | 7 | 2 | 3 | 0 | – | 0 | 0 | 10 | 2 | |
| Southend United (loan) | 2024–25 | National League | 14 | 3 | 0 | 0 | – | 1[d] | 0 | 15 | 3 | |
| Crewe Alexandra (loan) | 2025–26 | League Two | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2[a] | 0 | 15 | 0 |
| Career total | 69 | 8 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 85 | 8 | ||
- ^ a b c d Appearance in EFL Trophy
- ^ Appearance in Southern League Cup
- ^ Appearance in Berks & Bucks Senior Cup
- ^ Appearance in FA Trophy
References
- ^ "EFL – Squad List 2024/25" (PDF). English Football League. Retrieved 13 February 2025.
- ^ "Karl Robinson on Oxford United's win over Tottenham Under 21s". Oxford Mail. 26 October 2021. Retrieved 26 October 2021.
- ^ "James Golding Joins Banbury On Loan". Oxford United. 11 January 2022. Retrieved 11 January 2022.
- ^ "GOLDING SIGNS TILL THE END OF THE SEASON!". Banbury United. 24 March 2022. Retrieved 24 March 2022.
- ^ "James Golding signs professional contract with Oxford United". Oxford Mail. 23 March 2022. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
- ^ "Oxford United 1 (Bodin 23), Doncaster Rovers 1 (Martin 67)". Oxford Mail. 30 April 2022. Retrieved 30 April 2022.
- ^ "James Golding Joins Dartford". Oxford United Official Site. 11 August 2023. Retrieved 11 August 2023.
- ^ "Welcome to York Road, James Golding". Maidenhead United Official Site. 26 September 2023. Retrieved 26 September 2023.
- ^ "James Golding re-joins as a Magpie". www.maidenheadunitedfc.org. 5 September 2024. Retrieved 5 September 2024.
- ^ "Golding Is A Blue!". www.southendunited.co.uk. 6 December 2024. Retrieved 9 December 2024.
- ^ "Crewe sign Oxford defender Golding on loan". BBC Sport. 11 August 2025. Retrieved 11 August 2025.
- ^ "Stockport County 3–1 Crewe Alexandra". BBC Sport. 12 August 2025. Retrieved 13 August 2025.
- ^ "Injured Golding returns to Oxford from Crewe". BBC Sport. 3 January 2026. Retrieved 13 January 2026.
- ^ "MU19 | Mohan names squad for Iceland game | Football Association of Ireland". www.fai.ie.
- ^ "REPORT Ireland MU19 3–0 Iceland MU19". www.fai.ie. Football Association of Ireland.
- ^ Rice, Liam (8 July 2024). "Leicester City sign Michael Golding from Chelsea for £4m". Oxford Mail. Retrieved 7 October 2025.
- ^ "Aidan Golding". www.brentfordfc.com. Retrieved 14 January 2026.
- ^ "Ireland – J. Golding – Profile with news, career statistics and history – Soccerway". ie.soccerway.com.
- ^ "Games played by James Golding in 2021/2022". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 2 September 2022.
- ^ "Games played by James Golding in 2022/2023". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 2 September 2022.
- ^ "Games played by James Golding in 2023/2024". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 2 September 2022.
- ^ "Games played by James Golding in 2024/2025". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 2 September 2022.
- ^ "Games played by James Golding in 2025/2026". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 2 September 2022.
External links
- James Golding at Soccerbase