Luther Wildin

Luther Ash James-Wildin (born 3 December 1997) is a professional footballer who plays as a right-back for League Two club Stevenage.

Luther Wildin
Personal information
Full name Luther Ash James-Wildin[1]
Date of birth (1997-12-03) 3 December 1997
Place of birth Leicester, England[2]
Playing position(s) Right-back
Club information
Current team
 Stevenage
Number 2
Youth career
2005–2014 Highfield Rangers
2014–2016 Notts County
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2016–2017 Notts County 0 (0)
2016–2017 → Grantham Town (loan) 35 (2)
2017–2018 Nuneaton Town 35 (2)
2018– Stevenage 60 (2)
National team‡
2016 Antigua and Barbuda U20 3 (1)
2018– Antigua and Barbuda 2 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 4 May 2020
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 25 March 2018

Wildin joined Notts County's academy in 2014 having previously played for youth team Highfield Rangers. He signed his first professional contract with Notts County in May 2016, and spent the 2016–17 season on loan at Northern Premier League club Grantham Town. He was released by Notts County at the end of the campaign and subsequently joined Nuneaton Town of the National League North in July 2017, where he spent one season. Wildin joined Stevenage for an undisclosed fee in May 2018. He has also represented Antigua and Barbuda at senior level.

Club career

Notts County

Wildin began playing football at the age of seven with his local Sunday League youth team Highfield Rangers.[3] He was part of a "very successful young side" at Highfield Rangers that stayed together for close to ten years.[3] Wildin stated that at the age of 14 he realised he was excelling at Sunday League level and wanted to try and play at a higher standard.[3] He subsequently had unsuccessful trials at Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa, before being scouted by Notts County in an U16 match in 2014.[3] He had a one-week trial at Notts County, which proved successful, and he signed a two-year scholarship to join the club's academy.[3] Despite having not made a first-team appearance, Wildin signed his first professional contract at Notts County in May 2016.[4]

A month into the 2016–17 season, on 19 September 2016, Wildin joined Grantham Town of the Northern Premier League on an initial one-month loan deal in order to gain first-team experience.[5] The loan deal was later extended until the end of the season.[3] Wildin made his debut for Grantham in a 4–0 victory over Stratford Town in the FA Trophy on 1 November 2016, coming on as a 77th-minute substitute in the match.[6] He established himself as a first-team regular from then on, scoring his first goal for the club when he gave Grantham the lead in an eventual 2–1 away win over Coalville Town on 11 April 2017.[7] Wildin made 42 appearances in all competitions during the loan spell, scoring twice.[8]

Nuneaton Town

Whilst still on loan at Grantham, Wildin was told that his one-year contract at Notts County would not be renewed and he subsequently left the club at the end of the 2016–17 campaign.[3] He signed for National League North club Nuneaton Town on 14 July 2017, joining the club alongside his brother, Courtney Wildin.[9] He made his debut for Nuneaton in the club's 1–0 win over Kidderminster Harriers on 8 August 2017.[10] Wildin became the first player signed up to Jamie Vardy's V9 Academy on 14 February 2018, a week-long academy that takes place at the end of the season to help non-league footballers into the Football League.[11][12] He scored his first goal for Nuneaton on 27 February 2018, his second-half strike proving the winner in a 2–1 away win against AFC Telford United.[13] Wildin made 38 appearances during the season, scoring twice.[2]

Stevenage

Wildin signed for League Two club Stevenage for an undisclosed fee on 16 May 2018.[14] The move reunited Wildin with Stevenage manager Dino Maamria, who had previously managed him at Nuneaton.[15] He made his Stevenage debut in the club's opening match of the 2018–19 season, a 2–2 draw with Tranmere Rovers at Broadhall Way.[16] Wildin scored his first Stevenage goal in the club's 2–1 away defeat at Newport County on 13 October 2018.[17] He was the club's first choice right back throughout the season,[18] making 41 appearances in all competitions as Stevenage finished in tenth position in League Two, one point off of the play-off places.[18][19]

International career

Wildin qualified to play for Antigua & Barbuda through his family heritage.[3] His older brother, Courtney, was called up to the senior team in May 2016 and the national association (ABFA) asked him if he had any brothers.[3] A month later, Wildin was subsequently called up to represent the Antigua and Barbuda U20 team at the 2016 CFU U20 Tournament.[3] He scored one goal and provided two assists in his three appearances.[4]

In March 2018, he was called up to the Antigua and Barbuda senior team for a pair of friendlies against Bermuda and Jamaica respectively.[20] He made his debut in a 3–2 home win over Bermuda on 21 March 2018, coming on as a 72nd-minute substitute in the match.[21]

Career statistics

Club
As of match played 7 March 2020
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League FA Cup League Cup Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Notts County 2016–17[22] League Two 0000000000
Grantham Town (loan) 2016–17[8] NPL Premier Division 35200—7[lower-alpha 1]0422
Nuneaton Town 2017–18[2] National League North 35220—1[lower-alpha 2]0382
Stevenage 2018–19[18] League Two 391101000411
2019–20[23] League Two 21100101[lower-alpha 3]0231
2020–21[24] League Two 0000000000
Total 602102010642
Career total 13063020901446
  1. Two appearances in the FA Trophy and five appearances in the League Challenge Cup
  2. Appearance in the FA Trophy
  3. Appearance in the EFL Trophy

International
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National teamSeasonAppsGoals
Antigua and Barbuda 2018[25]20
Total20
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References
  1. "Notification of shirt numbers: Stevenage" (PDF). English Football League. p. 68. Retrieved 27 October 2019.
  2. "Luther Wildin – Soccerway". Soccerway. Retrieved 27 May 2018.
  3. "Sports journalist student Nathan Carr profiles Grantham Town defender Luther Wildin". Grantham Journal. Retrieved 27 May 2018.
  4. "Notts County's Luther Wildin plays and scores for Antigua". Notts County F.C. 20 June 2016. Retrieved 27 May 2018.
  5. "Wildin joins Grantham". Notts County F.C. 19 September 2016. Retrieved 27 May 2018.
  6. "Grantham Town 4–0 Stratford Town". Grantham Town F.C. 1 November 2016. Retrieved 27 May 2018.
  7. "Coalville Town 1–2 Grantham Town". Grantham Town F.C. 11 April 2017. Retrieved 27 May 2018.
  8. "Grantham Town – Luther Wildin". Grantham Town F.C. Retrieved 27 May 2018.
  9. "Courtney Wildin: Brothers in arms – News – Nuneaton Town". Nuneaton Town F.C. 14 July 2017. Archived from the original on 5 September 2017. Retrieved 27 May 2018.
  10. "Nuneaton Town 1–0 Kidderminster Harriers". Soccerway. 8 August 2017. Retrieved 27 May 2018.
  11. Philpotts, Chris (14 February 2018). "Leicester City man looking to non-league again". Coventry Telegraph. Retrieved 27 May 2018.
  12. Dutton, Louis (16 February 2018). "Jamie Vardy snaps up Leicester hopeful for V9 Academy". Leicestershire Live. Retrieved 27 May 2018.
  13. "AFC Telford United 1–2 Nuneaton Town". Soccerway. 27 February 2018. Retrieved 27 May 2018.
  14. "Luther Wildin signs for Stevenage". Stevenage F.C. 16 May 2018. Retrieved 16 May 2018.
  15. "Luther Wildin: Stevenage sign Nuneaton Town defender". BBC Sport. 16 May 2018. Retrieved 27 May 2018.
  16. "Stevenage 2–2 Tranmere Rovers". BBC Sport. 4 August 2018. Retrieved 4 August 2018.
  17. "Newport County 2–1 Stevenage". BBC Sport. 13 October 2018. Retrieved 8 May 2019.
  18. "Games played by Luther Wildin in 2018/2019". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 27 May 2018.
  19. "League Two Table – 2018/2019". Soccerbase. Retrieved 8 May 2019.
  20. Knight, Carlena (20 March 2018). "Training squad announced". Antigua Observer. Retrieved 27 May 2018.
  21. "Antigua & Barbuda 3–2 Bermuda". Soccerway. 21 March 2018. Retrieved 27 May 2018.
  22. "Games played by Luther Wildin in 2016/2017". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 27 May 2018.
  23. "Games played by Luther Wildin in 2019/2020". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 11 May 2019.
  24. "Games played by Luther Wildin in 2020/2021". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 16 August 2020.
  25. "Luther Wildin – National Football Teams". National Football Teams. Retrieved 27 May 2018.
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