NEW GULL PROFILE

Sam Jones – @samuellejones

Sam talks about the latest Gulls signing

We have signed a player! After the Bryn Consortium completed their purchase and the transfer embargo lifted, the club announced (in rather brilliant fashion) the signing of Jay Foulston as the first one of the summer. This now means that Austen Booth has someone to play kick about with, and we only need 9 more players to be able to field a team on the opening day of the way. Well, 8 now Craske has re-signed. But who exactly is the first new signing of the new era?

CAREER SUMMARY

Left back Foulston was born in Swansea, before heading down the M4 to join the Newport County academy. After being involved in County’s pre-season, he made his professional debut in 2017 at the age of 16 in a League Cup match against Southend. After signing a contract with the Exiles, he had loan spells at Merthyr and Chippenham before joining Taunton Town in 2020 on a free transfer. Another short loan to Chippenham followed but he then became a fixture of the Taunton side that won the Southern League Premier Division in 2022, including scoring the goal that clinched them the title. He also managed to win their goal of the season twice while at Taunton, for both the 2019-2020 season and the 2022-2023 season

In December 2023 he joined Yeovil on loan for the remainder for the season, with a view to a permanent move. He made 21 appearances and scored once while at Huish Park, and became an integral part of the team that won the National League South this season. He was released by Taunton at the end of the 2023-2024 season and joined the Gulls on the 3rd of July. He also has some international experience, having played 11 times for Wales U19, scoring once against Hungary U19.

HIGHLIGHTS

He seems to score a lot of screamers. Below is the goal that won him the Taunton Goal of the Season in 2023, a screamer against Tonbridge Angels:

And here is him scoring a stunning free kick when on loan at Chippenham:

LOAN WATCH | George Nurse wasn’t the only #NCAFC player to score a belter this weekend! 😱

Congratulations to defender @JayFoulston who scored this absolute SCREAMER for @ChipTownFC yesterday 👏 #NCAFC pic.twitter.com/1xvlY7Hjhd
— Newport County AFC (@NewportCounty) October 6, 2019

TALKING ABOUT FOULSTON

SHERIDAN ROBINS – “He’s more of an attacking full back and very defensively competent. Still young and developing but didn’t put a foot wrong (except that one time he played right back for us).”

FOULSTON STATS

DATE OF BIRTH: 27TH NOVEMBER 2000 – 23 YEARS-OLD

PLACE OF BIRTH: SWANSEA

HEIGHT: 1.82M

POSITION: DEFENDER

NLS 23-24 STATS: APPEARANCES 29 (21 FOR YEOVIL), GOALS 1, YELLOW/RED CARDS 1/0

MOST LIKELY/LEAST LIKELY

Most Likely To

Provide some much needed energy on the left side of the field. Over the last couple of seasons we’ve struggled with width which has made us very one-dimensional, so an attacking full back will help massively.
Score some absolute screamers. His highlight reel is like that infamous December 2006 Premier League Goal of the Month clip that gimmick accounts on Twitter (I refuse to call it X) tweet when they need some engagement. He also seems to have a wicked set piece delivery on him, which will be a great asset.
Hang out with Austen Booth, eating chips by the harbour. Have you seen the announcement video?!?!

Least Likely To

Step in at right back. According to Glovers fan Sheridan, he wasn’t…his best when he played there.
Watch the Euros this summer. As a boy from Swansea I assume that he’ll be getting used to life in the Bay and pretending that International Football doesn’t exist (thanks Rob Page).
Be looking for love. As the Lad Bible reports, he was pictured using a certain dating app while on the Taunton Team bus and apparently it worked. No further questions your Honour.

It worked ✅ https://t.co/6AIaYHJ97g
— Jay Foulston (@JayFoulston) February 4, 2023

CONCLUSION

As a Welshman myself, I always like signing a fellow countryman. However, some of them recently have not lived up to expectations (Lewis Collins, James Crole and Kieron Evans to name a few). Saying that, on paper this looks a cracking signing and a real statement from intent from the club. He’s a two time title winner, despite only being 23, and very experienced at this level. It looks like he’ll be able to contribute from both open play and over a dead ball which could prove invaluable.

He has had a couple of injury problems, but looks like he is over the worst of it. If newly re-signed Craske can stay fit on the right then we have ourselves a couple of cracking full backs that could transform the team. Hopefully he can be more Joe Lewis that Mo Touray.