Luke Maxwell

Luke Maxwell

Personal information
Full name	Luke Stephen Maxwell[1]
Date of birth	(1997-07-06) 6 July 1997 (age 27)[2]
Place of birth	Kidderminster, England
Height	1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)[3]
Position(s)	Midfielder
Youth career
2012–2014	Kidderminster Harriers
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2014–2016	Kidderminster Harriers	30	(0)
2016–2019	Birmingham City	0	(0)
2016	→ Kidderminster Harriers (loan)	15	(2)
2017	→ Grimsby Town (loan)	4	(0)
2017	→ Gateshead (loan)	8	(0)
2018–2019	→ Solihull Moors (loan)	23	(3)
2019–2020	Solihull Moors	12	(0)
2019–2020	→ Gloucester City (loan)	5	(0)
2020–2021	Kidderminster Harriers	0	(0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Luke Stephen Maxwell (born 6 July 1997) is an English former footballer who played as a midfielder.

Maxwell began his career with Kidderminster Harriers, and was loaned back to that club after signing for Birmingham City of the Championship in January 2016. He spent time on loan at League Two club Grimsby Town, for whom he made his debut in the Football League, and at Gateshead and Solihull Moors of the National League, before joining the latter permanently in January 2019. In 2019–20, he spent time on loan at National League North club Gloucester City before returning to Kidderminster Harriers for the 2020–21 season. He left Kidderminster Harriers at the end of the 2020-21 season to pursue a career outside of football.

Club career

Early life and career

Maxwell was born in Kidderminster, Worcestershire,^[4] where he attended Baxter College. He scored in the final as his under-15 school team won the 2012 Worcestershire Schools County Cup final, a performance that earned them the District Council's award for school team of the year.^[5] He began his football career in the academy system at his local club, Kidderminster Harriers, as part of which he completed a BTEC Extended Diploma in Sport at Stourbridge College.^[6] He was a member of the Kidderminster under-18 team that reached the third round of the 2014–15 FA Youth Cup, in which they lost 2–1 to Championship club Blackpool's youngsters,^[7] and signed his first contract with the club in December 2014.^[8] Maxwell made his first-team debut later that month, aged 17 years, 5 months, in the starting eleven for a 1–0 defeat at home to Southport in the Conference.^[9] He went on to make a further seven league appearances that season,^[2] and also scored in the final of the Worcestershire Senior Cup to help Kidderminster beat Worcester City 2–1.^[10]

He became a regular in Kidderminster's first team in 2015–16, and made 22 league appearances in the first half of the season. In January 2016, he signed a three-and-a-half-year contract with Championship club Birmingham City for a fee of £75,000,^[11] to be paid in two instalments. As part of the deal, he returned to Kidderminster on a youth loan for the remainder of the season,^[12] and made a further 15 appearances, scoring twice – for his first senior goal, "he curled a finely-struck effort" to open the scoring in a 3–2 win against Eastleigh^[13] – as his team were unable to avoid relegation. Maxwell's performances for Kidderminster over the season earned him the Players' Player of the Season award.^[14] Maxwell returned to Birmingham City in time to be part of the Birmingham reserve team that lost the 2016 Birmingham Senior Cup final to National League North champions Solihull Moors.^[15]

Football League debut

Maxwell appeared for Birmingham's first team in 2016 pre-season, and by the new year was the under-23 team's joint-highest appearance maker, but had not played a competitive first-team match.^[16] On 27 January 2017, he joined League Two club Grimsby Town on loan to the end of the season.^[17] At the time, he was receiving treatment for a groin injury at his parent club,^[18] so did not make his Football League debut until 18 February, as an 83rd-minute substitute in a 3–0 win against Mansfield Town.^[2] On 4 May 2017, Maxwell returned to Birmingham prior to the final game of the season from his loan spell at Grimsby.^[19]

More loans

Maxwell joined National League club Gateshead on a three-month loan on 15 September 2017.^[20] He finished the spell with eleven appearances, eight in the league and three in the FA Cup.^[2]

He joined another National League club, Solihull Moors, in July 2018 on loan until 5 January 2019.^[21] He was a first-team regular for the full length of his loan spell, making 23 National League appearances and a further 5 in cup competitions.^[2]

Solihull Moors

When the loan expired, Maxwell signed for Solihull Moors on an 18-month contract with an option of a further year.^[22] He made 10 more National League appearances in what remained of the season, and was named Young Player of the Year as Moors finished as National League runners-up.^[2][23]

Maxwell missed the first half of the 2019–20 season with a knee injury.^[24] He joined National League North club Gloucester City on 31 December 2019 on loan for a month,^[25] made his debut the following day in the starting eleven for a 2–1 win at home to Leamington,^[26] and made four more appearances before being recalled by his parent club three days before the loan spell was due to end.^[2][24] He made two substitute appearances before the National League season was suspended and then terminated early because of the COVID-19 pandemic,^[2][27] and was released when his contract expired.^[28]

Return to Kidderminster

In July 2020, Maxwell rejoined Kiddermnster Harriers on a one-year contract.^[23]

Honours

Solihull Moors

• National League runners-up: 2018–19^[2]

Individual

• Solihull Moors Young Player of the Season: 2018-19^[29]

Club statistics

As of end of 2019–20 season

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition

Club	Season	League			National Cup		League Cup		Other		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Kidderminster Harriers	2014–15[2]	Conference Premier	8	0	0	0	—		0	0	8	0
	2015–16[2]	National League	22	0	1	0	—		1[a]	0	24	0
	Total		30	0	1	0	—		1	0	32	0
Birmingham City	2015–16[30]	Championship	0	0	—		—		—		0	0
	2016–17[31]	Championship	0	0	0	0	0	0	—		0	0
	2017–18[32]	Championship	0	0	0	0	0	0	—		0	0
	2018–19[33]	Championship	—		—		—		—		—
	Total		0	0	0	0	0	0	—		0	0
Kidderminster Harriers (loan)	2015–16[2]	National League	15	2	—		—				15	2
Grimsby Town (loan)	2016–17[31]	League Two	4	0	—		—		—		4	0
Gateshead (loan)	2017–18[2]	National League	8	0	3	0	—		0	0	11	0
Solihull Moors	2018–19[2]	National League	33	3	4	0	—		4[a]	0	41	3
	2019–20[2]	National League	2	0	0	0	—		0	0	2	0
	Total		35	3	4	0	—		4	0	43	3
Gloucester City	2019–20[2]	National League North	5	0	—		—		—		5	0
Kidderminster Harriers	2020–21[2]	National League North	0	0	0	0	—		0	0	0	0
Career total			97	5	8	0	—		5	0	110	5

1. Appearance in FA Trophy

References

1. "List of Players under Written Contract Registered Between 01/12/2014 and 31/12/2014". The Football Association. January 2015. p. 2. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 May 2017. Retrieved 27 January 2016.
2. "L. Maxwell". Soccerway. Perform Group. Retrieved 9 July 2020.
3. "Luke Maxwell". 11v11.com. AFS Enterprises. Retrieved 27 January 2017.
4. Kendrick, Mat (10 February 2016). "Birmingham City: I'm glad Blues allowed me to return to Kiddy – I've unfinished business". Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 27 January 2017.
5. "District salutes sporting heroes of 2012". Kidderminster Shuttle. 18 October 2012. Retrieved 27 January 2017.
6. "Kidderminster Harriers FC Football and Education" (PDF). Stourbridge College. 2016. Retrieved 27 January 2017.
7. "Harriers' fine FA Youth Cup run ended by Blackpool". Kidderminster Shuttle. 11 December 2014. Retrieved 27 January 2017.
8. "Success stories". Kidderminster Harriers F.C. 2015. Retrieved 27 January 2017.
9. "Report: Harriers 0–1 Southport". Kidderminster Harriers F.C. 28 December 2014. Retrieved 27 January 2017.
10. Carley, Steve (21 April 2015). "Worcester City lose 2–1 to Kidderminster Harriers in Worcestershire FA Senior Cup final". Worcester News. Retrieved 27 January 2017.
11. "Luke Maxwell signs for Birmingham". BBC Sport. 19 January 2016. Retrieved 27 January 2016.
12. "Maxwell cash to ease Harriers' financial woes". Kidderminster Shuttle. 21 January 2016. Retrieved 27 January 2017.
13. Kendrick, Mat (10 February 2016). "Birmingham City scouting report: This boy Luke Maxwell is getting better and better". Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 27 January 2017.
14. "Colin Gordon hails new management set-up as Kidderminster Harriers close in on Gardiner". Kidderminster Shuttle. 28 April 2016. Retrieved 27 January 2017.
15. Dick, Brian (5 May 2016). "Birmingham Senior Cup final: Birmingham City U21s 1 Solihull Moors 2". Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 27 January 2017.
16. "Luke Maxwell makes Grimsby Town loan move". Birmingham City F.C. 27 January 2017. Retrieved 27 January 2017.
17. McCartney, Aidan (27 January 2017). "Birmingham City transfers: Grimsby Town set to sign young midfielder Luke Maxwell on loan". Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 27 January 2017.
18. Findlater, James (2 February 2017). "'Grimsby Town midfielder Luke Maxwell won't be rushed back from injury' – Marcus Bignot". Grimsby Telegraph. Retrieved 2 February 2017.
19. "Plymouth team news". Grimsby Town F.C. 4 May 2017. Retrieved 8 May 2017.^{[dead link‍]}
20. "Maxwell makes loan move". Birmingham City F.C. 15 September 2017. Retrieved 15 September 2017.
21. "Luke Maxwell joins on loan from Birmingham City". Solihull Moors F.C. 2 July 2018. Retrieved 2 July 2018.
22. Turner, Luke (7 January 2019). "Maxwell makes permanent Moors move". Solihull Moors F.C. Retrieved 8 January 2019.
23. Ireland, Shane (9 July 2020). "Confirmed: Former Birmingham City prospect makes dream return". Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 9 July 2020.
24. "Solihull Moors recall Maxwell from Gloucester City". Non-League Daily. 31 January 2020. Archived from the original on 31 January 2020. Retrieved 9 July 2020.
25. "Luke Maxwell arrives on loan". Gloucester City A.F.C. 31 December 2019. Retrieved 2 January 2020.
26. "Results: Gloucester City vs Leamington". Gloucester City A.F.C. 1 January 2020. Retrieved 2 January 2020.
27. "National League clubs vote to end regular season immediately". BBC Sport. 22 April 2020. Retrieved 9 July 2020.
28. Moakes, Liam (8 May 2020). "Moors announce retained list of players for 2020/21 season". Solihull Observer. Retrieved 9 July 2020.
29. "@Luke_Maxwelllll wins Young Player of the Season, collected by @Tybcfc on his behalf". Solihull Moors via Twitter. 22 April 2019. Retrieved 22 April 2019.
30. "Games played by Luke Maxwell in 2015/2016". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 25 January 2017.
31. "Games played by Luke Maxwell in 2016/2017". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 15 September 2017.
32. "Games played by Luke Maxwell in 2017/2018". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 2 July 2018.
33. "Games played by Luke Maxwell in 2018/2019". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 2 July 2018.

External links

• Luke Maxwell at Soccerbase