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Daily Record
Daily Record
Sport
Andy McGilvray

England v Italy: The ex-Hamilton Accies star who could claim Euro 2020 glory

England progressed through to the Euro 2020 final against Italy on Sunday with a 2-1 win over Denmark on Wednesday night, and Hamilton Accies fans of a certain vintage may have recognised a familiar face on their bench in former striker Graeme Jones.

The 51-year-old Newcastle coach in May agreed to join Gareth Southgate's coaching staff for the major tournament, and has been with them every step of the way.

Jones is no stranger to high-level international football, having been a long-term assistant to Robert Martinez, and was at Belgium from 2016 to 2018, taking in their run at the World Cup in Russia.

Hamilton Accies fans might remember Jones from a short spell at New Douglas Park in 2005-06, before injury ended his playing career and started his coaching journey as assistant to Billy Reid.

Jones left to join Martinez at Swansea in 2007, and stayed with him until 2018, incorporating spells at Wigan Athletic, Everton and Belgium - a period that involved Wigan stunning Manchester City to win the FA Cup.

Jones (centre) stands with the England bench ahead of their 4-0 win over Ukraine in Rome (Getty Images)

He then left Belgium to take up the assistant coach role to Darren Moore at West Bromwich Albion, and also had an ill-fated spell as manager of Luton Town in 2019-20.

Brighton and Hove Albion assistant manager Billy Reid, who brought Jones to Clyde in 2005 and to Accies the next year, says it's no surprise that the Gateshead-born striker has done as well as he has.

He told Lanarkshire Live Sport : "I brought Graeme to Clyde as a player and I recognised his strengths as an individual and, as a player coming to the end of his career on the pitch, how he conducted himself.

Graeme Jones played for Accies from 2005 to 06 and is pictured celebrating a goal against Motherwell in a CIS Cup tie at Fir Park (SNS)

"I had a vision there that he was somebody who was a leader, and a big, big character in the dressing room.

"I spoke to [co-owner] Ronnie MacDonald and said he was the one I wanted to bring to Hamilton Accies as part of the team, he came and was there for four months or something [as a coach] and went on to work with Roberto Martinez.

"He has had a really good coaching career. He was assistant to me but when Swansea came in it was too big an opportunity for him to turn down, and he has gone on to really good things, and he's still a good friend of mine.

Billy Reid (left) who is assistant to Graham Potter at Brighton and Hove Albion, says Jones' success is no surprise (Getty Images)

"It's no surprise that he's doing as well as he is. He was in Belgium as well for long stages and now he's working with England.

"He went in at Newcastle last year and made a big difference to them, so he's certainly someone who has made a good football pedigree for himself."

Should England triumph at Wembley on Sunday, there will be one former Accies and Clyde star who will be over the moon.

Follow Lanarkshire Live Sport on Twitter via @LanLiveSport, like us on Facebook or find us on Instagram for the latest sports news, pictures and video

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