Full name John Robert Goddard Playing position 2001–2012 Reading Weight 74 kg | Place of birth Sandhurst, England Number 10 Height 1.78 m | |
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Date of birth (1993-06-02) 2 June 1993 (age 23) Current team Swindon Town F.C. (Midfielder) | ||
John Robert Goddard (born 2 June 1993) is an English professional footballer who plays as a winger for Swindon Town.
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Early career
Goddard joined Reading at the age of eight in 2001. After failing to progress through the ranks at the Berkshire side, Goddard was released on 30 June 2012. Upon his contract expiry from Reading, Goddard joined Hayes & Yeading United on a one-year deal. After impressing in his first season with Hayes & Yeading United, Goddard attracted interest from many Conference Premier sides.
Woking
On 1 September 2013, after numerous trials Goddard joined Conference Premier side Woking. On 17 September 2013, Goddard made his Woking debut in a 2–0 victory over Hyde United, replacing Gavin Williams with eight minutes remaining. On 15 February 2014, Goddard scored his first Woking goal in a 2–0 victory over Gateshead, scoring in the 70th minute.
Goddard scored his first goals of the 2015/16 campaign with a brace against Bromley on 11 August 2015, the second game of the season. He continued his good form throughout the season with goals against Chester, Welling United and Forest Green Rovers preceding a brace against Guiseley on 10 September 2015. By the end of September, he had scored 5 goals from a midfield position, drawing many admirers with his numerous man of the match performances.
His performances up until Christmas 2015, coupled with his 12 goals in 26 games, led to speculation that Goddard would leave Woking during the January transfer window, However, this was not the case; he continued his good form throughout the season, despite Woking's poor form. On 30 April 2016, Goddard was awarded Woking's player of the season after netting twenty times in all competitions (including Surrey Senior Cup).
Swindon Town
On 13 May 2016, Goddard joined League One side Swindon Town on a three-year deal after impressing at Woking. On 6 August 2016, Goddard made his Swindon Town debut in a 1–0 victory against Coventry City, playing the full 90 minutes. On 1 October 2016, Goddard scored his first Swindon Town goal in a 1–1 draw against Shrewsbury Town, heading in a cross to open the scoring. On 12 November 2016, Goddard went on to score Swindon's third in a 3–0 victory over Charlton Athletic.
International career
On 4 March 2016, Goddard received his first call-up for the England C squad by Paul Fairclough, ahead of a fixture against Ukraine U20 on 22 March 2016. On 22 March 2016, Goddard made his England C in a 2–0 win over Ukraine, in which he played the full 90 minutes playing a part in both goals. On 18 May 2016, Goddard received his final England C team call-up for their game against Slovakia U21, due to his move to Football League side Swindon Town. On 5 June 2016, Goddard played his final England C game in a 4–3 defeat to Slovakia U21s.