Wilcox: Jason Malcolm (Jason)

1999-2004 (Player Details)

Left Wing

Born: Farnworth: 15-07-1971

Debut: Chelsea (a) (Substitute): 19-12-1999

5’11” 11st 10lb (2005)

Wilcox started with Blackburn Rovers signing professional forms with them in June 1989, making his debut in the same year when just eighteen. A left winger, he cemented his place in the Blackburn first team and was a regular for much of his ten years at Ewood Park. He was part of the promotion-winning team of 1991-92 and the EPL-winning side of 1994-95, playing a large part with the crosses which Alan Shearer and his strike partners capitalised on, not to mention the goals he also contributed. He scored thirty-one League goals from two hundred and forty-four starts and twenty-seven more from the bench, while in the Cups and other competitions he scored twice from forty-one starts and three games as a substitute. He won his first England Cap in a 3-0 win over Hungary in 1996. He went on to play against France while still at Ewood. The emergence of Damien Duff saw Blackburn prepared to sell their longest-serving player and David O’Leary paid £3 million to bring him to Elland Road in December 1999. That season he helped the United to the Semi-Finals of the UEFA Cup, where they lost to Galatasaray. A year later he was part of the club's run to the ECL Semi-Finals. He got his third and final cap against Argentina after his move to Leeds. He made the squad for Euro 2000 but did not play through injury. Used mostly as an understudy to Harry Kewell he could be relied upon to also fill in at left-back, left-midfield or as an attacking winger as the occasion demanded. He did, however, have long spells on the injured list and when the club slipped into financial difficulties he was off-loaded and in July 2004 he was signed on a free by Leicester City. He initially signed a one year deal which was extended by another year in the summer of 2005. Wilcox made a good start to his Leicester career, but unfortunately picked up a cruciate ligament injury in October 2004. It was feared it would end his season but hard work paid off and he returned on 2nd April 2005. After scoring just once in twenty League games, of which six were as a substitute, and just three substitute appearances in the League Cup, on 28th January 2006, Wilcox joined Blackpool on a free transfer following a two-month spell on loan to the club. However, he was released at the end of the 2005-2006 season after playing twelve times in the League while on loan and a further fourteen times after his move became permanent. As a fourteen-year-old brought up in Bolton, Wilcox was a black belt in Judo and even represented England. After retiring from football, Wilcox established his own school of judo, The Wilcox Masters of Martial Arts, and has schools in Blackburn, Accrington and Whalley.