Jordon Mutch

Jordon James Edward Sydney Mutch (born 2 December 1991) is an English professional footballer who plays as a central midfielder for Gold Coast Knights.

Mutch joined Birmingham City in 2007 from Derby County's youth system. He made his competitive debut for the club in the League Cup in August 2008, and his first appearance in the Football League while on loan to Hereford United the following year. He also spent loan spells in the Championship with Doncaster Rovers and Watford, and became a first-team regular for Birmingham, before leaving for Cardiff City in 2012. Mutch contributed to Cardiff's promotion to the Premier League in his first season, and after their relegation in 2014 he returned to the top flight with Queens Park Rangers. Unable to establish himself in their first team, he signed for Crystal Palace in January 2015. Mutch spent the second half of the 2017–18 season on loan to Reading and the 2018 Major League Soccer season with Vancouver Whitecaps FC, before leaving Palace by mutual consent in January 2019. After short spells with South Korean K League 1 club Gyeongnam, Aalesund of the Norwegian Eliteserien, and Australian A-League club Western Sydney Wanderers, he joined Macarthur FC in 2021.

He has represented his country at levels from under-17 to under-21.

Mutch, from Alvaston, Derby, began his football career in Derby County's youth system, where he spent five years working under Academy director Terry Westley. In the summer of 2007, Mutch decided to leave Derby, choosing to rejoin Westley, by then Academy director at Birmingham City, despite competition from clubs including Liverpool and Aston Villa. Because of the player's youth, no transfer fee was payable, but a compensation package was agreed with Derby for his services.

While still a schoolboy, aged 15 years 298 days, Mutch was selected in the 16-man squad for Birmingham's League Cup third-round match against Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park in September 2007. The Premier League confirmed that match rules permitted selection of a player of that age, but changed their minds only hours before the match after becoming aware of the Football Association's Child Protection regulations which specified a minimum age of 16 for players in open-age football. Reserve player David Howland, who was not registered with a Premier League squad number, had to travel to Blackburn at the last minute with special dispensation to take Mutch's place on the bench wearing an unnumbered shirt.

Mutch was named on the bench for the January 2008 third-round FA Cup tie at Huddersfield Town, aged 16 years 34 days. Had he entered the game he would have broken Trevor Francis's record as the youngest player to make a competitive first-team appearance for the club; however the team struggled and manager Alex McLeish felt unable to give him his debut.

During the 2007–08 season Mutch made more appearances for the reserve team than any other outfield player, as well as playing 14 games for the under-18 side, and was voted Academy Player of the Season. He was in the starting eleven for the Birmingham Senior Cup 5–0 victory over Burton Albion; though nominally a reserve team several first-team players were included.

In the build-up to the 2008–09 season, Mutch was part of the first-team squad and, together with fellow youngsters Jared Wilson and Sone Aluko, went on the club's pre-season tour to Austria, where his performances were remarked on favourably by other players. He was included in the starting eleven in pre-season domestic friendlies, but McLeish was reluctant to push him into first-team football at Championship level before he was ready.