Bird, Jay
Birth Date
6th May 2001
Birthplace
Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire
Occupation
Forward
Biographical Text
Buckinghamshire-born Jay Bird joined Exeter City from Arbroath in 2024. After starting with Milton Keynes Dons, he had also played for Dagenham and Redbridge.
After prDogressing through the club's age group teams, Jay became a scholar/trainee with Milton Keynes Dons in 2017 and a full professional in 2019. Making his debut by scoring twice against Stevenage in the EFL Trophy in October 2020, and also enjoying loan spells with Hitchin Town and Wealdstone, he made five more first-team appearances for Dons before being released in the summer of 2022
Subsequently agreeing terms with National League Dagenham and Redbridge in November 2022, Jay appeared in fourteen league and cup games (scoring twice) for the East London club ahead of spending the 2023/24 campaign with Arbroath for whom he scored eight times in forty appearances in all competitions. By now aged twenty-three, he signed an initial one-year contract (with the option of a second year that was later activated ) with Exeter City at the start of July 2024 and took the number 31 shirt of the 1931 Fund.
Not involved in the opening games of the season because of injury, Jay made his first-team debut as a second-half substitute against Swindon Town in the EFL Trophy on 3 September 2024 and his league debut in similar fashion at Shrewsbury Town on 17 October 2024. Gradually establishing himself in the squad, he made his first start against Bristol Rovers in the EFL Trophy on 29 October 2024 when he also netted his first goal in City's colours. Scoring once more, in the next game against Barnet in the FA Cup, Jay had appeared in twenty league and cup games (but with only two league starts) when he moved to Rochdale on loan in February 2025 for the remainder of the season where he enjoyed a successful (albeit injury-hit) period as Dale challenged for both the FA Trophy and promotion from the National League.
With Rochdale ultimately falling short in the play-offs, Jay returned to St James' Park - and a contract extension - having scored six times whilst on loan in Lancashire (four in the league, one in the FA Trophy and another stirke in the play-offs).
After prDogressing through the club's age group teams, Jay became a scholar/trainee with Milton Keynes Dons in 2017 and a full professional in 2019. Making his debut by scoring twice against Stevenage in the EFL Trophy in October 2020, and also enjoying loan spells with Hitchin Town and Wealdstone, he made five more first-team appearances for Dons before being released in the summer of 2022
Subsequently agreeing terms with National League Dagenham and Redbridge in November 2022, Jay appeared in fourteen league and cup games (scoring twice) for the East London club ahead of spending the 2023/24 campaign with Arbroath for whom he scored eight times in forty appearances in all competitions. By now aged twenty-three, he signed an initial one-year contract (with the option of a second year that was later activated ) with Exeter City at the start of July 2024 and took the number 31 shirt of the 1931 Fund.
Not involved in the opening games of the season because of injury, Jay made his first-team debut as a second-half substitute against Swindon Town in the EFL Trophy on 3 September 2024 and his league debut in similar fashion at Shrewsbury Town on 17 October 2024. Gradually establishing himself in the squad, he made his first start against Bristol Rovers in the EFL Trophy on 29 October 2024 when he also netted his first goal in City's colours. Scoring once more, in the next game against Barnet in the FA Cup, Jay had appeared in twenty league and cup games (but with only two league starts) when he moved to Rochdale on loan in February 2025 for the remainder of the season where he enjoyed a successful (albeit injury-hit) period as Dale challenged for both the FA Trophy and promotion from the National League.
With Rochdale ultimately falling short in the play-offs, Jay returned to St James' Park - and a contract extension - having scored six times whilst on loan in Lancashire (four in the league, one in the FA Trophy and another stirke in the play-offs).
Appearances
Exeter City to end of 2024/25
League 14, Cups 6 (20)
League 14, Cups 6 (20)
Goals
Cups 2
Collection
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