Who is Jacob Brown?

Scotland will take on Moldova and Denmark in the upcoming International break with just three points needed to secure a play off for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. For the Moldova match in particular, Scotland will be without Ryan Christie and on-form striker Lyndon Dykes; both will miss out through suspension. It was suspected that a new name would be brought in to fill the void with the likes of Johnny Russell and Tony Watt believed to be in the fray although Steve Clarke opted for an unsuspected pick in Stoke City forward Jacob Brown. 

The now twenty three year old begun his career at English National League side Guiseley before moving to Barnsley under eighteens in 2015. Brown worked his way through the ranks at the South Yorkshire club before making his first team debut for Barnsley in the 16/17 season. Brown made an additional cameo later on in the campaign, mounting his total to two appearances for the season. In the first half of the 17/18 campaign, the attacker played five times for Barnsley in the Championship and FA Cup. However, Brown was loaned out to League Two side Chesterfield for the remainder of the season in January. Brown made thirteen appearances for the Spireites and failed to register any attacking returns in his time there. 

Whilst Brown was on loan at Chesterfield, his parent club, Barnsley, were relegated from the Championship. They would play their football in English League One for the 18/19 season which ultimately provided Brown with a chance to make an impact. And make an impact he did, scoring eight goals and assisting six in thirty two league appearances as Barnsley gained promotion to the Championship. 

In the 19/20 season in the Championship, Barnsley narrowly avoided relegation; one point the difference between themselves and Charlton who eventually went down. A twenty one year old Jacob Brown played a part in just over a quarter of Barnsley’s goals that season, scoring three and assisting ten. This form earned him a £1.98 million (Transfermarkt) move to Stoke City in the summer of 2020. 

In his first season at the bet365 stadium, Brown made a total of forty six appearances across the Championship, FA and EFL Cups. The then twenty two year old scored six goals and registered one assist as he helped Stoke City to a mid table finish of fourteenth in the league. It is fair to say this was a bedding in period for Brown and it is in the current campaign where he’s given the best version of himself in the Midlands. 

Brown has started seventeen times for Stoke this season, scoring five goals and assisting the same amount. It is this form that has predominantly sparked Steve Clarke’s interest in the player although the Scotland boss did admit Brown was on the periphery of the Scotland under twenty one squad prior to the outbreak of Covid. Brown’s goals this campaign have been made up of a right footed strike from outside the box which, admittedly, the keeper should’ve saved, two emphatic headers, a clinical finish into the bottom corner to give Stoke a lead against Sheffield United at Bramall Lane in a game which they went on to lose and most recently, an instinctive strike to give Stone all three points against Luton Town. In addition, Brown was awarded Stoke City’s player of the month award for his exploits in October. The twenty three year old has averaged a goal or assist every one hundred and forty three minutes in all competitions this season and needs to score just two more to make it the best season he’s had for goals throughout his career. 

We’ve already connoted Steve Clarke’s intrigue in Jacob Brown and one of the key reasons for this could be the fact the new Scotland International will undoubtedly slot perfectly into his system. Michael O’Neill has predominantly deployed a 3-5-2 this season for Stoke. Brown has played up top alongside Steven Fletcher with the former playing the role of target man and Brown causing havoc, playing off the thirty four year old. This will surely be mirrored with Scotland except it will be Che Adams holding up the ball. 

It also appears Jacob Brown will play a part in the upcoming International break with Steve Clarke stating “he’s in the squad to be involved”. Brown’s aforementioned strike partner at Stoke, Steven Fletcher, had this to say on the twenty three year old’s International call: “I’m absolutely delighted for him. He’s a great, great kid. I’ve got a lot of time for him”. There seems to be nothing but praise for Brown ahead of what could be his Scotland debut on Friday evening. If the attacker makes said debut, it will be an enormous opportunity for him to make his mark on the International stage and provide Steve Clarke with another sufficient option up top. 

Brown is the third striker in the past few years who has switched International allegiances to Scotland. Lyndon Dykes and Che Adams are the two who have recently done so and the duo have proved to be an enormous success for the national team.  Here’s hoping Brown can follow in the footsteps of Adams and Dykes who have a combined eight goals in thirty one appearances for Scotland.