Young and energetic

Published : Mar 24, 2007 00:00 IST

Jermaine Jenas represented England at junior level and the Under-21s before progressing to the senior side, although with the likes of Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard and Owen Hargreaves ahead of him, his chances have been limited, writes Andy Hampson.

A mercurial midfielder, Jermaine Jenas has played for two of England's biggest clubs in Newcastle and Tottenham but is still to establish himself at the top level, despite his obvious talent.

Jenas was born and raised in Nottingham, where he emerged as a precocious talent with former European champions Forest. He broke into the Forest first team at the age of 17, making his debut in an FA Cup match against Wolves in January 2001, and he went on to establish himself in the side the following season.

Such was the impression he made at the City Ground, playing in England's second tier, that Forest were to cash in on him before he had even managed a full season for them. Jenas moved to English Premier League Newcastle in a GBP5 million deal in January 2002 and immediately underlined his reputation as one of the country's most promising youngsters. His energetic displays made him a hit with supporters and England recognition soon came. He also scooped the Professional Footballers' Association Young Player of the Year award in 2003. Yet, having been hailed as one of manager Sir Bobby Robson's bright young things, his form dipped and he could not command a regular place in the side.

Graeme Souness tried to coax more out of Jenas when he took over as manager from Robson by making him vice-captain but the energy and vibrancy of his younger days did not return.

Jenas eventually admitted he was unhappy at Newcastle and wanted to leave, a wish he was eventually granted. His transfer was not straightforward but in the end he was allowed to join Tottenham for GBP7 million on transfer deadline day in August 2005.

Robson believed he could build the future of Newcastle around youngsters such as Jenas but the player eventually admitted he could not cope with the expectation placed on him at the club. Jenas felt the pressure of living in such a football-mad single-team city was too great and he infamously compared life there to "living in a goldfish bowl". His comments created controversy on Tyneside but his hopes of leaving were hindered by Newcastle's demand for a GBP20 million fee for his services. A potential move to Arsenal never materialised but the club eventually did business with Spurs as time ran out in the summer 2005 transfer window.

The move has revived Jenas' career and his sprightly performances were surprisingly rewarded by Sven-Goran Eriksson with a place in England's World Cup squad at Germany 2006, although he did not feature in what was a dismal campaign.

On the international front, he represented England at junior level and the Under-21s before progressing to the senior side, although with the likes of Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard and Owen Hargreaves ahead of him, his chances have been limited. Jenas is dating a girl called Sabrina Keogh, who accompanied him to the World Cup and became a `fully paid-up' member of the England WAGs (Wives And Girlfriends) club.

Jenas owns a Hummer H2, a huge hulk of a vehicle which serves more the ostentatious nature of footballers than it does practical purposes. Hummers are barely cars, in fact, they are almost trucks. They certainly make an impact, even if they were not designed with Britain's roads in mind.

FACTFILEName: Jermaine JenasPosition: MidfielderClub: TottenhamDOB: February 18, 1983England Caps: 15England Goals: 0England debut: v Australia, February 2003Moment to remember

England fans remember the friendly with Australia at Upton Park in February 2003 for all the wrong reasons. Not only were England beaten 3-1 but Eriksson's decision to field two entirely different XIs in each half saw his relationship with supporters reach one of its lowest points. Jenas had good personal reasons to remember the game, however. He made his England debut and was the home side's Man of the Match.

Moment to forget

Jenas was at probably his lowest ebb at Newcastle just before he left in August

2005 and his misery was compounded when he was sent off in their Barclays English Premier League opener at Arsenal. Jenas had played just 32 minutes before being dismissed for a bad tackle on Gilberto. He made just three more appearance for the Magpies before leaving them.

@ PA Sport, 2006, All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, re-written, re-distributed or commercially exploited. Sportstar is not responsible for any inaccuracy in the material.

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