Jack Marriott (footballer)

Jack David Marriott (born 9 September 1994) is an English professional footballer who plays as a striker for League Two club Luton Town.

He started his career at Ipswich Town, making his debut at the end of the 2012–13 season. Marriott signed on a two-month loan for Woking of the Conference Premier in November 2013, scoring nine goals in nine matches. He returned to Woking on loan in January 2014 after a brief stint at League One club Gillingham.

He went on to sign for Carlisle United on a one-month loan at the start of the 2014–15 season. He returned to Woking on loan for a third spell in September 2014, playing in 24 matches, before ending the 2014–15 campaign at Colchester United of League One. Upon his return to Ipswich, Marriott's contract was not renewed and he joined League Two club Luton Town in May 2015.

Ipswich Town

Born in Beverley, East Yorkshire, Marriott began his career with the youth system at Ipswich Town aged 15. He later joined the club's under-18 team on a two-year scholarship in April 2011. At the time recruitment officer Malcolm Moore said, "He's a striker, tough, quick, aggressive and has a horrible knack of scoring goals." Impressive performances for the under-18s over his two-year scholarship led to Marriott signing a one-year professional contract at Portman Road in February 2013. Marriott was included in the squad for the final two matches of 2012–13 and made his professional debut as a 61st-minute substitute for Frank Nouble in a 2–0 defeat away to Burnley on 4 May. On 11 December, Marriott signed a new 18-month contract with the club.

Loan spells

On 8 November 2013, Marriott joined Conference Premier club Woking on a one-month loan deal. He made his Woking debut in a 3–0 win at home to Dartford on 12 November, scoring his first professional goal as he picked up the man-of-the-match award. Marriott scored twice in his next match in a 3–2 comeback win over Hyde. He scored his fourth goal in as many matches as he netted in a 3–0 win over Hereford United in the FA Trophy. Marriott scored the first hat-trick of his professional career in the following match; a 4–3 win over Halifax Town. On 5 December, it was confirmed that Marriott had extended his loan with Woking by a further month until 2 January 2014, which included a 24-hour recall clause. He finished his loan spell with eight goals in seven league appearances. Marriott then joined League One club Gillingham on loan until the end of the 2013–14 season a day after the expiration of his Woking loan. However, he played in only one match before being recalled by Ipswich four weeks later. He subsequently returned to Woking on loan until the end of the season and scored four goals in 15 league appearances.

Marriott joined League Two club Carlisle United on a one-month loan on 18 August 2014. He made five appearances for the club before returning to Ipswich on 19 September. Marriott then joined Woking on loan for a third spell on 25 September, scoring on his return two days later in a 3–2 defeat at home to Kidderminster Harriers. Marriott was recalled from Woking by Ipswich on 19 January 2015. He then joined League One club Colchester United on loan until the end of the 2014–15 season a day later. Marriott played in five matches, all as a substitute, scoring once. He returned to Ipswich at the end of the season, but was not offered a new contract and he was subsequently released.

Luton Town

Marriott signed a one-year contract with League Two club Luton Town on 20 May 2015. He made his debut for the club as a 76th-minute substitute for Danny Green in a 1–1 draw with Accrington Stanley on 8 August. Three days later, Marriott scored his first Luton goals, a brace, in a 3–1 win at home to newly promoted Championship club Bristol City in the first round of the League Cup. This performance earned Marriott a place in the League Cup team of the round. On 25 August, he signed a contract extension with the club until June 2017, with triggers to extend it for a further two years. Marriott was shown a red card for making a gesture to the Leyton Orient fans in Luton's 2–1 win in the Football League Trophy on 1 September. Luton manager John Still, who was adamant he didn't deserve the red card said, "He shouldn't have done it but the punishment didn't fit the crime." Marriott scored a brace twice in one week from the bench in wins over AFC Wimbledon and Hartlepool United to increase his tally for the season to six goals. Goals became hard to come by for Marriott, scoring twice in 20 appearances, including a run of 10 matches without a goal. However, this came to an end when Marriott scored a consolation goal in a 4–1 defeat away to AFC Wimbledon on 13 February 2016. A return to form saw him score four goals in five matches and increased his tally for the season to 12 goals after a 1–0 win away to Leyton Orient on 5 March. Marriott was named Luton Town Player of the Season, voted for by the club's supporters, and joint winner of the Luton Town Young Player of the Season award along with Cameron McGeehan on 1 May, chosen by the Luton Town management team. His fourth brace of 2015–16 in a 4–1 win at home to Exeter City on 7 May saw him finish the season as Luton's top scorer with 16 goals in 44 appearances.

Individual

• Luton Town Player of the Season: 2015–16
• Luton Town Young Player of the Season: 2015–16
• League Cup Team of the Round: 2015–16 (First Round)