First Team
Welcome to Kettering Towns First Team Players and Backroom Staff
Kettering Town’s First Team Players Coaches and Staff
Goalkeepers
- Nationality
England- Position
- Goalkeeper
- Height
- 1.83
- Current Team
- Kettering Town Football Club
EnglandDan a goalkeeper joined the club in January 2024 after the demise of Nuneaton Borough. He previously played for WBA, Walsall U18, Rugby Town (loan), Tamworth, Worcester City, Alvechurch, Corby Town (dual), and Nuneaton Borough. A former WBA youth team player. Dan kept a clean sheet on his debut as the Poppies ran out 1-0 winners at Hitchin Town and played an instrumental part in the Poppies success at the business end of the season. A superb shot stopper with physical presence making him one of the best goalkeepers in this division.
Dan Jezeph
- Nationality
- England
- Position
- Goalkeeper
- Height
- 6'6
- Current Team
- Kettering Town Football Club
Jason, the 6’6” shot stopper, has previous played for Basford United, Belper Town, Worksop Town Clipston, Loughborough Dynamo, Corby Town, Boston United and Chesterfield.
Jason played against the Poppies for the Steelmen in 2022, with Kettering running out 1-0 winners at Steel Park.
Welcome Jason, we hope you enjoy your time at Latimer Park.
Jason Alexander
Defenders
- Nationality
- England
- Position
- Defender
- Current Team
- Kettering Town Football Club
Connor originally joined the Poppies in December 2020. The Kettering born defender previously played for Sunderland U23, Wolverhampton Wanderers, and had had spells on loan at Boreham Wood, AFC Telford United, Walsall and Kilmarnock. He made his Poppies debut in the 1-1 draw at Brackley Town making impressive strides during the 2021-22 season as the Poppies finished in 8th position in the Vanarama National League North. He also chipped in with 3 goals along the way and was voted by his peers as the ‘Players Player of the Season’, a fine tribute to a fine man. Connor left the Poppies though in June 2022 to join Peterborough Sports. After two seasons away Connor under manager Richard Lavery’s new look squad.
Connor Johnson
- Nationality
- England
- Position
- Defender
- Current Team
- Kettering Town Football Club
Ben a defender is another welcomed addition to ‘Lavs’ new look squad. He has previously played for Burton Albion where he came through the Brewers Academy set up playing three League One appearances for Albion. Ben also played on loan at Kidsgrove Athletic, Tamworth, and Redditch United before signing for Coalville Town where he featured in our final game of last season for the Leicestershire club at Latimer Park.
Ben Hart
- Nationality
- England
- Position
- Defender
- Current Team
- Kettering Town Football Club
- Past Teams
- AFC Telford United, Bedworth United, Brackley Town, Rugby Town FC, Solihull Moors, Worcester City
Manager Richard Lavery, true to his word, has been active once again in the transfer market with the vastly experienced defender Alex Gudger joining the club on loan from Brackley Town for the rest of the season.
Alex’s career started at Bedworth United before spells at Rugby Town, Worcester City, Brackley (first spell), Solihull Moors, Brackley (second spell) and AFC Telford United (on loan from Brackley) where he played against the Poppies in November as the Bucks succumbed to a 1-3 home defeat.
Alex has been on Lav’s radar for quite a while and he is delighted to get this signing over the line as the Poppies strive towards the finishing line of this exciting season.
We would like to wish Alex every success at Latimer Park.
Alex Gudger
- Nationality
- England
- Position
- Defender
- Current Team
- Peterborough United
- Past Teams
- Bishop’s Stortford FC, Dereham Town FC, Kings Lynn Town FC, Peterborough United, Welling United FC
The club are delighted to announce the loan signing of left back Aaron Powell, who joins the Poppies for the season from Peterborough United, having had previous spells on loan at both National League North and South level with Kings Lynn Town, Welling United and Bishop Stortford, the Posh U21 defender also played at Dereham Town.
Aaron Powell
- Nationality
- England
- Position
- Defender
- Current Team
- Kettering Town Football Club
- Past Teams
- Spalding United FC
Kettering Town Football Club are delighted to announce the return of centre-back Lewis White. Lewis made 59 appearances scoring 3 goals for the Poppies since making his debut against AFC Fylde in August 2022, before joining Spalding United where he made a substitute appearance against the Poppies recently in Kettering’s 4-0 home win.
Lewis made the dream start to his second spell with the club, scoring the winning goal in the 2-1 away win at St Ives Town.
Lewis White
- Nationality
- England
- Position
- Defender
- Current Team
- Kettering Town Football Club
- Past Teams
- Barwell Football Club, Hinckley Town FC, Kettering Town Football Club, Nuneaton Borough FC, Oadby Town
Kettering Town are delighted to announce the signing of centre-back Declan Towers. Declan originally joined the Poppies in 2018 (making his debut against Hitchin Town), having previously played for Hinckley United and Barwell. He made 41 appearances scoring 4 goals during the Poppies Championship season leaving that summer for Nuneaton Borough and later Aylestone Park. On a dual registration from Aylestone last season, he played one game for Kettering under Richard Lavery, winning the Man of the Match Award as the Poppies secured a 2-0 home win against AFC Sudbury.
We would like to welcome Declan back to Latimer Park and hope he has a successful third spell with the club. Once a Poppy always a Poppy. COYP!
Declan Towers
Midfielders
- Nationality
- England
- Position
- Midfielder
- Current Team
- Kettering Town Football Club
Devon, a midfielder joined the Poppies during the 2024-25 pre-season campaign joining his former Quorn manager Richard Lavery at Latimer Park. A Coventry City graduate (along with his twin brother Dion, who also had a spell at the Poppies), he also played for Nuneaton Town / Borough and Leamington.
Devon Kelly-Evans
- Nationality
- England
- Position
- Midfielder
- Height
- 1.78
- Current Team
- Kettering Town Football Club
- Past Teams
- AFC Telford United, Alvechurch, Atherstone Town, Boston United, Coleshill Town, FC Halifax, Rugby Town FC, Rushall Olympic, Stalybridge Celtic
Sam has previously played for Rugby Town, Atherstone Town, Coleshill Town, AFC Telford United, Alvechurch, FC Halifax Town, Stalybridge Celtic (loan), Boston United, and Rushall Olympic. Sam is a quality midfielder with the ability to score spectacular goals giving the Poppies a different dynamic going forward. He has experience at all levels and should be the driving force needed as the Poppies near the business part of the season.
Sam McLintock
- Nationality
- England
- Position
- Midfielder
- Height
- 1.8
- Current Team
- Kettering Town Football Club
- Past Teams
- AFC Telford United, Atherstone Town, Bedworth United, Cheltenham Town, Kidderminster Harriers, Nuneaton Borough FC, Nuneaton Town, Solihull Moors, Tamworth FC, Wrexham
Kyle has previously played for Bedworth United, Tamworth, Hinckley United, Atherstone Town, Nuneaton Town, Kidderminster Harriers, Wrexham, Cheltenham Town, Solihull Moors, Nuneaton Borough (player-manager) and AFC Telford United.
Kyle is no stranger to the Poppies having played against Kettering last season for Nuneaton Borough and this season for AFC Telford United as Richard Lavery’s side ran out 3-1 winners at Bucks Head, with Kyle replacing Alex Gudger (now a Poppy) in the 46thminute.
Everyone at the club would like to welcome and wish Kyle a successful time at Latimer Park as we strive for promotion.
Kyle Storer
- Nationality
- England
- Position
- Midfielder
- Current Team
- Kettering Town Football Club
Kai is an attacking midfielder signed by manager Richard Lavery after impressing during pre-season. Noted for a trial at Barcelona when he was 7, Kai went onto to play for Beaconsfield Town U23, St Ives Town, Wellingborough Town, Wellingborough Whitworths, Cogenhoe United and Wantage Town. He has massive talent and definitely is one to look out for this season.
Kai Fifield
- Nationality
- Albania
- Position
- Midfielder
- Height
- 1.7
- Current Team
- Kettering Town Football Club
AlbaniaAndi is a former Albanian U21 international born in Tirana. He is a midfielder who has previously played for Grimsby Town, Alfreton Town, Harrogate Town, Redditch United and a 6-year spell at Boston United before joining Coalville Town. The all-rounder who is a set piece specialist is a welcomed addition to our new look squad having played against the Poppies for the Ravens in both league fixtures last season.
Andi Thanoj
- Nationality
- England
- Position
- Midfielder
- Current Team
- Kettering Town Football Club
Wes was a Richard Lavery signing during the closed season having joined the Poppies from Coalville Town. Wes’s career began at Anstey Nomads, before spells at Nuneaton Borough, Wrexham, Gateshead, York City and Brackley Town. He has played at the highest levels of non-league football and has featured against the Poppies in the past for Brackley and last season’s final home game against Coalville Town.
Wes York
- Nationality
- England
- Position
- Midfielder
- Current Team
- Kettering Town Football Club
Kettering born Luca, a young forward, is in his second season with the Poppies. He made his debut against Stourbridge last season, scoring his first goal away at Alvechurch in the 1-1 draw. Luca an exciting product from the Kettering Town Youth Academy has also played on loan at Desborough Town and Harborough Town (two spells last season) where he was a member of the Bees promotion side.
Luca Miller
- Nationality
- England
- Position
- Midfielder
- Height
- 1.75
- Current Team
- Kettering Town Football Club
- Past Teams
- Barnet FC, Celtic, Grays Athletic, Gulf United, Hereford United, Kerala Blaster, Leyton Orient, Norwich City, Omonia, Scunthorpe United, Sheffield Wednesday FC, Southend United, Wellington Phoenix
KTFC are excited to announce the signing of experienced forward Gary Hooper, among others he has played at Conference South and National level, the Championship, League One, Scottish Premiership (Celtic), Premiership (Norwich City) and the National League.
Gary has previously played for Grays Athletic, Southend United, Leyton Orient (loan), Hereford United (loan), Scunthorpe United, Celtic, Norwich City, Sheffield Wednesday, Wellington Phoenix (New Zealand), Kerala Blaster (India), Omonia (Cyprus), Gulf United (UAE) and Barnet.
With over 500 appearances and 200 goals throughout his career, Gary will add his valuable experience to Richard Lavery’s new look and exciting squad.
We are delighted to see another player with undoubted quality join the Poppies and hope that Gary has an enjoyable and rewarding time at Latimer Park, welcome Gary.
Gary Hooper
Forwards
- Nationality
- England
- Position
- Forward
- Current Team
- Braintree Town, Chelmsford City, Hitchin Town FC, Ipswich Town, St Albans City
Manager Richard Lavery has been working hard all week to bring in some reinforcements and has added exciting attacking midfielder/forward Finley Wilkinson on loan from Vanarama National League side Barnet. Finley’s career started at Ipswich Town’s youth academy before a successful move to Hitchin Town, which brought him to the attention of the Bees. He has also played on loan at St Albans City, Braintree Town and Chelmsford City.
Finley is no stranger to the Poppies having played three games for Hitchin against Kettering last season. He scored the Canaries third goal in their 4-0 romp at Latimer Park.
We would like to welcome Findley to Latimer Park and wish him an enjoyable and successful time with the club.
Finley Wilkinson
- Nationality
- EnglandJamaica
- Position
- Forward
- Height
- 188
- Weight
- 84kg
- Current Team
- Kettering Town Football Club
- Past Teams
- Barnsley, Blackpool, Boreham Wood FC, Newcastle United, Sheffield Wednesday FC, Southend United, Spalding United FC, Swindon Town FC
JamaicaRichard Lavery has added to his squad with the experienced signing of striker Nile Ranger. Nile has previously played for Newcastle United, Barnsley (loan), Sheffield Wednesday (loan), Swindon Town, Blackpool, Southend United, Spalding United, Boreham Wood.
An England U19 international Nile had a pre-season at Barnet, he has played in the Premiership, Championship, League One & Two, the National League and a short spell in the Northern Premier Division One South/East.
Nile has undoubted ability and should offer a different dynamic to the Poppies squad
Nile Ranger
- Nationality
- England
- Position
- Forward
- Height
- 1.7
- Current Team
- Kettering Town Football Club
Tyree a Nottingham born winger joins the Poppies from Quorn FC where he played under Kettering Town manager Richard Lavery and is very highly rated. Tyree is a pacy midfield / winger with a good eye for goal who will give opposing defenders plenty to think about, he has also played for Derby County U23, and Ilkeston Town and will be a welcomed addition to the Poppies new look squad.
Tyree Wilson
- Nationality
- England
- Position
- Forward
- Height
- 1.79
- Current Team
- Kettering Town Football Club
- Past Teams
- Bolton Wanderers, Burnley, Burton Albion, Charlton Athletic, Colchester United, Coventry City, Northampton Town, Tranmere Rovers FC, Watford FC, Wealdstone FC
Kettering Town Football Club are delighted to announce that former Northampton Town loanee Marvin Sordell has joined the club.
Marvin a greatly experienced forward, played for Stuart Pearce’s Great Britain Olympic side in 2012, having played for England Under 20 and 21 sides.
He has previously played for Burton Albion, Coventry City, Colchester United, Burnley, Charlton Athletic (loan), Bolton Wanderers, Tranmere Rovers (loan), Wealdstone (loan), and Watford. Marvin has played in the Premiership (with Bolton), Championship and League One. He has been out of the game for a while but wants to be back in the game he cherishes. We would like to wish him every success and hope he enjoys his time at Latimer Park, welcome Marvin.
Richard Lavery said, “I am pleased to get another player with plenty of experience coming into the club, Marvin has been out of action for a little while but we believe he can add another dynamic to the squad.”
Marvin Sordell
- Nationality
- England
- Position
- Forward
- Current Team
- Kettering Town Football Club
- Past Teams
- Coalville Town, Leicester City, Rushall Olympic
Manager Richard Lavery has been busy over the festive period, the Club is delighted to announce the signing of versatile forward Terell Pennant from Rushall Olympic. Terell can play on either wing, in behind the striker or leading the line himself, he has pace and an excellent work rate.
Terell’s career began at Leicester City featuring in their U18, U21 and U23 sides, he played in the Premier League International Cup, Premier League 2, and the Football League Trophy. Before being released by the Foxes he made 3 EFL Trophy appearances during the 2022-23 season. On leaving Leicester, he joined Coalville Town before joining Rushall.
Manager Richard Lavery said, “I have been after Terell for a little while now, and I am delighted he is joining us. He will give us that extra special creativity and adds a different dynamic to the squad. I am sure he will become a fans favourite as we go into the new year with a huge incentive, promotion, I am sure you will all give him a huge welcome”.
The Club would like to welcome Terell to Latimer Park and hope he has an enjoyable and successful time at the Club.
Terell Pennant
- Nationality
- England
- Position
- Forward
- Height
- 1.80
- Current Team
- Kettering Town Football Club
- Past Teams
- Accrington Stanley, Biggleswade Town FC, Bishop’s Stortford FC, FC Halifax, Maidstone United, Peterborough United, Royston Town FC, St Ives Town FC, Stevenage
KTFC are delighted to announce the signing of experienced striker Jonny Edwards. He has been prolific with his former club St Ives Town and indeed scored 3 goals against Kettering for the Ives in their two wins last season.
Jonny has previously played for FC Romania, Royston Town, Biggleswade Town, Maidstone United, FC Halifax, Woking (loan), Accrington Stanley (loan), Hull City, Dunstable Town, St Albans City (loan), Ilkeston Town (loan), Bishop’s Stortford (loan), Peterborough United, Peterborough United Youth and Stevenage Youth.
Manager Richard Lavery said, “This is a great signing which will give us a new lease of life going in to the game on Tuesday night against Bromsgrove. Jonny is a prolific goal scorer in this league, over the last two seasons I think he has scored 30 plus goals, so he adds cutting edge quality to the squad giving us different options in the final third. He is a player we have been after him for some time, but obviously at the time he decided to stay with St Ives, so I am delighted to finally capture him. It shows the ambition of the club, we are always looking to bring quality into the squad and we believe we have done just that”.
We would like to welcome Jonny to Latimer Park and hope he has an enjoyable and successful time with the Poppies.
Jonny Edwards
- Nationality
- England
- Position
- Forward
- Height
- 1.66
- Current Team
- Kettering Town Football Club
- Past Teams
- Braintree Town, Buxton FC, Nuneaton Borough FC, Rugby Town FC, Southend United, Stourbridge FC, Stratford Town FC, Tamworth FC, Wrexham
Callum returned to Kettering Town in December 2024 from Braintree Town, having previously played for the Poppies during the 2020-21 & 2021-22 seasons. The former Northampton Town U18, Rugby Town, Wrexham, Tamworth, Stratford Town, Stourbridge, Nuneaton Borough and Buxton player scored 19 goals in 35 sensational appearances while with the club before a move to Southend United for an undisclosed fee in January 2022. A fantastic addition to the squad who gives manager Richard Lavery a different dynamic in his title chasing side
Callum Powell
- Nationality
- England
- Position
- Forward
- Height
- 1.70
- Current Team
- Kettering Town Football Club
- Past Teams
- Luton Town
The Club would like to welcome young centre-forward Tate Xavier Jones from Luton Town on work experience. He has been with the Hatters since joining their under 6 side and has progressed along the ranks. He is quick, powerful and hardworking which makes him very difficult for defenders to deal with. He has a good leap and strikes the ball with real power. He is strong in one-on-one attacking situations and likes to take defenders on.
Xavier brings manager Richard Lavery different options and we hope he has a successful time while at the Poppies.
Tate Xavier-Jones
- Nationality
- Jamaica
- Position
- Forward
- Current Team
- Kettering Town Football Club
- Past Teams
- Billericay Town, Chelmsford City, Cheshunt, Coventry City, Dartford, Leyton Orient, Maidenhead United, Norwich City, Southend United, Stevenage Borough, Woking, Yeovil Town
Manager Richard Lavery has added striker Jamar Loza from Leiston as we enter the crucial part of the season. Jamar has scored 19 league goals for the Suffolk club this season.
Jamaican born, Jamar’s career began at Norwich City before loan spells at Coventry City, Leyton Orient, Southend United, Yeovil Town, Stevenage, Woking, Dartford and Cheshunt. He has also played for Maidstone United, Barnet, Billericay Town and Chelmsford City.
He has plenty of experience and has played in the Premier League and Championship with Norwich and he has also featured in League One, League Two, the National League, National League South and the Southern League Premier Central. Jamar is in 4th place in the Pitching In goal scoring charts so far and goes straight into the squad to face Stamford AFC on Saturday.
We would like to welcome Jamar to Latimer Park and hope he has a successful and enjoyable time with the Club.
Jamal Loza
- Nationality
- England
- Position
- Forward
- Height
- 1.70
- Current Team
- Kettering Town Football Club
- Past Teams
- Luton Town
The Club would like to welcome young centre-forward Tate Xavier Jones from Luton Town on work experience. He has been with the Hatters since joining their under 6 side and has progressed along the ranks. He is quick, powerful and hardworking which makes him very difficult for defenders to deal with. He has a good leap and strikes the ball with real power. He is strong in one-on-one attacking situations and likes to take defenders on.
Xavier brings manager Richard Lavery different options and we hope he has a successful time while at the Poppies.
Tate Xavier-Jones
Coaches and Staff
Manager Richard Lavery
- Nationality
- England
- Current Team
- Kettering Town Football Club
Richard was appointed manager of the Poppies in February 2024 in succession to Jim Le Masurier. It was a return to the club for ‘Lavs’ as he was the assistant manager to Marcus Law during the 2018-19 promotion winning campaign. He was known as formidable player throughout his career having played for Hinckley United (under former Poppies manager Dean Thomas), Nuneaton Borough, Corby Town, Barwell, Telford United and Coventry Sphinx. He was also the assistant manager at Hinckley and Nuneaton, before taking over as manager of Quorn AFC. He brought to the Poppies former coach Tom Cherry who was with him at Quorn. ‘Lavs’ had a difficult mandate joining the club who were floating around with the prospect of relegation. But an upturn in results, with five consecutive wins turned the corner with safety achieved with 4 games remaining. The rebuilding for the 2024-25 season began in earnest.
First Team Coach Tom Cherry
- Nationality
- England
- Current Team
- Kettering Town Football Club
Tom Cherry was previously at Hinckley AFC as a first team coach. He has previously been part of the backroom team at Barwell and has recently moved to Kettering Town along with Richard Lavery. Cherry and Lavery had a successful period at Quorn AFC, where they achieved promotion and had a strong season
First Team Coach Frankie Fry
- Nationality
- England
- Current Team
- Kettering Town Football Club
Goal Keeper Coach Bradley Wilson
- Nationality
- England
- Current Team
- Kettering Town Football Club
First Team Coach
Kit Man Malc Lewer
- Nationality
- England
- Current Team
- Kettering Town Football Club
First Team Kit Man
Sports Rehabilitator Michael Hunter
- Nationality
- England
- Current Team
- Kettering Town Football Club
Sports Rehabilitator for the First Team
Kit Man Dan Willis
- Nationality
- England
- Current Team
- Kettering Town Football Club
First Team Kit Man
Kit Man Aaron Lewer
- Nationality
- England
- Current Team
- Kettering Town Football Club
First Team Kit Man and Analyst
Player Statistics
Defender
| Player | Goals | Appearances |
|---|---|---|
| Ben Hart | 0 | 0 |
| Aaron Powell | 0 | 0 |
| Connor Johnson | 0 | 0 |
| Declan Towers | 0 | 0 |
| Alex Gudger | 0 | 0 |
| Lewis White | 0 | 0 |
Midfielder
| Player | Goals | Appearances |
|---|---|---|
| Kombe Kawimbe | 0 | 0 |
| Devon Kelly-Evans | 0 | 0 |
| Wes York | 0 | 0 |
| Andi Thanoj | 0 | 0 |
| Sam McLintock | 0 | 0 |
| Kyle Storer | 0 | 0 |
| Luca Miller | 0 | 0 |
| Kai Fifield | 0 | 0 |
Forward
| Player | Goals | Appearances |
|---|---|---|
| Finley Wilkinson | 0 | 0 |
| Nile Ranger | 0 | 0 |
| Remaye Campbell | 0 | 0 |
| Terell Pannant | 0 | 0 |
| Tate Xavier Jones | 0 | 0 |
| Tyree Wilson | 0 | 0 |
| Isiah Noel-Williams | 0 | 0 |
| Jonny Edwards | 0 | 0 |
| Callum Powell | 0 | 0 |
| Jamar Loza | 0 | 0 |
| Marvin Sordell | 0 | 0 |