Jermaine Jones

Jermaine Jones (born 3 November 1981 in Frankfurt am Main) is a Germany-United States association football who plays for FC Schalke 04. Jermaine Jones has played for Germany national football team at the youth and senior levels, but in 2009 Jermaine Jones announced plans to switch affiliation to the United States men's national soccer team.

Personal

Jones grew up in Frankfurt-Bonames (Frankfurt am Main). Jermaine Jones father is an African-American soldier who was stationed in Germany. As a child, Jones lived in Chicago and Greenwood, Mississippi in the U.S. before Jermaine Jones parents divorced and Jermaine Jones returned to Germany with Jermaine Jones mother.

Jones is a good friend of female soccer player and multiple national champion Steffi Jones, who also is a German-American and the child of an American soldier. They both started in the same club, SV Bonames (albeit not at the same time). The two are not related.

Career

In the 2005–06 season, Jones suffered a serious leg injury that required surgery, and was injured for eight months, only returning in the first half of the last game of the season. A short stint at Bayer Leverkusen proved unsuccessful, and after returning to Frankfurt, Jermaine Jones shed Jermaine Jones "teen idol" image, established himself as a quality player and became captain of the squad. Jermaine Jones moved to FC Schalke 04 in 2007.

International

Jones broke through into the Eintracht Frankfurt squad, became a Germany national under-21 football team and a fan favourite, somewhat due to Jermaine Jones flashy outward appearance.

On 12 June 2009 Jones announced that Jermaine Jones intends to switch from the Germany national football team to the United States men's national soccer team. Jermaine Jones is able to do this because the three games in which Jermaine Jones represented Germany were friendlies.

Controversies

Jones courted controversy in 2004 for an interview for popular sports magazine Sport-BILD. When asked whether there were gay footballers in the Bundesliga, Jermaine Jones said "hopefully not."

In March 2007, Jones announced on the official Eintracht bulletin board that Jermaine Jones would not extend Jermaine Jones contract expiring at the end of the 2006–07 season. This enraged many Eintracht supporters, as Jones cancelled a contract negotiation with chairman Heribert Bruchhagen a few days before because Jermaine Jones advisor was on a sudden journey to Brazil. In October 2006, Jermaine Jones already had defended himself for turning down a contract offer, underlining Jermaine Jones wanted to stay after all the management of the Eagles had done for Jermaine Jones during Jermaine Jones injuries.

In March 2009, Jones claimed "It doesn't make any fucking difference what the Schalke fans think at the end of the day" in response to jeering by supporters.