Callum Ainley
Ainley playing for Crewe Alexandra in 2023
Personal information
Full name Callum Thomas Ainley[1]
Date of birth (1997-11-02) 2 November 1997 (age 26)[2]
Place of birth Swindon, England
Height 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in)[2]
Position(s) Midfielder
Team information
Current team
 Grimsby Town
Number 16
Youth career
2011–2015 Crewe Alexandra
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2015–2023 Crewe Alexandra 242 (17)
2023– Grimsby Town 5 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 18:08, 7 January 2024 (UTC)

Callum Thomas Ainley (born 2 November 1997) is an English professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for League Two side Grimsby Town.

Career

Crewe Alexandra

Ainley began his career in Crewe Alexandra's academy and made his professional debut, aged 17, on 5 September 2015 in a 3–1 defeat against Swindon Town.[3][4] He scored his first goal for Crewe in a 3–1 win against Doncaster Rovers on 30 April 2016.[5] Exactly four months later, he scored his second senior goal in a 3–0 win at Accrington Stanley in a Football League Trophy tie on 30 August 2016.[6] Two days after his 20th birthday, on 4 November 2017, he scored the 89th-minute winner in a 2–1 victory over Rotherham United in the FA Cup first round at Gresty Road.[7]

On 3 May 2018, Ainley signed a new three-year contract at Crewe.[8]

In December 2020, Ainley had surgery to repair a hamstring injury sustained in an FA Cup tie at Cheltenham Town.[9] He returned to first team action on 14 March 2021, coming on as a second-half substitute against Burton Albion.[10] He scored his first goal of the season in a 1–0 win at Bristol Rovers on 1 May 2021, and Crewe manager David Artell was keen to get him to sign a new contract.[11] On 13 May 2021, Crewe announced that it had offered Ainley a new contract,[12] and Ainley signed a two-year deal on 30 June 2021.[13]

On 25 September 2021 at Rotherham United, Ainley suffered a new hamstring injury ruling him out of first team action for two months.[14] He returned to the side on 1 December, playing the first half of Crewe's 2–0 win over Doncaster Rovers in the Football League Trophy,[15] and played a total of 36 games as Crewe were relegated from League One.

After suffering a shoulder injury during a League Two game against Mansfield Town at Gresty Road on 24 September 2022, Ainley required surgery and was ruled out for around three months.[16] He resumed first-team appearances coming on as a substitute in Crewe's goalless draw with AFC Wimbledon on 7 January 2023.[17] Eighteen months after his last Crewe goal, against Hartlepool United in the EFL Cup in August 2021,[18] Ainley scored the opener in Crewe's 2–0 League Two win over the same opposition on 14 February 2023.[19]

On 12 May 2023, the club announced Ainley's departure after making 278 first-team appearances. Manager Lee Bell said "it's time for him to try something else. ... I’ve no doubt that in six months he will be settled and pleased with the way things have worked out. Callum will always be welcome at Crewe Alexandra."[20]

Grimsby Town

After leaving Crewe Alexandra in the summer of 2023, Ainley signed for League Two side Grimsby Town on a one-year deal in September 2023.[21] He made his Grimsby debut in a 3–0 league defeat at Wrexham on 16 September 2023, coming on as a 71st-minute substitute for Gavan Holohan.[22]

In January 2024, Grimsby announced that Ainley had been diagnosed with thyroid cancer, and that after having surgery he could return to training in the second half of February.[23]

Career statistics

As of 7 January 2024
Club Season Division League FA Cup League Cup Other Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Crewe Alexandra 2015–16[24] League One 16 1 0 0 0 0 1[a] 0 17 1
2016–17[25] League Two 27 1 1 0 0 0 3[a] 1 31 2
2017–18[26] League Two 45 4 3 1 1 0 3[a] 0 52 5
2018–19[27] League Two 43 6 1 0 1 0 3[a] 0 48 6
2019–20[28] League Two 25 2 1 0 2 0 3[a] 1 31 3
2020–21[29] League One 22 1 2 0 1 0 3[a] 0 28 1
2021–22[30] League One 31 0 0 0 2 1 3[a] 0 36 1
2022–23[31] League Two 33 2 0 0 1 0 1[a] 0 35 2
Total 242 17 8 1 8 1 20 2 278 21
Grimsby Town 2023–24[32] League Two 5 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 7 0
Career total 247 17 10 1 8 1 20 2 285 21
  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Appearances in EFL Trophy

Honours

Crewe Alexandra

References

  1. ^ "The Football League Limited: Club list of registered players as at 16th May 2015" (PDF). The Football League. 16 May 2015. p. 46. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 June 2015. Retrieved 1 December 2015.
  2. ^ a b "Callum Ainley". 11v11. Retrieved 1 December 2015.
  3. ^ "Crewe 1–3 Swindon". BBC Sport. Retrieved 20 October 2015.
  4. ^ "Callum Ainley will learn from midweek mistake – Steve Davis". Stoke Sentinel. Retrieved 20 October 2015.[permanent dead link]
  5. ^ "Crewe 3–1 Doncaster". BBC Sport. 30 April 2016. Retrieved 30 August 2016.
  6. ^ "Accrington Stanley 0–3 Crewe Alexandra". CreweAlex.net. Retrieved 30 August 2016.
  7. ^ "Crewe Alexandra 2-1 Rotherham United". BBC Sport. BBC. 4 November 2017. Retrieved 4 November 2017.
  8. ^ "Contract: Callum Ainley Agrees New Deal". CreweAlex.net. 3 May 2018. Retrieved 4 May 2018.
  9. ^ "Ainley Has Successful Surgery On Hamstring Injury". CreweAlex.net. 10 December 2014. Retrieved 11 December 2020.
  10. ^ "Crewe Alexandra 0-3 Burton Albion". BBC Sport. 13 March 2021. Retrieved 15 March 2021.
  11. ^ Baggaley, Michael (5 May 2021). "'Terrific player' - Crewe Alex boss answers questions on Callum Ainley's future". Cheshire Live. Retrieved 5 May 2021.
  12. ^ "20/21 Retained List". Crewe Alexandra F.C. Retrieved 13 May 2021.
  13. ^ "Callum Ainley Agrees New Two-Year Deal". Crewe Alexandra F.C. Retrieved 30 June 2021.
  14. ^ "'Ainley Expected To Be Sidelined For Up To Two Months'". CreweAlex.net. 30 September 2021. Retrieved 30 September 2021.
  15. ^ "Crewe 2-0 Doncaster". CreweAlex.net. 2 December 2021. Retrieved 2 December 2021.
  16. ^ Baggaley, Michael (27 September 2022). "Injury blow for influential Crewe Alex midfielder Callum Ainley". Cheshire Live. Retrieved 27 September 2022.
  17. ^ "Crewe Alexandra 0-0 AFC Wimbledon". BBC Sport. 7 January 2023. Retrieved 15 February 2023.
  18. ^ "Hartlepool United 0-1 Crewe Alexandra". BBC Sport. 10 August 2021. Retrieved 17 September 2023.
  19. ^ "Crewe Alexandra 2–0 Hartlepool United". BBC Sport. 14 February 2023. Retrieved 15 February 2023.
  20. ^ "Callum Ainley: Long-serving promotion-winner to leave club". CreweAlex.com. 12 May 2023. Retrieved 12 May 2023.
  21. ^ "AINLEY JOINS THE MARINERS!". Grimsby Town. 9 September 2023. Retrieved 9 September 2023.
  22. ^ "Wrexham 3 Grimsby Town". BBC Sport. 16 September 2023. Retrieved 17 September 2023.
  23. ^ "Callum Ainley: Grimsby Town midfielder diagnosed with thyroid cancer". BBC Sport. 16 January 2024. Retrieved 17 January 2024.
  24. ^ "Games played by Callum Ainley in 2015/2016". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 1 January 2015.
  25. ^ "Games played by Callum Ainley in 2016/2017". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 30 August 2016.
  26. ^ "Games played by Callum Ainley in 2017/2018". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 4 November 2017.
  27. ^ "Games played by Callum Ainley in 2018/2019". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 6 September 2019.
  28. ^ "Games played by Callum Ainley in 2019/2020". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 21 January 2020.
  29. ^ "Games played by Callum Ainley in 2020/2021". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 11 December 2020.
  30. ^ "Games played by Callum Ainley in 2021/2022". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 9 August 2021.
  31. ^ "Games played by Callum Ainley in 2022/2023". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 1 August 2022.
  32. ^ "Games played by Callum Ainley in 2023/2024". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 17 September 2023.
  33. ^ "C.Ainley summary". Soccerway. Perform Group. Retrieved 12 September 2023.

External links

Grimsby Town F.C. – current squad
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