Anna Jones takes no nonsense on the field but is kind and gentle off it

Anna Wyn Jones on the ball for Chester. Picture: Chester Women’s FC website

Hard-tackling midfielder on the park but one of the nicest people you could meet off it.

That just about sums up Anna Jones, who celebrated her 26th birthday at the weekend.

Born on May 16, 1995, Anna Wyn Jones plays like Roy Keane on the field but away from football is as friendly as Roy Cropper.

She played football from a young age in primary school and joined a club when she was 9.

Her first team was Bethel Girls Under-11’s, a very good and competitive side.

Anna played for Bethel until she was 16, and also represented North Wales between 13-16, where she gained a lot of experience and developed as a footballer.

Anna (left of cup holder) leaps for joy after Caernarfon win the 2016-17 North Wales Women’s League

In 2011, she joined Caernarfon Town Ladies – a marriage made in heaven.

Asked about her favourite position, she said any attacking role, but her favourite is being employed on the left wing where she can take on defenders or cross the ball into the box.

When Grassroots North Wales interviewed her in 2017, and asked what she felt are her strengths and weaknesses, Anna said: “One of my main strengths is my attacking play as I’m very direct when I get the ball and I like running towards defenders and taking them on. I would say that my weakness is defending set pieces.”

Anna went on to enjoy some great successes with Caernarfon Town.

She won the Betty Pickering Cup in 2015-16 and 2016-17, was part of the 2016-17 North Wales Women’s League title-winning squad and then represented the Canaries in the Welsh Premier Women’s League.

In that double-winning 2016-17 campaign, Anna netted 16 goals for the Canaries in all competitions.

Anna (yellow) in action for Llandudno against Aberystwyth. Picture: Beverley Hemmings

After Town pulled out of the WPWL in 2018-19, Anna moved to another top flight club Llandudno, where she was an outstanding performer in the midfield.

When Tudno resigned from the league in 2019-20, Anna joined Chester FC Women, where she has also made a great impression.

Anna has also scooped the BUCS League championship with Bangor University Women’s FC twice and competed in the Costa Blanca Cup with Caernarfon. Great career so far, hopefully lots more to come.