Summer 2023 star signing: Jay Gibbs (Holyhead Hotspur to Trearddur Bay)

One of the biggest signings of the summer so far has to be Trearddur Bay securing the services of midfield maestro Jay Gibbs.

Trearddur have proved they mean business in 2023-24 by adding one of Anglesey’s greatest to their squad in preparation for competing in the tier 4 North Wales Coast West Premier Division.

Gibbs, 30, has played for a number of clubs in his career, including six spells at Holyhead Hotspur, where he has spent the past two seasons.

Hotspur were relegated from the tier 2 Cymru North last term and now Gibbs has decided the time is right for a new challenge with Trearddur, managed by former Holyhead team-mate Nick Dumbarton.

Jay began his career with Holyhead, progressing through their youth system. His performances for the junior sides soon secured him a move to Tranmere Rovers.

The emerging talent found himself signing a two-year scholarship and he became a regular in Shaun Garrett’s reserve side.

Jay also caught the eye of the Welsh selectors and he was capped at under-19 level, playing against Scotland and Ireland in 2010.

In December 2010 he decided to return to hometown club Hotspur.

He then signed for Caernarfon Town, playing three games and scoring four goals for Colin Saynor’s side, including a brace against his former team, before returning to Hotspur where he was an instant success.

Jay netted 26 goals in 27 games during the 2011/12 season as Hotspur won the Welsh Alliance, Cookson Cup and Barritt Cup treble and were FAW Trophy runners-up. He capped off a fine year with a hat-trick versus England for the Welsh Colleges side.

Gibbs switched to Glantraeth ahead of the 2012/13 campaign, however after three goals in five games he was back at Holyhead, making 15 full and three substitute appearances, scoring six times.

His good form for the club continued during the 2013/14 season when he scored 17 goals from 30 outings, helping Hotspur finish ninth in the Cymru Alliance and lift the Meditel Gwynedd Cup.

Caernarfon Town manager Lee Dixon signed Jay for the 2014/15 Cymru Alliance campaign, however after scoring four goals in 12 games and one sub appearance he rejoined Holyhead in January 2015 grabbing a further five in 10 starts.

With a new manager in place at The Oval in Iwan Williams, Jay was back in the yellow and green in May 2015 and became an integral member of the side that won the Huws Gray Alliance title and League Cup.

However, due to the club failing in their bid for a domestic license the team were refused promotion. Jay had made 35 starts and 3 subs appearances, bagging 10 goals in that memorable season.

Jay began the following campaign at The Oval before deciding once again on a move back to Hotspur.

He then expressed a desire to re-sign for Caernarfon and was given another opportunity by manager Williams when returning to the club in December 2016.

Although Prestatyn ran away with the title, Jay did add another League Cup winners medal to his collection.

The 2017-18 season saw him finish up a Huws Gray Alliance League title winner for a second occasion with Caernarfon.

Gibbs later had a spell with Llandudno in the Welsh Premier, as well as stints with Porthmadog.

Jay was also a member of the successful Ynys Môn squad which won gold at the 2019 Inter Games Football Tournament staged on Anglesey.

In 2019-20, he rejoined Porthmadog and for the past two campaigns represented Hotspur again, netting 11 goals in 2021-22 and the same number last season, in which he was top scorer for the team.

Now comes a new start at star-studded Trearddur Bay, whose top players include Asa Thomas, Mel McGinness, Paul Pritchard and Tom Scott, all former team-mates of Jay and key figures when the Beachboys won the tier 5 North Wales Coast West Division One double last season.

JAY GIBBS – MAIN HONOURS

Caernarfon Town

2015/16 Cymru Alliance League Cup winners, Cymru Alliance League championship winners; 2016/17 League Cup Winners; 2017/18 Cymru Alliance League title winners.

Holyhead Hotspur

2011/12 Welsh Alliance Division One title medal, Cookson Cup and Barritt Cup winner; 2013/14, Meditel Gwynedd Cup winner.

Ynys Môn

2019 Inter Games gold medal winner.

Representative football

Wales Under-19; Welsh Colleges.