Jai_Quitongo
Jai Quitongo
Scottish footballer
Jai Quitongo (born 14 September 1997) is a Scottish professional footballer who used to play as a winger for Greenock Morton.
Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Date of birth | (1997-09-14) 14 September 1997 (age 26) | ||
Place of birth | Wishaw, Scotland | ||
Position(s) | Striker, Winger | ||
Youth career | |||
0000–2014 | Hamilton Academical | ||
2014–2015 | Aberdeen | ||
2015 | Greenock Morton | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
2015–2018 | Greenock Morton | 35 | (12) |
2018 | Partick Thistle | 13 | (1) |
2019 | Machine Sazi | 8 | (1) |
2020 | Dumbarton | 6 | (1) |
2020–2022 | Queen's Park | 29 | (3) |
2022–2024 | Greenock Morton | 48 | (2) |
International career‡ | |||
2016 | Scotland U21 | 1 | (0) |
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 14:43, 4 May 2024 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 4 March 2019 |
He has previously played for Morton, Partick Thistle, Machine Sazi, Dumbarton and Queen's Park. Throughout his youth career, Quitongo played for Hamilton Academical and Aberdeen.
Quitongo is a one-time capped Scotland U21 internationalist.
Quitongo's father is ex-Hamilton Academical, Heart of Midlothian and St Mirren winger José Quitongo. His brother, Rico, plays as a left back for Scottish League One club Queen of the South.
Greenock Morton
After playing for the youth sides at Hamilton Academical and Aberdeen, Quitongo signed for Greenock Morton on a short-term deal in August 2015.[1] He was offered an 18-month extension in December 2015[2] and made his debut for the first team as a late substitute against Raith Rovers.[3]
In December 2015, Quitongo signed a contract extension, making him contracted to the club until May 2017.[4] His first goal for the club came against Kilmarnock in the League Cup and followed up with a winning strike against Hamilton Academical.[5]
On 31 August 2016, Morton rejected a bid from Doncaster Rovers for Quitongo's services.[6] Quitongo underwent knee surgery in January 2017.[7] While recovering from the injury, he signed a new contract with Morton that ran until June 2018.[7][8] He was offered a new one-year deal but this was rescinded in August 2018 and he was released from the club.[9]
Partick Thistle
After agreeing compensation, due to his age, Quitongo joined Partick Thistle on a short-term deal until January 2019.[10] Jai scored his first goal for the Jags in a 2-1 home defeat against Dundee United.[11]
Machine Sazi
After leaving Thistle, in March 2019, Quitongo moved to Iranian side Machine Sazi on a four-year deal.[12]
Dumbarton
He left Machine after just eight appearances and joined Scottish League One club Dumbarton on a short-term deal in January 2020, teaming up with his younger brother Rico and former manager at Greenock Morton Jim Duffy.[13] He scored his first goal for the club against Forfar Athletic in March 2020.[14] He left the club in July 2020 after six appearances and one goal.[15]
Queen's Park
Quitongo signed for League Two club Queen's Park in October 2020.[16]
Greenock Morton
On 20 July 2022, Quitongo returned to his first club, Greenock Morton, signing a one-year contract until the end of the season.[17] He scored his first goal of the season in a 1–0 home win against Cove Rangers,[18] and scored later in the season in a 1–1 draw with Ayr United.[19] After the end of the season, Quitongo signed an extension to his contract, expiring in summer 2024.[20]
On 31 October 2016, Quitongo was selected by coach Scot Gemmill for the Scotland under-21 squad.[21][22] He debuted as a substitute in a friendly defeat away to Slovakia.[23]
- As of 7 March
Club | Season | League | Scottish Cup | League Cup | Other | Total | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
Greenock Morton | 2015–16[24] | Championship | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
2016–17[25] | 14 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 4 | 1[lower-alpha 1] | 0 | 23 | 6 | ||
2017–18[26] | 15 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 1[lower-alpha 1] | 0 | 20 | 4 | ||
Greenock Morton total | 35 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 11 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 50 | 10 | ||
Partick Thistle | 2018–19 | Championship | 13 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 1 |
Dumbarton | 2019–20 | League One | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 |
Career total | 54 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 11 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 69 | 12 |
- Appearances in the Scottish Challenge Cup
Morton
- SPFL Development League West: Winners 2015–16[27]
- "Morton agree to sign winger". Greenock Telegraph. 13 August 2015. Retrieved 21 December 2015.
- Mitchell, Jonathan (11 December 2015). "Young Morton duo earn 18-month full-time deals". Greenock Telegraph. Retrieved 14 December 2015.
- "Morton 1–2 Raith Rovers". Scottish Professional Football League. 18 December 2015. Retrieved 21 December 2015.
- "Contract extensions". Greenock Morton F.C. 22 December 2015. Archived from the original on 23 December 2015. Retrieved 22 December 2015.
- Mitchell, Jonathan (9 August 2016). "Match report: Hamilton Accies 1–2 Morton". Greenock Morton F.C. Retrieved 10 August 2016.
- Mitchell, Jonathan (31 August 2016). "Jai Quitongo bid rejected". Greenock Morton F.C. Archived from the original on 15 September 2016. Retrieved 31 August 2016.
- "Jai Quitongo signs new deal at Greenock Morton". BBC Sport. BBC. 28 February 2017. Retrieved 28 February 2017.
- Mitchell, Jonathan (1 March 2017). "Jai: Staying with Morton was the right move". Greenock Morton F.C. Archived from the original on 2 March 2017. Retrieved 1 March 2017.
- Jonathan Mitchell (10 August 2018). "Player Updates: Scott Tiffoney / Jai Quitongo". gmfc.net. Greenock Morton F.C. Archived from the original on 11 August 2018. Retrieved 11 August 2018.
- "Jai Quitongo is a Jag". Partick Thistle F.C. 31 August 2018. Retrieved 2 September 2018.
- "Partick Thistle 1-2 Dundee United". BBC Sport. BBC. 13 October 2018. Retrieved 23 August 2019.
- "Iranian top-flight football club Machine Sazi has signed Scottish winger Jai Quitongo". Tasnim News. 4 March 2019. Retrieved 23 August 2019.
- "Dumbarton Football Club - SIGNING NEWS: JAI QUITONGO JOINS DUMBARTON". www.dumbartonfootballclub.com. Retrieved 29 January 2020.
- "Dumbarton v Forfar Athletic". BBC Sport. 22 February 2020. Retrieved 3 March 2020.
- "Dumbarton Football Club - SQUAD CHANGES". www.dumbartonfootballclub.com. Retrieved 30 July 2020.
- "Spiders Sign Jai Quitongo". 24 October 2020.
- "Jai Quitongo joins the Ton - Greenock Morton FC". www.gmfc.net. 20 June 2022. Retrieved 27 February 2023.
- "Quitongo gives Imrie's Morton win over Cove". BBC Sport. Retrieved 27 February 2023.
- "Championship leaders Ayr held by chasing Morton". BBC Sport. Retrieved 27 February 2023.
- "Jai Quitongo Extends his stay". Greenock Morton FC. 29 May 2023. Retrieved 9 June 2023.
- "Scotland Under-21s: Morton winger Jai Quitongo given first call-up". BBC Sport. 31 October 2016. Retrieved 31 October 2016.
- Mitchell, Jonathan (31 October 2016). "Quitongo & Nesbitt named in Scots U-21 squad". Greenock Morton F.C. Archived from the original on 1 November 2016. Retrieved 31 October 2016.
- "International friendly: Slovakia U21 4–0 Scotland U21". BBC Sport. BBC. 9 November 2016. Retrieved 9 November 2016.
- "Games played by Jai Quitongo in 2015/2016". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 12 November 2017.
- "Games played by Jai Quitongo in 2016/2017". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 12 November 2017.
- "Games played by Jai Quitongo in 2017/2018". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 12 November 2017.
- Mitchell, Jonathan (29 March 2016). "Morton Under-20s crowned champions". Greenock Telegraph. Retrieved 30 March 2016.
- Jai Quitongo at the Scottish Football Association
- Jai Quitongo at Soccerbase