Jermaine Jenas (Born February 18, 1983 in Nottingham) is an English football midfielder currently playing for Tottenham Hotspur in the English Premiership.
Jenas began his career at Nottingham Forest where he immediately impressed during the 2001/02 season. After a single season at Nottingham, Jenas was sold to Newcastle United for £5 million in February 2002.
Jenas has played internationally for England from the Under-15 level up to the national team, where he made his debut against Australia in February of 2003.
Despite an impressive first season with Newcastle, (in which he won the PFA Young Player of the Year), Jenas failed to repeat his initial form with the club and his two subsequent seasons were disappointing considering his early promise.
Known for his strong "box-to-box" play and spectacular goals from midfield, Jenas last two years with Newcastle were marked by a series of inexplicably bland displays. The goals dried up and so did the energy, leading to Jenas starting many games from the bench.
Despite temporarily regaining his form and gaining the vice-captaincy under new manager Graeme Souness early in the 2004/2005 season, Jenas' form dipped again, fuelling speculation that all was not well with the young Englishman.
Rumours of his unhappiness were confirmed early in the 2005/2006 season by manager Graeme Souness when he revealed Jenas had fallen out with life at Newcastle describing it as like "living life in a goldfish bowl". On transfer deadline day of August 31st 2005 he moved to Tottenham Hotspur for a fee of £8 million which helped fund the purchase of Michael Owen.
