Biography
Midfield powerhouse Livermore first joined City during August 2013 on a season-long loan, signing at the same time as his Spurs team-mate Tom Huddlestone to bolster the Tigers’ midfield on their return to the Premier League. He was quickly introduced to Steve Bruce’s first team and scored his first goal for the club against Liverpool in December 2013. In the second half of the season Jake was an important part of the City team that reached the FA Cup Final, a remarkable achievement for a club of Hull City’s previous stature.
After a successful first season on loan, Jake became City’s record signing when £8 million prised him from Tottenham Hotspur in July 2014. Jake played reliably but unspectacularly during the 2014/15 season before his career crashed down around his feet in April 2015 when he failed a drugs test and was suspended by the FA. Within three months the circumstances behind his cocaine use became apparent, he was suffering depression after his new born baby had died a year earlier – his suspension was ended, no further sanction was applied and Jake returned to the City fold stronger and rejuvenated. His Championship form in the 2015/16 season was his best for City, scoring a career-best four goals as the Tigers made a swift return to the top flight via the play-offs. Jake then carried that form into the Premier League during the 2016/17 season, including a few games as makeshift centre back before leaving the club in January 2017 when the Tigers needed to cash in their most valuable assets to fund Marco Silva’s squad rebuild.
Jake Cyril Leonard Livermore was born in Enfield, North London and spent much of his childhood playing for the academy at Arsenal. At the age of 16 he moved to the academy at North London rivals Tottenham Hotspur and quickly made a positive impression in the Under-18s side. Having signed his first professional contract in November 2007, Jake was loaned to League Two contenders Milton Keynes Dons in February 2008, making his senior debut in March 2008 against Chester City and compiling 5 appearances, all as substitute, as the Dons won the League Two title.
In July 2008 Livermore joined League One side Crewe Alexandra on a half-season loan but broke his leg in a pre-season friendly and never made a senior appearance for the Railwaymen. Fully recovered by the 2009 close season, in August 2009 Jake joined Championship side Derby County on a one month loan that was quickly extended to January 2010 – he scored a crowd-pleasing goal against local rivals Nottingham Forest in his second appearance for the Rams and ended his loan spell with one goal in 16 appearances. Jake returned to Tottenham briefly in January 2010 before being loaned out again to Championship side Peterborough United – for two months he started regularly for Posh and scored once in nine appearances before Spurs recalled him early in March 2010. Two weeks later he made his Premier League debut, and Tottenham Hotspur senior debut, against Stoke City when he was an injury time replacement for Croatian international Nico Kranjcar.
Jake’s second Tottenham appearance came in September 2010 when he started a League Cup tie against arch rivals Arsenal, a week later he was on his travels again when joining Championship side Ipswich Town on a half-season loan that comprised 12 appearances. He returned to Tottenham in January 2011 and in April 2011 he spent a month on loan at Championship side Leeds United, making 5 appearances.
Now 21 years old, Livermore spent the 2011/12 season in Tottenham’s first team squad. He was porminent during the side’s lengthy Europa League campaign, scoring his first Spurs goal against Heart of Midlothian in August 2011. He also played in over half of the club’s Premier League fixtures and made 5 FA Cup appearances to help Spurs reach the semi-finals – though he missed the semi-final itself in which Chelsea clobbered Spurs 5-1. Jake returned to the fringes of the Spurs first team during the 2012/13 season and had reached a watershed moment in his career when Hull City approached him in August 2013 – in seven years at Tottenham Hotspur Livermore had scored one goal in 48 senior appearances.
Shortly after Marco Silva joined the Tigers in January 2017 it became apparent that the wily Portuguese had to sell before he could buy, and the club accepted a £10 million offer from Premier League rivals West Bromwich Albion for Jake’s signature. Livermore immediately established himself in Tony Pulis’s first eleven and helped the Baggies finish the 2016/17 season in mid-table, but he was unable to spark a revival in the 2017/18 season as West Brom, a perennial yoyo club, were relegated to the Championship. Jake missed just seven League games during the 2018/19 Championship season but was injured during the closing weeks as the Baggies reached the play-offs only to be defeated at the semi-final stage by Aston Villa. In the 2019/20 season Jake was made club captain and played a crucial role in the Baggies side that won automatic promotion back to the Premier League. An immediate return to the Championship followed in the 2020/21 season with Livermore playing less regularly, he then served the Hawthorns club for another two seasons of mid-table Championship finishes. When Jake left West Bromwich Albion in May 2023 he had scored nine goals for the side in 216 appearances.
In July 2023 Jake signed a one year deal with Championship side Watford. He was a regular starter for the Hornets and scored a notable brace of long-distance shots in a January 2024 victory over Queens Park Rangers. Livermore left Watford in May 2024 having scored three goals in 32 appearances.
Livermore was not involved in international football at the under-age levels but in August 2012 he was handed a senior debut against Italy by England senior boss Roy Hodgson. He was an unused substitute a month later against Ukraine, then had to wait nearly five years for his next England call-up, starting a March 2017 friendly against Germany weeks after leaving Hull City. He took his international tally to 7 caps when he made his final England appearance against Brazil in November 2017, on his 28th birthday.
Details
Nationality: England
Date/Place of Birth: 14 November 1989, Enfield
Hull City First Game: 18 August 2013, Chelsea A (Premier League), 23 years, 277 days old
Hull City Final Game: 14 January 2017, Bournemouth H (Premier League), 27 years, 61 days old
Clubs
Tottenham Hotspur (2008-2014), Milton Keynes Dons (2008, loan), Crewe Alexandra (2008, loan), Derby County (2009, loan), Peterborough United (2010, loan), Ipswich Town (2010-2011, loan), Leeds United (2011, loan), Hull City (2013-2014, loan), Hull City (2014-2017), West Bromwich Albion (2017-2023), Watford (2023-2024)
Hull City Record
Career: 144 apps, 9 goals
Jake Livermore| Season | LGE App | LGE Gls | FAC App | FAC Gls | FLC App | FLC Gls | EUR App | EUR Gls | OTH App | OTH Gls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013/14 | 34 (2) | 3 | 4 (1) | 0 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2014/15 | 35 (0) | 1 | – | – | 0 (1) | 0 | 3 (0) | 0 | – | – |
| 2015/16 | 33 (1) | 4 | – | – | 2 (0) | 0 | – | – | 3 (0) | 0 |
| 2016/17 | 20 (1) | 1 | 1 (0) | 0 | 3 (0) | 0 | – | – | – | – |