Oxford, Bristol Rovers and Wrexham will share memory of player that's been transferred 51 times | OneFootball

Jefferson Louis played for Oxford, Bristol Rovers and Wrexham, and is still playing at 46, after moving clubs 51 times

Jefferson Louis has had a career unlike any other footballer you will hear of.

The striker has become famous among the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire football scene, playing for more clubs than he can remember. This list is extensive, currently standing at 42 clubs.

It's a career that spans 28 years that's seen last-minute winners in the FA Cup, playing against Premier League Invincibles, naked celebrations caught on live TV, international call-ups with his cousin and much more.

An early prison sentence changed his life for the better

Louis had already started his footballing journey by the time he was 17, playing first for Risborough Rangers, then Aylesbury United and Thame United.

In 2001, aged just 22, Louis was arrested and convicted of dangerous driving while disqualified. After serving six months of a year-long sentence in Woodhill Prison, he was allowed to leave.

Speaking to the BBC, Louis said: "I had a light-bulb moment in prison. It made me realise I needed to do something with my life."

The Bucks Free Press reported Louis saying: "Looking back, it was the worst time of my life, but it was also the making of me. I had a lot of time to think, and I decided I was going to make something of myself. I wouldn't have made it as a footballer without prison. It made me stronger. I'm glad things have happened the way they did."

Louis made his mark whilst at Oxford United

After impressing on trial, the striker earned himself a debut on the last day of the 2001/02 season, with United in the Third Division at the time. It was an impressive move from non-league Thame United.

The following season, the forward scored the winner in the FA Cup second round against rivals Swindon Town, enough to make any U's player an instant legend.

United's reward for beating Swindon was an away tie against Arsenal in the third round, which just so happens to be Louis' boyhood club. He even has an Arsenal tattoo on his leg. The draw for the third round happened shortly after United beat Swindon, and as manager Ian Atkins was being interviewed post-match, a second camera had a live feed of the dressing room.

Such was the excitement for Louis to face his boyhood club, he celebrated while naked, which was picked up by the camera and broadcast live to the nation. Needless to say, it landed him in hot water.

Despite United losing the tie at Arsenal 2-0, it was a dream come true for the boy born and raised in London. The Gunners still put out a pretty strong team considering the U's were in the Third Division at the time. David Seaman, Dennis Bergkamp, Robert Pirès, Kolo Touré, Martin Keown and Edu all started.

Louis started on the bench, but was brought on early in the second half, on the same pitch as his idols.

Despite playing the majority of his football in the lower tiers of the football pyramid, that January afternoon at Highbury will always be a highlight for him.

The many clubs of Jefferson Louis

The forward has racked up an extensive portfolio of clubs, with some impressive names featured. There have been a lot of repeat clubs as well. For example, Louis currently plays for Thame United, nearly thirty years after first playing for them when he was just a teenager.

Speaking to the BBC about his long list of employers, Louis said: "In non-league football, you don't stay at one club long if you're not under contract. But I must have been doing something right for all these clubs to want me."

In another interview reported by The Sun, he said: "It's like I'm cursed. People say he must be a rebel, Jefferson must have been rude. And it’s tarnished me. Some managers think I must be a bad apple."

Unsuccessful at Bristol Rovers, very successful at Wrexham

After leaving Oxford, Louis' career sent him to various parts of the country, playing for three or four clubs almost every season, even playing for five teams in a single campaign on a couple of occasions.

His time at Bristol Rovers was not memorable, playing only nine times for the Pirates. Disputes with managers meant he didn't last long in the West Country, with Louis claiming he was being targeted in an interview with The Sun.

His time at Wrexham AFC was a lot more positive. In his nearly 30-year footballing career, the striker stayed at the same club for the entire season only three times, with an honorable mention for the 2020-21 season, which ended early due to Covid-19. One of these three seasons was the 2008/09 season for Wrexham.

Louis played 42 times for the Welsh side that season, the second most appearances he's made in a single season. It was also his second most prolific season, scoring 15 goals.

His only better return was also a one-team campaign, when he played 46 times and netted 19 goals in the 2015/16 season for Wealdstone.

Louis is more than just a journeyman striker

The 46-year-old may be known for his extensive portfolio of football clubs and interesting tales, but his work away from the pitch is just as important to note.

Louis works in a pupil referral unit, helping to educate children who are unable to attend an ordinary school. This is something that the Thame United player has been passionate about for years.

Some of the teams on the extensive list of teams he played for were because of his job. He wanted to make sure that he could play for a team that would allow him to still do the work he's passionate about. Talking to the BBC, he said: "I get more satisfaction doing that than scoring. Helping a child is more important to me."

The story of Jefferson Louis is a remarkable one, and it tells the tale of a man who simply loves the game of football.

It's worth noting that the forward has one International cap to his name, representing Dominica in a 2010 World Cup qualifier against Barbados in March 2008.

Louis was joined up front by his cousin Richard Pacquette, who has an impressive footballing career of his own, playing for the likes of Queens Park Rangers, MK Dons and Brentford.

Louis' career has given him some special moments, and despite it not being the most glamorous career, it's one to certainly be proud of.

Reflecting on his career, Louis said: "I’m just happy with what I achieved. I played international football. I met my idol Thierry Henry. I’ve been on the back page of a newspaper. That’s what I try and drill into the kids at school. Don't have any regrets."