Jamie Cureton’s career is the kind of football story that sounds made up until the numbers start stacking up. Thirty-two seasons, more than 400 goals, 26 clubs and a playing career that still rolls on at 51 — Cureton has outlasted eras, divisions and expectations.
Now, with his new book Last of the Goalhangers, the veteran striker is opening up about the strange, funny and occasionally chaotic road that took him from the early Premier League years to the non-league grind. It is not an autobiography, he insists, but a collection of memories from a career that has rarely followed a straight line.
A career built on goals and longevity
Cureton is currently in his 32nd season as a player with Holland FC in the Eastern Counties League Division One North. After years of moving between clubs and levels, he remains driven by the same thing that defined him from the start: scoring goals.
He made his top-flight breakthrough with Norwich City in the 1994-95 season and went on to play for clubs including Reading, Bristol Rovers and QPR. Across the pyramid, he has recorded six different seasons with more than 20 league goals, a rare mark of consistency for any forward.
Stat block: the headline numbers
| Metric | Figure |
|---|---|
| Playing seasons | 32 |
| Age | 51 |
| Clubs played for | 26 |
| Career goals | 400+ |
| Games target this season | 1,100+ |
For a striker who describes himself as a classic poacher, the record is as much about survival as it is about finishing. Cureton says the old-fashioned “fox in the box” role has largely faded, but his own instincts in front of goal have remained sharp.
From Premier League beginnings to non-league reality
While many former top-flight players fade from view, Cureton has taken the opposite path. Since leaving Dagenham & Redbridge in 2016, he has spent a full decade in non-league football, where the pace, commitment and professionalism have evolved dramatically.
“It’s fantastic — football in its purest form,” Cureton says of the lower leagues. “I love being close to the fans; that community aspect. It’s why I keep going.”
That love of the game is part of what has kept him going long after many peers retired. The non-league landscape has changed too, he notes, with more academy graduates and released professionals filtering into the divisions and raising standards across the board.
Why he still keeps going
Cureton believes experience still matters at this level, especially for a striker who knows where to be when chances arrive. “You’ll be surprised just how effective experience is at this level,” he says, summing up a career that has been built on adaptation as much as talent.
He also takes care to stress that he would not continue unless he believed he could contribute. That honesty runs through the book, which covers both high points and the darker moments that often get left out of football folklore.
The wild stories behind the legend
The appeal of Last of the Goalhangers is not only the goals, but the chaos around them. Cureton says the book includes stories from across his life, including turning down the chance to join the famed Class of 92, his involvement in the 1990s rave scene and the infamous tale of smuggling £40,000 out of South Korea in his underpants.
It is the kind of catalogue that underlines how unusual his journey has been. “It’s been an interesting ride,” he laughs, adding that the book is as much about bad times, regrets and wrong turns as it is about goals and longevity.
“I’ve tried to be honest,” he says, explaining that the aim is also to correct misunderstandings about certain clubs, fan bases and decisions that were not always seen clearly from the outside.
Quote of the story
“It’s a look back at on- and off-field stuff. It’s not about making millions or playing for England.”
That line captures the tone of the book and the career behind it. Cureton’s story is not built on glittering trophies or international fame, but on persistence, adaptability and an almost stubborn love of playing.
What comes next for Cureton?
For now, the target is simple: keep playing long enough to pass 1,100 career games before Christmas. Beyond that, he has even floated the possibility of playing until 60, a prospect that would make his career even more remarkable.
Whether that happens or not, Cureton has already secured a place in football’s more unusual history books. In a sport often dominated by superstars and silverware, his story stands out because it is raw, human and still unfolding.
If he does keep going for another stretch, another book may not be out of the question. For now, though, Last of the Goalhangers offers a rare look at a football life lived across every level of the game — and still not done yet.
