Jake Hessenthaler

DOB: 20th April 1994

Position: Midfielder

Season of first appearance: 2013/14

Season of last appearance: 2013/14

Full Appearances: 6

Substitute: 0

Goals: 0

Also played for:

Whitstable Town, Merstham, Lewes, Tamworth, Gillingham, Grimsby Town, Crawley, Woking, Dagenham & Redbridge.

Player Profile:

Jake is the son of Gillingham player and manager, Andy Hessenthaler, and started his career with Chelsea in their youth system. After being released, joined Gillingham and had loan spells at Whitstable, Merstham, Lewes and Tamworth.

He spent a month on loan at Margate early in 2013/14, making his debut in a 3-1 home win over Harrow Borough on 17.8.13.

Jake returned to Priestfield and made his first-team debut for Gillingham on 30.11.13 as a late substitute in a 4–1 league defeat at Rotherham.

In February 2014, Jake signed a long-term deal at Gillingham until the end of the 2017/18 season. He scored his first goal for the Gills in a 4–2 win at home to Coventry City on 11.3.14 - a 40-yard strike in the 90th minute. It earned him Gillingham's 'Goal of the Season' award, while he also won the club's 'Young Player of the Year' award for 2013/14. Jake made a total of 159 appearances for the Gills, scoring seven goals.

He was released by Gillingham at the end of 2017/18 and signed a two-year contract with Grimsby Town. On 28.1.20, he suffered a punctured lung, broken rib and ligament damage across the shoulder and collarbone as a result of a challenge by Simeon Jackson in the first minute of a 3–1 victory over Stevenage.

After 72 games for Grimsby, he was released by the Mariners at the end of the 2019/20 season and signed for fellow League Two side Crawley Town.

In January 2023, Jake joined National League club Woking on loan until the end of the season and signed for Dagenham & Redbridge for 2023/24.