Player #851 for Aston Villa, Jordan Nathaniel Bowery played as a forward for the club in Villa’s 2012-13 and 2013-14 Premier League campaigns making 22 appearances.

Bowery was born in Nottingham on 2 July 1991.

Paul Lambert had signed Bowery from Chesterfield for £567,000 on 31 August 2012 and like so many signings under Lambert’s bewildering regime, Bowery was out of his depth with Villa, plucked from the lower league with none of the attributes required to be a success in the top flight. In shades of the acquisition of Michael Boulding under Graham Taylor, the signing of Bowery was such a bad fit that it was almost cruel. Lambert persevered as to his credit did Bowery but reality couldn’t be cheated and the player returned to the lower leagues - as would his manager.

Lambert handed Bowery his debut as an 83’ substitute for Christian Benteke in Villa’s 0-5 Premier League defeat at Manchester City on Saturday, 17 November 2012. Quite what Bowery was supposed to do in that situation was lost on everybody, except perhaps this most odd of manager. Bowery had little preparation having made just 5 unused substitute appearances in the previous 14 games.

It would be the festive period before Bowery appeared again making 3 substitute appearances in 4 matches.

After his debut in a 0-5 defeat, Bowery came on in the 79’ of Villa’s record 0-8 defeat at Chelsea, was an unused substitute in Villa’s 0-4 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur and a 63’ substitute in Villa’s 0-3 defeat to Wigan Athletic at Villa Park.

On Tuesday, 1 January 2013 Bowery came on as an 85’ substitute for Marc Albrighton and in doing so played in a game where Villa scored, and didn’t lose for the first time in his career.

As a reward Lambert then handed Bowery his first start for the club in the 3-1 FA Cup 3rd Round victory over Ipswich Town on Saturday, 5 January 2013, partnering Darren Bent up front.

Despite the slight upturn, Bowery’s next two appearances, coming from the subs bench ended in defeats albeit far narrower than he had experience at 0-1 and 1-2 against Southampton and Millwall in the FA Cup respectively.

Incredibly, Bowery’s next start came after he was picked ahead of England international striker and £20,000,000 player Darren Bent in Villa’s 2-1 win over West Ham United on Sunday, 10 February 2013. Bent would however replace Bowery on 62’ and Villa would hit two late goals from Christian Benteke and Charles N’Zogbia.

Bowery made an 84’ substitute appearance for goalscorer Andreas Weimann in Villa’s 3-2 over QPR on Saturday, 16 March 2013 and made his final two starts of the season in consecutive games on Saturday, 6 April 2013 and Saturday, 13 April 2013 as Villa beat Stoke City and drew with Fulham. Bowery was substituted in both games.

Bowery’s final appearance of the 2012-13 season came as a 74’ substitute for Gabby Agbonlahor in the final game of the season on Sunday, 19 May 2013.

As was often his way, Lambert used a player he had championed far more sparingly in his second season, sending Bowery out on loan to Doncaster Rovers. Back at Villa Bowery featured as a substitute on eight occasions in 39 games before making two starts in the final two games of the 2013-14 season. As ever life with Lambert was bewildering. Bowery’s last two games for Villa ended in a 0-4 and 0-3 defeat.

Bowery made his final appearance for Villa on Sunday, 11 May 2014 aged 22 before moving on to Rotherham United in July 2014 for a fee of £270,000 aged 23.

Bowery had played under Paul Lambert.