Jake Mario Jervis (born 17 September 1991) is an English professional footballer who plays as a winger or striker for Veikkausliiga club KuPS.
Jervis made his first-team debut for Birmingham City in the FA Cup in January 2010, first appeared in the Football League while on loan to Hereford United in March 2010, and has also played on loan at Notts County, Swindon Town, Preston North End, Carlisle United, Tranmere Rovers and Portsmouth. He spent six months with Turkish Süper Lig club Elazığspor in 2013, rejoined Portsmouth in 2014, and then spent a season in Scotland with Ross County. He spent the longest spell of his senior career, of two-and-a-half seasons, with Plymouth Argyle before signing for Luton Town in January 2018. After spells on loan at AFC Wimbledon and Salford City, he signed for Finnish club SJK in 2020. After playing two years there, he signed for Indian club East Bengal in 2023.
Club career
Early career
Jervis began his football career as a youngster with Wolverhampton Wanderers, moving on to Shrewsbury Town as a 12-year-old. After three years with Shrewsbury, Jervis joined Birmingham City's Academy. In 2008, he was a second-half substitute as a mixture of senior and reserve players won the Birmingham Senior Cup, and in 2009 he helped the academy team reach the semi-final of the FA Youth Cup.
Birmingham City
2009–10 season
Following three goals in three matches for the reserves, Jervis made his first-team debut on 23 January 2010, coming on as a substitute for Christian Benítez in the FA Cup against Everton at Goodison Park. He played the last 11 minutes as Birmingham protected a 2–1 lead. He later described his debut as "the best experience I've had so far in football".
In March 2010, Jervis signed his first professional contract, of two-and-a-half years. The following week, Jervis joined League Two club Hereford United on a one-month youth loan, to gain experience of first-team football. Despite signing too late to train with his new teammates before the League match against Bradford City on 20 March, he was included among the substitutes. He came into the match in the 70th minute, and scored the second goal of a 2–0 win; according to the club's website, "his first touch controlled the ball well and the second saw him lift the ball over the onrushing [goalkeeper]". He scored with a penalty kick in his second appearance, a 2–1 victory at Chesterfield, and returned to Birmingham at the end of his one-month loan having started five matches and appeared twice as a substitute.
2010–11 season
Prior to the start of the 2010–11 season, Jervis joined Notts County, newly promoted to League One, on loan until January 2011. Jervis played regularly at the beginning of his loan spell, though usually as substitute, but made only one brief first-team appearance after Paul Ince took over as manager at the end of October. In January 2011, Jervis returned to Hereford United on a one-month youth loan but he returned after the loan was not extended.
2011–12 season
In the absence through injury of strikers Cameron Jerome, Marlon King and Nikola Žigić, Jervis was named in the 20-man squad for Birmingham's Europa League match against Nacional in Madeira in August. An unused substitute in the first leg, he made a brief appearance in the second leg, replacing Chris Wood in the 89th minute as Birmingham won 3–0 to qualify for the group stage.
On 29 September, Jervis joined Swindon Town of League Two on loan for a month. He made his debut the following day, replacing Mehdi Kerrouche after an hour as Swindon lost 2–0 away at Macclesfield Town. Jervis scored two goals, one from close range and the second after dispossessing goalkeeper Artur Krysiak – a former teammate at Birmingham – as Swindon beat Exeter City 2–1 to progress to the area quarter-finals of the Football League Trophy. The loan was extended until 30 December, and Jervis returned to Birmingham having made 14 appearances and scored 5 goals in all competitions.
On 1 January 2012, Jervis joined Preston North End of League One on a 28-day youth loan. He went straight into the starting eleven for their match the following day, and scored the opening goal as Preston drew 1–1 away to Rochdale. He returned to Birmingham at the end of the month having scored twice from five appearances.
Jervis was a 71st-minute substitute, replacing Adam Rooney, as Birmingham drew 1–1 away to Chelsea in the fifth round of the FA Cup. He signed a one-year contract extension at the end of the season.