Jason Cummings
Jason Cummings | |
|---|---|
| Born | August 1, 1995 Scotland |
| Occupation | Professional footballer |
| Years active | 2013–present |
| Known for | Football forward for Mohun Bagan and Australia national team |
Jason Steven Cummings (born 1 August 1995) is a professional football forward currently playing for Mohun Bagan in the Indian Super League. Although born in Scotland, he now competes internationally for the Australia national team, having previously represented Scotland at both youth and senior levels.
Cummings launched his professional journey with Hibernian, where he achieved the rare feat of netting more than 20 goals per season for three straight years—an accomplishment not seen at the club for over half a century. His scoring prowess was instrumental in Hibernian’s triumph in the 2016 Scottish Cup and their promotion campaign during the 2017 season. In June 2017, he moved to Nottingham Forest but found first-team appearances limited, resulting in loan periods at Rangers, Peterborough United, and Luton Town. After a stint with Shrewsbury Town, he signed for Dundee in 2021, playing a key role in their elevation to the Scottish Premiership. The following year, Cummings transferred to A-League Men side Central Coast Mariners, where he secured the league title in the 2022–23 season and earned the Joe Marston Medal by scoring a hat-trick in the grand final.
On the international stage, Cummings made his senior debut for Scotland in November 2017 before switching his allegiance to Australia. He debuted for Australia in September 2022 and was selected for their squad at the 2022 World Cup.
Hibernian
Initially a youth player and supporter of Hearts, Cummings was released by them in 2012 following injury setbacks. After impressing during a season with Hutchison Vale, he joined Hibernian in 2013. His first appearance in the Scottish Premiership came in November 2013, and he recorded his initial senior goals in May 2014 during the promotion/relegation play-offs against Hamilton Academical. Despite his contributions, Hibernian were relegated after losing on penalties.
Cummings received the SPFL Young Player of the Month award for September 2014 after scoring crucial goals, including one that secured victory over Rangers. In February 2016, he became the first Hibs player in over four decades to score in four consecutive Edinburgh derby matches, netting the decisive goal against Hearts in a Scottish Cup replay. He played an essential part throughout Hibernian’s successful 2016 Scottish Cup run, providing the assist for the opening goal as Hibs defeated Rangers 3–2 in the final.
During the summer of 2016, Cummings extended his contract with Hibernian for four more years. An offer valued at £1.2 million from Peterborough United was declined in August that year. By March 2017, he had matched a club record last set by Joe Baker (1957–61) by scoring over twenty goals across three consecutive seasons. His efforts helped Hibs clinch the Scottish Championship title and secure promotion back to the Premiership in April 2017. Following this success, Cummings publicly stated that he had fulfilled his commitment to restore Hibernian to top-tier football. That same season, he earned nominations for both PFA Scotland's Young Player of the Year and Championship Player of the Year awards.
Nottingham Forest
On 17 June 2017, Cummings committed to a three-year deal with Nottingham Forest for an undisclosed transfer sum. As part of the agreement, his previous clubs Heart of Midlothian and Hutchison Vale were compensated with solidarity payments recognizing their role in his early development. He marked his Forest debut by scoring in a 2–1 victory over Shrewsbury Town during the EFL Cup on 8 August 2017.
Rangers (loan)
In January 2018, Cummings was loaned out to Scottish Premiership outfit Rangers for the remainder of that season, with an option included to make the move permanent. His competitive debut came on 24 January, contributing to a 2–0 win against Aberdeen, alongside three other players also making their first appearances that day. Four days later, he netted his inaugural goal for Rangers in a 2–1 triumph at Ross County. On 4 March, he achieved a hat-trick during the Scottish Cup quarter-final clash versus Falkirk.
Peterborough United and Luton Town (loan)
Cummings joined EFL League One side Peterborough United on a season-long loan on 13 July 2018. In September of that year, footage emerged showing Cummings causing damage to his apartment; chairman Darragh MacAnthony described the incident as "daft" but confirmed the club had addressed the matter, while manager Steve Evans linked the behaviour to personal relationship issues. After an impressive start with six goals in five league matches, his performance waned, resulting in the early termination of his loan on 30 January 2019.
Later that same month, Cummings was loaned to League One leaders Luton Town. He scored his first goal for Luton as a substitute on 6 April 2019, securing a late equaliser in a 2–2 draw against Blackpool.
Shrewsbury Town
On 2 September 2019, Cummings transferred to Shrewsbury Town, competing in League One, for an undisclosed fee. He made his debut on 14 September, entering as a substitute in the 68th minute against A.F.C. Wimbledon, and promptly scored the equalising goal five minutes later in a match that ended 1–1. He also found the net in victories over both Southend United and Sunderland. Minor injuries and illnesses around Christmas 2019 limited his playing opportunities, resulting mainly in substitute appearances during January 2020. Notably, on 26 January, he scored twice off the bench in a 2–2 draw against Liverpool during the fourth round of the FA Cup.
Dundee
On 28 January 2021, Cummings returned north of the border by signing with Dundee, committing until summer 2022. Despite joining halfway through the season, he ended as Dundee's joint-top scorer in league play and played a key role in their promotion to the Scottish Premiership via the Premiership play-offs.
Cummings opened Dundee’s scoring account in their first Premiership fixture since the 2018–19 campaign on 31 July 2021, netting in a 2–2 draw against St Mirren. In December 2021, he was sent home from training due to fitness concerns. With interest emerging from A-League club Central Coast Mariners, Cummings departed Dundee in January 2022.
Central Coast Mariners
In January 2022, Cummings committed to an 18-month deal with the Central Coast Mariners. He marked his A-League debut by scoring against Sydney FC on 30 January 2022. Despite the Mariners' attempt to include him in the 2021 FFA Cup final squad being denied due to eligibility restrictions, Cummings concluded the 2021–22 A-League Men campaign with ten goals across 21 appearances after joining midway through the season.
Throughout two seasons at the Mariners, Cummings delivered outstanding performances, notably achieving a hat-trick during the 6–1 triumph over Melbourne City in the 2023 A-League Men Grand Final. This feat earned him the Joe Marston Medal as the match’s best player. He also set a new club milestone by netting 20 league goals in the title-winning season and was selected for the PFA A-League Team of the Season.
Following the Grand Final victory, Cummings parted ways with the Mariners, who recognized his contribution by naming him a "legend."
Mohun Bagan
After departing Central Coast Mariners, Cummings signed with Indian Super League side Mohun Bagan in June 2023. He made his first appearance in the Durand Cup during the Kolkata Derby against East Bengal, where he faced criticism for missed opportunities. His first goal for Mohun Bagan came on his first full start against Machhindra FC in the AFC Cup preliminary round 2, aiding a 3–1 victory. He then converted a penalty in a 3–1 win over Abahani Limited Dhaka in the AFC Cup Play-off round. Cummings celebrated his inaugural trophy with Mohun Bagan by winning the Durand Cup final against East Bengal.
Cummings debuted in league play on 23 September 2023, scoring in a 3–1 win over newly promoted Punjab FC. Mohun Bagan ultimately secured the League Shield at the conclusion of the regular season. On 7 March 2025, Mohun Bagan clinched the ISL League Shield as regular season champions, with Stewart scoring late in their final match triumph over Goa. On 12 April, Cummings successfully converted a penalty during the Indian Super League final, helping Mohun Bagan defeat Bengaluru FC 2–1 after extra time to claim the championship.
Scotland
Cummings represented Scotland at both under-19 and under-21 levels. He earned his first senior Scotland call-up in November 2017 and made his full international debut in a friendly encounter against the Netherlands.
Australia
Qualifying for Australia through his mother who was born in Perth, Cummings holds dual citizenship of both the UK and Australia. In July 2019, Australian coach Graham Arnold showed interest in including Cummings in the Socceroos squad since he had only participated in friendlies for Scotland. By September that year, Cummings was contemplating switching national allegiance and had engaged in discussions with Socceroos assistant manager Rene Meulensteen. Progress was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic; however, by March 2021, Cummings remained optimistic about an Australian call-up.
In September 2022, he was named to Australia's squad for friendly matches against New Zealand, making his debut and scoring a penalty in the second fixture. Later that year, Cummings was selected for Australia's squad at the 2022 FIFA World Cup and made his tournament debut as a substitute during their opening game versus France.
Club
| Club | Season | League | National cup[lower-alpha 1] | League cup[lower-alpha 2] | Continental | Other | Overall | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Appearances | Goals | Appearances | Goals | Appearances | Goals | Appearances | Goals | Appearances | Goals | Appearances | Goals | ||
| Hibernian | 2013–14 | Scottish Premiership | 16 | 0 | — | — | — | 2 | 2 | 18 | 2 | |||
| 2014–15 | Scottish Championship | 33 | 18 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 1 | — | 2 | 1 | 42 | 21 | ||
| 2015–16 | Scottish Championship | 33 | 18 | 5 | 2 | 6 | 4 | — | 5 | 1 | 49 | 25 | ||
| 2016–17 | Scottish Championship | 32 | 19 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 41 | 23 | |
| Aggregate | 114 | 55 | 14 | 7 | 10 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 10 | 4 | 150 | 71 | ||
| Nottingham Forest | 2017–18 | Championship | 14 | 1 | — | 3 | 3 | — | — | 17 | 4 | |||
| Rangers (loan) | 2017–18 | Scottish Premiership | 15 | 2 | 3 | 4 | — | — | — | 18 | 6 | |||
| Peterborough United (loan) | 2018–19 | League One | 22 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 2 | 2 | 29 | 8 | |
| Luton Town (loan) | 2018–19 | League One | 5 | 1 | — | — | — | — | 5 | 1 | ||||
| Shrewsbury Town | 2019–20 | League One | 24 | 4 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 1 | — | (0) | 0 | (31) | (7) | |
| 2020–21 | League One | 11 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | — | 3 | 2 | 17 | 3 | ||
| Aggregate | 35 | 4 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 2 | colspan= 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 48 | 10 | ||
| Dundee | 2020–21 | Scottish Championship | 15 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | colspan= 0 | — | 2 | 0 | 18 | 8 |
| 2021–22 | Scottish Premiership | 14 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 3 | — | — | 18 | 6 | |||
| Aggregate | 29 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 3 | colspan= 0 | — | 2 | 0 | 36 | 14 | ||
| Central Coast Mariners | 2021–22 | A-League Men | 21 | 10 | — | — | — | — | 21 | 10 | ||||
| 2022–23 | A-League Men | 28 | 20 | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | 29 | 21 | ||||
| Aggregate | 49 | 30 | 1 | 1 | — | — | 0 | 0 | 50 | 31 | ||||
| Mohun Bagan | 2023–24 | Indian Super League | 23 | 12 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 7 | 4 | — | 37 | 19 | |
| 2024–25 | Indian Super League | 25 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 0 | — | 30 | 11 | ||
| Aggregate | 48 | 19 | 3 | 1 | 8 | 6 | 8 | 4 | — | 67 | 30 | |||
| Career overall | 331 | 129 | 34 | 15 | 28 | 19 | 10 | 4 | 17 | 8 | 420 | 175 | ||
International
| National team | Year | Appearances | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scotland | 2017 | 1 | 0 |
| 2018 | 1 | 0 | |
| Total | 2 | 0 | |
| Australia | 2022 | 2 | 1 |
| 2023 | 1 | 0 | |
| Total | 3 | 1 | |
| Overall career total | 5 | 1 | |
- International goals
Australia's score is listed first in the results.
| No. | Date | Location | Opponent | Score at time | Final score | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 25 September 2022 | Eden Park, Auckland, New Zealand | Template:Fb | 2–0 | 2–0 | Friendly match |
Honours
Hibernian
- Scottish Championship: 2016–17 season
- Scottish Cup: 2015–16 edition
- Scottish League Cup runner-up: 2015–16 campaign
Luton Town
Dundee
Central Coast Mariners
Mohun Bagan
- Indian Super League Shield: 2023–24 Indian Super League, 2024–25 Indian Super League
- ISL Cup: 2024–25 Indian Super League playoffs; runner-up in 2023–24 Indian Super League playoffs
- Durand Cup: 2023 winner; runner-up in 2024
Individual
- SPFL Young Player of the Month: September 2014, April 2015
- Scottish Championship Player of the Month: October 2015, August 2016
- PFA Scotland Championship Team of the Year selections: 2015–16 and 2016–17 seasons
- A-Leagues All Stars Game participant: 2022
- Named in the PFA A-League Team of the Season for 2022–23
- Recipient of the Joe Marston Medal at the 2023 A-League Men Grand Final
- Included in the Indian Super League Team of the Season for 2024–25
See also
- List of association footballers who have been capped for two senior national teams
- List of Australia international soccer players born outside Australia
External links
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- Living people
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