1. Early career
1.1. Youth career and early activities
Cameron Jerome was born in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, and is of Grenadian descent. In his youth, Jerome played for Stile Common, where he was teammates with other future professional players such as Anthony Griffith, Fraizer Campbell, and Reuben Noble-Lazarus. Both Griffith and Jerome also played for Yorkshire Counties. He later joined Westend Juniors before progressing to Huddersfield Town as a junior player.
Jerome then moved through the youth systems of Grimsby Town, Sheffield Wednesday, and Middlesbrough. He eventually secured a professional contract with Cardiff City in the summer of 2004, following a recommendation from Cardiff's reserve team manager, Paul Wilkinson. Jerome had previously played under Wilkinson in Grimsby's youth system, but after Wilkinson's departure from Blundell Park to join Cardiff in October 2003, Jerome was released by Grimsby's new youth coach, Neil Woods.
2. Professional club career
Cameron Jerome's professional career began at Cardiff City, where he quickly established himself before moving to several other clubs, experiencing both promotions and relegations, and contributing to significant cup victories.
2.1. Cardiff City
Described by the BBC as "one of Cardiff's rising stars," Jerome made his professional debut for Cardiff City on 2 October 2004, in a 0-0 draw against Leeds United, coming on as a substitute for Andy Campbell. He scored his first professional goal in his second senior appearance, during a League Cup tie against Bournemouth.
During the 2004-05 season, Jerome scored seven goals in 32 appearances. He continued his strong form into the 2005-06 season, finishing as Cardiff's top scorer with 20 goals. His impressive performance led to a transfer to Birmingham City. The transfer not only benefited Jerome but also provided Cardiff with funds, which they used to sign players like Michael Chopra, Stephen McPhail, and Glenn Loovens.
2.2. Birmingham City
Jerome officially signed with Birmingham City on 31 May 2006. The transfer fee was reported as an initial `3.00 M GBP`, with the potential to rise to `4.00 M GBP`. He made his debut for Birmingham on 5 August against Colchester United at St Andrew's. However, his debut was short-lived, as he was sent off within five minutes of entering the game for elbowing an opponent. His first goal for Birmingham came on 12 September against Queens Park Rangers at Loftus Road.
On 25 August 2007, Jerome scored his first Premier League goal just 32 seconds into an away match against Derby County. He went on to score a second goal in the same game, securing Birmingham's first win of the 2007-08 season. He concluded the season as Birmingham's second-highest goal scorer, with 7 goals in 33 games, though the team was ultimately relegated. However, Birmingham immediately bounced back in the 2008-09 season, finishing second in the Championship. Jerome's 10 goals in 45 appearances were only surpassed by his veteran strike partner, Kevin Phillips. He notably scored the opening goal in the West Midlands derby against Wolverhampton Wanderers, which Birmingham won 2-0.
In July 2009, Jerome committed his future to Birmingham City by signing a new five-year contract. He began the 2009-10 season with a spectacular goal against Liverpool, giving his club a 2-1 lead. This goal was described as "the kind of goal that only the likes of Gerrard usually scores at Anfield," as he "fended off the irritation of Mascherano and unleashed a thunderous shot which dipped over keeper Reina." Jerome entered a period of strong form as Birmingham achieved a club-record fifteen consecutive games unbeaten in the Premier League. During this run, he scored crucial goals against Stoke City, Manchester United, and netted two goals against Blackburn Rovers. His tenth goal of the season, a header from James McFadden's cross, came in a 5-1 defeat away to Manchester City. Two weeks after the final game of the season, the Dubious Goals Committee awarded Jerome an additional goal for his attempt against Burnley, which had initially been credited as an own goal by Brian Jensen, bringing his total league goals for the 2009-10 season to 11.
Jerome was a 92nd-minute substitute when Birmingham City famously won the 2011 League Cup, defeating favorites Arsenal 2-1 at Wembley Stadium.
2.3. Stoke City
On 31 August 2011, the final day of the summer transfer window, Jerome signed a four-year contract with Premier League club Stoke City. The transfer fee was undisclosed but was widely reported by Sky Sports to be `4.00 M GBP`. He made an immediate impact, scoring on his Stoke City debut in the UEFA Europa League against Dynamo Kyiv, securing a 1-1 draw away from home. He also scored against Maccabi Tel Aviv in a 3-0 victory, though he was later sent off for two bookable offenses in the same match.
Jerome scored his first League goal for Stoke on 31 December 2011, against Wigan Athletic, marking his first league goal in over 13 months. Under manager Tony Pulis, Jerome was primarily used in a squad rotation system, a role he acknowledged he had to accept. He continued to make an impact as a substitute, scoring against West Bromwich Albion and Everton. However, he eventually began to express frustration over his limited number of starts.
The 2012-13 season saw Jerome again starting on the bench, and he nearly joined Blackburn Rovers on loan. In a rare appearance as a substitute against Newcastle United on 28 November 2012, he provided an assist for Jonathan Walters and then scored the winning goal. On 29 December, Jerome scored Stoke's third goal in a dramatic 3-3 draw with Southampton in the final minute of the match, "lash[ing] into the top corner from 30 yards." He scored his third and final goal of the season on 9 February 2013, in a 2-1 win against Reading. Stoke finished the season in 13th position, with Jerome making 30 appearances, only nine of which were starts. After Tony Pulis was replaced by Mark Hughes at the end of the season, Jerome publicly criticized Pulis's management, stating, "There's no guarantees [for places under Hughes] but before in the old regime, there was a guaranteed XI who played. No matter what happened, how you trained or if you came on and did well in the games you were involved in, you were still never going to start."
On 5 August 2013, Jerome admitted an FA charge of breaching betting regulations. He was subsequently fined `50.00 K GBP` and received a severe warning regarding his future conduct from the FA.
2.4. Loan to Crystal Palace
On 2 September 2013, Jerome joined Crystal Palace on loan for the 2013-14 season. He made his debut for the club on 14 September, coming on as a 64th-minute substitute for Dwight Gayle in a 2-0 away defeat to Manchester United. After a poor start to the season, manager Ian Holloway left Palace by mutual consent, and Tony Pulis was appointed manager on 23 November. Despite Jerome's previous criticism of Pulis during his time at Stoke, he started and scored against his former club, Cardiff City, on 7 December. In total, Jerome played 29 times for the Eagles, scoring twice, as they finished in 11th position in the Premier League.
2.5. Norwich City
On 20 August 2014, Jerome joined Championship club Norwich City for an undisclosed fee, believed to be around `1.50 M GBP`. He scored his first goal for Norwich on 13 September in a 4-2 away victory over Cardiff City, a game where Norwich came from 2-0 down to win. Just three days later, he scored twice in a 3-0 away win against Brentford. On 20 September, he scored another two goals against his former club, Birmingham City, bringing his tally to five goals in four league matches. His sixth goal came on 4 October in a draw with Rotherham United, which kept Norwich at the top of the table. He added two more goals on 31 October as Norwich defeated Bolton Wanderers 2-1.
After an impressive first season at Norwich, Jerome was voted third in the club's annual Player of the Season competition. Norwich finished third in the Championship, narrowly missing automatic promotion, but qualified for the play-offs. They reached the final against Middlesbrough, where Jerome scored the opening goal in a 2-0 victory for the Canaries, securing their return to the Premier League. Jerome had a particularly effective game, frustrating Middlesbrough with his frequent pressing, and was named man of the match.
On 6 August 2016, Jerome scored in the 4-1 win away to Blackburn Rovers on the opening day of the 2016-17 season. On 21 August, he scored Norwich's only goal in the East Anglian derby, which ended in a 1-1 draw at Portman Road. Jerome scored his 16th and final goal of the season in the 7-1 thrashing of Reading on 8 April 2017. He made 138 appearances for Norwich City over three and a half years.
2.6. Derby County
On 16 January 2018, Jerome joined Derby County on a one-and-a-half-year contract. The fee, while officially undisclosed, was reported by Sky Sports as `1.50 M GBP`. He scored his first goal for Derby on 3 February in a 3-0 home win against Brentford. He finished the season with 6 goals from 20 appearances, including a goal in the play-off semi-final, as Derby ultimately failed to gain promotion.
2.7. Göztepe
On 31 August 2018, Jerome moved to Turkey, joining Süper Lig club Göztepe for an undisclosed fee. His first goal for the club came on 30 September, opening the scoring in a 3-2 home victory against Konyaspor.
2.8. Milton Keynes Dons
On 9 October 2020, Jerome returned to English football on a free transfer, signing with Milton Keynes Dons after his release from Göztepe. The move reunited him with his former teammate, Russell Martin, who was then the manager of MK Dons. Jerome made his league debut for the club the following day in a 2-1 defeat to Portsmouth. A week later, he scored his first goal for the club in a 2-0 home win over Gillingham.
2.9. Luton Town
In June 2021, Championship club Luton Town confirmed that Jerome would join them once his contract with MK Dons expired. He spent 18 months with the club.
2.10. Bolton Wanderers
Jerome departed Luton Town on 27 January 2023, with his contract cancelled by mutual consent, citing increasing travel difficulties from his home in the north-west of England. On the same day, he signed an eighteen-month contract with League One club Bolton Wanderers. On 2 April, he came on as a substitute in the 2023 EFL Trophy Final against Plymouth Argyle, which Bolton won 4-0.
Jerome scored his first goal for Bolton on 10 January 2024, in a 3-1 win against Accrington Stanley in the EFL Trophy round of 16. On 22 May, Bolton Wanderers confirmed that Jerome would be leaving the club on 30 June at the end of his contract.
3. Retirement
In December 2024, it was officially announced that Cameron Jerome had retired from the playing side of professional football.
4. International career
Jerome made 10 appearances for the England U21 team between 2005 and 2008, though he did not score any goals during this period. In October 2022, Jerome agreed to represent Grenada internationally.
5. Personal life
Cameron Jerome's younger brother, Sam, also played football, notably for Leeds United's youth teams until May 2009. Another younger brother, Ruben, is also a professional footballer. Jerome grew up supporting Manchester United.
6. Career statistics
| Club | Season | League | National cup | League cup | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Cardiff City | 2004-05 | Championship | 29 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | - | 32 | 7 | |
| 2005-06 | Championship | 44 | 18 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | - | 47 | 20 | ||
| Total | 73 | 24 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 2 | - | 79 | 27 | |||
| Birmingham City | 2006-07 | Championship | 38 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 2 | - | 44 | 9 | |
| 2007-08 | Premier League | 33 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 34 | 7 | ||
| 2008-09 | Championship | 43 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | - | 45 | 10 | ||
| 2009-10 | Premier League | 32 | 11 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 36 | 11 | ||
| 2010-11 | Premier League | 34 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 0 | - | 42 | 5 | ||
| 2011-12 | Championship | 1 | 0 | - | - | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |||
| Total | 181 | 37 | 12 | 2 | 9 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 202 | 42 | ||
| Stoke City | 2011-12 | Premier League | 23 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 2 | 36 | 8 |
| 2012-13 | Premier League | 26 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | - | 30 | 4 | ||
| 2013-14 | Premier League | 1 | 0 | - | 0 | 0 | - | 1 | 0 | |||
| Total | 50 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 2 | 67 | 12 | ||
| Crystal Palace (loan) | 2013-14 | Premier League | 28 | 2 | 1 | 0 | - | - | 29 | 2 | ||
| Norwich City | 2014-15 | Championship | 41 | 18 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 45 | 21 |
| 2015-16 | Premier League | 34 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 35 | 3 | ||
| 2016-17 | Championship | 40 | 16 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 41 | 16 | ||
| 2017-18 | Championship | 15 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | - | 17 | 2 | ||
| Total | 130 | 38 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 138 | 42 | ||
| Derby County | 2017-18 | Championship | 18 | 5 | - | - | 2 | 1 | 20 | 6 | ||
| 2018-19 | Championship | 0 | 0 | - | 0 | 0 | - | 0 | 0 | |||
| Total | 18 | 5 | - | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 20 | 6 | |||
| Göztepe | 2018-19 | Süper Lig | 28 | 5 | 2 | 0 | - | - | 30 | 5 | ||
| 2019-20 | Süper Lig | 22 | 3 | 2 | 0 | - | - | 24 | 3 | |||
| Total | 50 | 8 | 4 | 0 | - | - | 54 | 8 | ||||
| Milton Keynes Dons | 2020-21 | League One | 34 | 13 | 2 | 2 | - | 2 | 0 | 38 | 15 | |
| Luton Town | 2021-22 | Championship | 31 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 37 | 5 |
| 2022-23 | Championship | 21 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | 24 | 1 | ||
| Total | 52 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 61 | 6 | ||
| Bolton Wanderers | 2022-23 | League One | 10 | 0 | - | - | 2 | 0 | 12 | 0 | ||
| 2023-24 | League One | 30 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 1 | 43 | 4 | |
| Total | 40 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 11 | 1 | 55 | 4 | ||
| Career total | 656 | 141 | 38 | 9 | 22 | 8 | 27 | 6 | 743 | 164 | ||
7. Honours
Birmingham City
- Football League Championship runner-up: 2006-07, 2008-09
- Football League Cup: 2010-11
Norwich City
- Football League Championship play-offs: 2015
Bolton Wanderers
- EFL Trophy: 2022-23