Born in Doncaster, Jerry Yates began his career in the academy at Rotherham and while playing for the under-18s scored a goal from the half-way line.

Before his senior debut for the Millers, he learned his trade out on loan in non-league at nearby Harrogate Railway and then Harrogate Town.

However, injuries meant Jerry was thrust into the Rotherham first team 18, and in 2016/17 he made 23 appearances and scored three goals. Come the end of the campaign he was named their Young Player of the Season for a second time.

Following their relegation to League One, the striker continued to feature, helping the Millers make an immediate return to the second tier as play-off winners.

In 2018/19 he spent a spell out on loan at Carlisle in League Two, scoring six times in 23 league fixtures before helping Swindon win promotion from the fourth tier the following campaign with 12 goals in 31 league games.

It was all change in July 2020 for Jerry when he left Rotherham in favour of a permanent transfer to Blackpool where he would go on and enjoy three seasons at Bloomfield Road.

His debut campaign in Tangerine saw the forward named players’ player of the year as his 23 goals in all competitions helped to promotion via the League One play-offs.

In the two seasons that followed in the Championship, he scored 23 times in 80 appearances – form that led to many admirers following Blackpool’s relegated in 2023.

Yates signed a three-year deal at Swansea that summer and scored nine goals in all competitions in his debut season in South Wales.

But he was loaned out to Derby last term, helping the Rams stay in the Championship with 10 goals – including an acrobatic overhead kick that saw him win the Goal of the Month award for November.

Jerry kept his options open come the end of the season and had no hesitation in putting pen to paper to become the Hatters’ new number 9.

Welcome to Kenilworth Road, Jerry!