Arthur Read (footballer, born 1999)

Not to be confused with Arthur Read, a character from PBS Kids.

Arthur James Read (born 3 November 1999) is an English professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for EFL League Two club Colchester United. He is a product of the Luton Town academy.

Arthur Read

Personal information
Full name	Arthur James Read[1]
Date of birth	(1999-11-03) 3 November 1999 (age 25)[2]
Place of birth	Camden, England
Height	5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)[3]
Position(s)	Midfielder
Team information
Current team	Colchester United
Number	16
Youth career
0000–2016	Luton Town
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2016–2019	Luton Town	0	(0)
2019	→ Hemel Hempstead Town (loan)	4	(0)
2019–2021	Brentford	0	(0)
2020–2021	→ Stevenage (loan)	31	(2)
2021–2023	Stevenage	30	(1)
2023–	Colchester United	103	(6)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 18 August 2025 (UTC)

Career

Luton Town

A midfielder, Read began his career with Luton Town at under-9 level.^[4] He progressed through the club's academy to the under-18 team and was awarded a scholarship in February 2016.^[5] He made his first-team debut as a 90th-minute substitute for Jake Gray in a 3–1 home defeat to Millwall in an EFL Trophy group stage match on 8 November 2016,^[6] and signed a three-year professional contract with the club two weeks later.^[4] Read continued to play predominantly for the club's development and under-18 teams, with whom he won the Bedfordshire Premier Cup in 2016 and the Youth Alliance Cup in 2018.^[7][8] During the next two seasons, he made six further EFL Trophy appearances,^[9][10] and was loaned out to National League South club Hemel Hempstead Town for one month,^[11] where he made five appearances.^[12] Read rejected the offer of a new development contract in the summer of 2019 and departed Kenilworth Road having made seven appearances and scored one goal.^[13][14]

Brentford

Read joined Championship club Brentford on 12 July 2019 to play in their B team, signing a one-year contract with the option of a further year, for a compensation fee.^[15] Having made 30 appearances and scored five goals in his first season with the B team, Brentford exercised the option to extend Read's contract in July 2020.^[16] He spent the entire 2020–21 season away on loan and departed when his contract expired.^[17]

Stevenage

On 10 September 2020, Read joined League Two club Stevenage on loan until the end of the 2020–21 season.^[18] He made 38 appearances, scored two goals and joined the club on a permanent contract at the end of the season.^[17]

Colchester United

On 3 January 2023, Read signed a two-and-a-half-year contract with League Two side Colchester United.^[19]

Career statistics

As of 27 February 2025

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition

Club	Season	League			FA Cup		EFL Cup		Other		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Luton Town	2016–17[20]	League Two	0	0	0	0	0	0	1[a]	0	1	0
	2017–18[9]	League Two	0	0	0	0	0	0	2[a]	0	2	0
	2018–19[10]	League One	0	0	0	0	0	0	4[a]	1	4	1
	Total		0	0	0	0	0	0	7	1	7	1
Hemel Hempstead Town (loan)	2018–19[12]	National League South	4	0	—		—		1[b]	0	5	0
Brentford	2019–20[21]	Championship	0	0	0	0	0	0	—		0	0
	2020–21[22]	Championship	—		—		0	0	—		0	0
	Total		0	0	0	0	0	0	—		5	0
Stevenage (loan)	2020–21[22]	League Two	32	2	3	0	—		3[a]	0	38	2
Stevenage	2021–22[23]	League Two	19	1	2	0	1	0	3	0	25	1
	2022–23[24]	League Two	11	0	1	0	3	0	5[a]	1	20	1
	Total		62	3	6	0	4	0	11	1	83	4
Colchester United	2022–23[24]	League Two	20	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	20	0
	2023–24[25]	League Two	41	5	1	0	1	0	3[a]	0	46	5
	2024–25[26]	League Two	39	1	1	0	2	0	5[a]	0	47	1
	2025-26	League Two	3	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	4	0
Total			103	6	2	0	4	0	8	0	117	6
Career total			165	9	8	0	8	0	26	2	206	11

1. Appearance(s) in EFL Trophy
2. Appearance in Herts Charity Cup

Honours

Individual

• Stevenage Player of the Month: October 2020, December 2020^[27][28]
• Colchester United Player of the Year: 2023–24^[29]
• Colchester United Players' Player of the Year: 2023–24^[29]