Born and raised in Arlington Heights, a suburb of Chicago, United States, Jonathan Spector joined the US Soccer Federation Academy in Bradenton, Florida, graduating in 2003. Capped by the United States at U16, U17, U20 and U23 levels, he started all four matches for the US at the 2003 FIFA U17 World Cup in Finland.

 

Aged 17, the youngster moved to England in the summer of 2003 to join Manchester United, a year later he made his debut as a substitute in the Charity Shield defeat by Arsenal at the Millennium Stadium on 8 August 2004, becoming the youngster American to play for the club. In November 2004, he made his full international debut for the USA, as a substitute in a World Cup qualifying clash against Jamaica.

 

Having totalled eight first-team appearances for the Red Devils in 2004/05, he departed Old Trafford in a bid to find regular first team football – on 11 July 2005 - signing for Charlton Athletic on a season-long loan spell at the start of the 2005/06 campaign.

 

Having impressed Addicks manager Alan Curbishley, Spector began to establish himself as a regular in the side at the turn of 2006 and went on to make 24 first-team appearances for the south Londoners. However, his dreams of appearing for the USA at the World Cup finals were crushed in April, when he suffered a dislocated shoulder that ended his season.

 

On 15 June 2006, the versatile defender joined West Ham United in a £500,000 move from Manchester United. Initially signed as a backup to the Hammers defence, he made his first-team debut at the Stadio Renzo Barbera in the 3-0 UEFA Cup first-round second-leg in Palermo on 28 September 2006, and had an extended run of games due to injury problems and his ability to play anywhere in the back four with equal ease.

 

Spector was re-united with his former Addicts manager, when Curbishley took over the reigns at Upton Park in December 2006. Playing for the USA he won the CONCACAF Gold Cup as part of the team that defeated Mexico in the final in Chicago in 2007, and went on to make 28 appearances for his country of birth whilst on the books with West Ham United.

 

The defender missed most of the 2008/09 season under new manager Gianfranco Zola due to injuries, but following the departure of Lucas Neill, he played in 27 of a possible 38 games in the 2009/10 season. Many of his appearances that year came at left-back, despite being a right footed player.

 

When Zola left, new manager Avram Grant began deploying Spector in the midfield. He scored his first goals for West Ham and his first in English football, scoring twice on a snowy night in east London in a 4–0 home win over former club Manchester United in the League Cup on 30 November 2010.

 

On 30 June 2010, Spector was released at the end of his contract and signed a two-year deal with Birmingham City in August 2011, going on to make 153 league appearances for the St Andrew’s club. On 24 January 2017 Birmingham City cancelled his contract by mutual consent and he signed for Major Soccer League side Orlando City. He played 38 games for the club over two years before signing a short-term contract with Scottish Premiership club Hibernian in March 2019.

 

On 11 August 2019, after a 16-year career in which he played over 400 games for club and country, he announced his retirement from the game.