Career Timeline of Joe Thompson (footballer): Major Achievements and Milestones

How Joe Thompson (footballer) built a successful career. Explore key moments that defined the journey.

Joe Thompson is an English former professional footballer who primarily played as a midfielder. Details surrounding his specific career highlights, clubs played for, and playing style require further information to provide a more comprehensive summary. He is known for his career as a professional football player.

Sections (3)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements

1998: Joined Manchester United's youth team

In 1998, Thompson joined Manchester United's youth team, playing alongside future professionals like James Chester, Danny Drinkwater, and Tom Cleverley.

2005: Season Debut

In the 2005-06 season, Thompson played in one match for the team.

May 2006: Debut for Rochdale

In May 2006, at the age of seventeen, Thompson made his debut for Rochdale as a substitute in a 2–0 loss against Carlisle United.

August 2006: First appearance of the season

On August 12, 2006, Thompson made his first appearance of the 2006–07 season as a substitute in a 1–0 loss against Swindon Town.

December 2006: First start for Rochdale

In December 2006, Thompson made his first start for Rochdale against Milton Keynes Dons, playing the entire game in a 2–1 loss.

July 2007: Signed first professional contract with Rochdale

On July 5, 2007, Thompson signed his first professional contract with Rochdale ahead of the 2007–08 season.

December 2007: Returned from injury

On December 26, 2007, Thompson returned from an injury, making a late substitute appearance in a 2–0 win against Wrexham.

January 2008: Scored first goal for Rochdale

On January 1, 2008, Thompson scored his first goal for Rochdale in a 3–1 win over Darlington.

September 2008: Return from Injury

On September 28, 2008, Thompson made his return from an injury, coming on as a substitute in a 3–1 win against Accrington Stanley.

October 2008: First Goal of the Season

On October 25, 2008, Thompson scored his first goal of the season in a 3–1 win over Aldershot Town.

January 2009: Hat-trick against Aldershot Town

On January 31, 2009, Thompson scored a hat-trick in a 4–2 victory against Aldershot Town.

February 2009: Scored against Chester City

On February 3, 2009, Thompson scored in a 2–0 win over Chester City, following his hat-trick in the previous game.

August 2009: Scored Goal and Won Man of the Match

In August 2009, during the opening game of the 2009–10 season, Thompson scored a goal and won the Man of the Match award against Port Vale.

September 2009: Scored against Bury and Morecambe

In September 2009, Thompson scored two goals; one on August 29 in a 3–0 win over Bury and another on September 5 in a 3–3 draw against Morecambe.

November 2009: Brace against Luton Town

On November 7, 2009, Thompson scored a late brace against Luton Town in the first round of the FA Cup, forcing a replay.

March 2010: Returned from Injury and Scored

After recovering from a knee injury, Thompson returned on March 6, 2010, in a 1–1 draw against Lincoln City, and later scored in a 1–0 win against Shrewsbury Town.

April 2010: Scored against Grimsby Town and Rochdale Promoted

In April 2010, Thompson scored in a 4–1 win against Grimsby Town on March 27 and Rochdale were promoted to League One on April 17 after beating Northampton Town 1–0.

2010: Assisted Goal Against Barnsley

At the start of the 2010–11 season, Thompson assisted the only goal in a 1–0 win against Barnsley in the League Cup.

March 2011: Returned from Thigh Injury

After suffering a thigh injury in early February, Thompson returned to the first team on March 25, 2011, in a 2–0 loss against Hartlepool United.

April 2011: Scored against Southampton and Carlisle United

In April 2011, Thompson scored against Southampton on April 11 in a 2–0 win and against Carlisle United on April 23 in a 3–2 win.

September 2011: Return to first team

After being sidelined due to fitness concerns, Thompson returned to the first team on September 20, 2011, against Aldershot Town in the League Cup.

December 2011: Returned from thigh injury

On December 31, 2011, Thompson returned from a thigh injury, starting in a 0–0 draw against Walsall.

2011: Offered a new contract by Rochdale

Shortly after the end of the 2011–12 season, Thompson was offered a new contract by Rochdale.

April 2012: Scored against Exeter City

On April 14, 2012, Thompson scored against Exeter City in a 3–2 win, but Rochdale were relegated after losing to Chesterfield.

August 2012: Signed for Tranmere Rovers

On August 3, 2012, Thompson signed a two-year deal with Tranmere Rovers, a League One side, for an undisclosed fee.

2012: Debut for Tranmere Rovers

In August 2012, Thompson made his debut for the club in a League Cup match against Chesterfield. He later scored his first goal for the club on October 6 against Notts County.

March 2013: Re-joined Rochdale on Loan

In March 2013, Thompson re-joined Rochdale on loan until the end of the season, making his second debut on March 2 in a match against Morecambe.

August 2013: Scored Twice Against Crawley Town

In August 2013, Thompson started the season well by scoring twice in a 3–3 draw with Crawley Town on August 10.

August 2014: Signed one-year contract at Bury

On 2 August 2014, Joe Thompson announced via his Twitter account that he signed a one-year contract at Bury after a successful trial. Manager David Flitcroft described Thompson as an "inspiration" due to his improved mental strength.

November 2014: Loaned to Wrexham

In November 2014, Joe Thompson was loaned to Wrexham until 4 January 2015.

2014: Bury Debut

In 2014, Joe Thompson debuted for Bury in the League Cup against Bolton Wanderers as an 85th-minute substitute, losing 3–2. He made three more substitute appearances but spent most of the first half of the season on the bench due to lack of fitness.

January 2015: Returned to Bury

In January 2015, Joe Thompson returned to Bury after his loan spell at Wrexham expired.

February 2015: Signed for Southport on loan

In February 2015, Joe Thompson signed for Southport on a one-month loan and debuted on the same day in a 1–1 draw against Macclesfield Town.

July 2015: Signed for Carlisle United

On 31 July 2015, Joe Thompson signed a six-month contract with Carlisle United after an unsuccessful trial at St Johnstone, and was given the number twenty–three shirt.

2015: Played for Carlisle United

In 2015, Joe Thompson played 15-20 games and scored one goal for Carlisle United, which he considered as progress, eventually getting released at the end of the season.

August 2016: Re-joined Rochdale

On 7 August 2016, Joe Thompson re-joined Rochdale on a six-month deal, expressing his desire to perform well for the club and his family after overcoming personal challenges.

2016: Third debut for Rochdale

In 2016, Joe Thompson made his third debut for Rochdale as a substitute in a League Cup win against Chesterfield. He experienced fluctuating playing time until an injury sidelined him in October.

February 2017: Returned from injury

In February 2017, Joe Thompson returned from injury. He scored his third goal of the season in a match against Peterborough United on 25 February, but was later sidelined for the rest of the 2016-17 season after his cancer returned.

December 2017: Returned to the first team

In December 2017, Joe Thompson returned to the first team from injury, coming on as a substitute in a draw against Walsall, receiving a standing ovation. He had been sidelined for six months.

April 2018: Return to first team

In April 2018, Joe Thompson returned to the first team, contributing to Rochdale's improved results and scoring the winning goal against Charlton Athletic, avoiding relegation. Following this, he was awarded the 'Laureus Sporting Moment of the Year Award'.

2018: Contract extension with Rochdale

In 2018, Joe Thompson had a contract extension with Rochdale.

2018: Only appearance of the season

In 2018, Joe Thompson made his only appearance of the 2018-19 season against Burton Albion, before being sidelined for six months.

February 2019: Retirement from professional football

In February 2019, Joe Thompson announced his retirement from professional football due to health reasons, stating that he had pushed his body to the limit. He was honored by both teams in Rochdale's match against Coventry City.

June 2019: Testimonial match announced

In June 2019, Rochdale announced that they would hold a testimonial match for Joe Thompson following his retirement from professional football.

April 2021: Co-presenter of BBC Squad Goals

In April 2021, Joe Thompson was announced as the co-presenter of BBC Squad Goals with Sanny Rudravajhala and Lucy Oliva, a show networked across Local BBC Radio on BBC Sounds and on the BBC Sport website.