Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | Stuart Robert Sinclair[1] | ||
Date of birth | [2] | 19 November 1987||
Place of birth | Houghton Conquest, England | ||
Height | 5 ft 6 in (1.68 m)[3] | ||
Position(s) | Midfielder | ||
Youth career | |||
2002–2004 | Luton Town | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
2004–2006 | Luton Town | 0 | (0) |
2006–2007 | Cambridge City | 36 | (1) |
2007–2008 | Bedford Town | ||
2008–2009 | Dunstable Town | ||
2009–2012 | Arlesey Town | 99 | (4) |
2012–2014 | Salisbury City | 87 | (6) |
2014–2019 | Bristol Rovers | 142 | (7) |
2019–2021 | Walsall | 43 | (2) |
2023 | Real Bedford | 5 | (0) |
Total | 412 | (20) | |
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 14:45, 23 April 2024 (UTC) |
Stuart Robert Sinclair (born 19 November 1987) is an English former professional footballer who played as a midfielder.
Sinclair joined newly relegated Conference Premier club Bristol Rovers in the summer of 2014.[4] During the 2014–15 season, he helped the club to gain an instant promotion back to the Football League.[5] On 8 August 2015, Sinclair made his Football League debut in a 1–0 home defeat to Northampton Town.[6] During Sinclair's third Football League appearance, he netted a late winner against Luton Town on 18 August 2015.[7] Sinclair continued to perform well, picking up various Man of the Match awards.[8] His second and final goal of the season was during a 1–1 draw away to Exeter City.[9][10] After picking up an injury which required surgery and saw him out of action for over six weeks,[11] he missed the end of the 2015–16 season, including a dramatic match against Dagenham & Redbridge on the final day, which ended in a 2–1 win, after a 92nd-minute winner earned Sinclair and the club back to back promotions.[12]
Sinclair made his first appearance of 2016–17 on the opening day of the season in a 3–1 defeat away to Scunthorpe United.[13] His first goal of the season came in a 2–0 victory away to Oxford United on 4 March 2017.[14] Sinclair was sent off in a 3–0 defeat away to Bury on 14 March after being booked twice for simulation.[15]
Sinclair was released when his contract expired at the end of the 2018–19 season[16] having become a strong fan-favourite during his time with the club, earning cult hero status.[17][18]
Sinclair signed for Walsall, who were newly relegated to League Two, on 21 May 2019 on a contract of undisclosed length, effective from 1 July.[19] He made his debut on the opening day of the 2019–20 season as Walsall won 1–0 away to Northampton Town.[20]
Towards the end of the 2020–21 season, with Walsall having a limited backroom coaching staff, Sinclair stepped up to help coach some of the younger players in the squad.[21] At the end of the season, after two seasons at the club, Sinclair was one of eight players to not be offered a new contract and would leave Walsall upon the expiration of his contract.[22]
Following his departure from Walsall, Sinclair moved to Canada.[23] In 2023, during a short spell back in England, he joined Spartan South Midlands Division One club Real Bedford, managed by brother Rob.[24]
Sinclair's brother, Rob Sinclair, also became a professional footballer.[25]
Club | Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Other | Total | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
Arlesey Town | 2009–10[26] | Southern League Division One Midlands | 38 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — | 13[a] | 3 | 53 | 4 | |
2010–11[26] | Southern League Division One Central | 41 | 3 | 3 | 0 | — | 9[b] | 0 | 53 | 3 | ||
2011–12[26] | Southern League Premier Division | 20 | 0 | 5 | 0 | — | 3[c] | 0 | 28 | 0 | ||
Total | 99 | 4 | 10 | 0 | — | 25 | 3 | 134 | 7 | |||
Salisbury City | 2011–12[27] | Conference South | 21 | 2 | — | — | — | 21 | 2 | |||
2012–13[27] | Conference South | 31 | 4 | 0 | 0 | — | 1[d] | 0 | 32 | 4 | ||
2013–14[27] | Conference Premier | 35 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 1[d] | 0 | 39 | 0 | ||
Total | 87 | 6 | 3 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | 92 | 6 | |||
Bristol Rovers | 2014–15[27] | Conference Premier | 27 | 2 | 1 | 0 | — | 1[d] | 0 | 29 | 2 | |
2015–16[28] | League Two | 30 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2[e] | 0 | 34 | 2 | |
2016–17[29] | League One | 38 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2[f] | 0 | 45 | 1 | |
2017–18[30] | League One | 29 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1[f] | 0 | 33 | 3 | |
2018–19[31] | League One | 18 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2[f] | 0 | 21 | 0 | |
Total | 142 | 7 | 7 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 162 | 8 | ||
Walsall | 2019–20[32] | League Two | 26 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 27 | 2 |
2020–21[33] | League Two | 17 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2[f] | 0 | 20 | 0 | |
Total | 43 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 47 | 2 | ||
Real Bedford | 2022–23[34] | Spartan South Midlands Division One | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | |
Career total | 376 | 19 | 21 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 37 | 3 | 440 | 23 |
Arlesey Town
Salisbury City
Bristol Rovers