Dean Michael Sinclair (born 17 December 1984) is an English former professional footballer who played as a midfielder.
Sinclair came through the Norwich City youth academy and was promoted to the club's first team in 2002. He struggled to make an impact and joined Barnet two years later. He made 125 appearances for the club before joining Charlton Athletic, where he again struggled to hold down a place in the first team and eventually spent time on loan with Cheltenham Town and Grimsby Town as well as briefly returning to Barnet for a month. In 2010, he returned to Grimsby on a permanent basis but the season ended with a loan at Cambridge United. Following his release from Grimsby in 2011 he went on to have spells with Arlesey Town, Hayes & Yeading and Lowestoft Town before signing with Woking in August 2012. He was released just a few months later and signed with Sutton United in February 2013.
Whilst with Barnet, Sinclair was capped 5 times by the England C team, scoring one goal.
Career
Norwich City Sinclair career started at Norwich under Nigel Worthington, where he came through the youth system. Worthington promoted Sinclair to the club's first team at the start of the 2002–03 season. With the club playing in the First Division Sinclair made his debut on 25 February 2003 in the club's 1–0 away defeat against Gillingham where he played from the start before being replaced by Ian Henderson in the 83rd minute. On 15 March he came on for Mark Rivers in the 89th minute of the club's 2–0 win over Coventry City at Carrow Road. Sinclair was kept on by The Canaries during the 2003–04 season but failed to make a single appearance and was only named on the substitute's bench a handful of times. In the summer of 2004 Worthington released Sinclair after 16 months without any first team football.
Barnet Sinclair signed with Conference National side Barnet in August 2004. He made his debut 14 August 2004 in the club's 3–1 victory over Forest Green Rovers. During this season the club earned promotion to the Football League with Sinclair playing in 39 league matches scoring 9 goals the first of them coming against Northwich Victoria on 28 August 2004. During the 2005–06 season Sinclair scored against Manchester United at Old Trafford in the League Cup on 26 October 2005, whilst Barnet were 3–0 down, they eventually lost 4–1. He decided to leave Barnet at the end of the 2006–07 season, as his contract was up.
Charlton Athletic In the summer of 2007, after a successful trial period, Sinclair joined Alan Pardew's Charlton Athletic for a fee of £125,000. The club had recently been relegated from the Premier League and were preparing for their first season in the second tier of English football since being promoted in 2000. Sinclair made his Addicks debut on 14 August 2007 in the club's 2–0 League Cup win over Swindon Town with Sinclair making a 78th minute appearance as a replacement for Andy Reid. Sinclair's next appearance would be in the second round of the same competition where he started and scored a 4th-minute goal against Luton Town, however after extra time Charlton lost the match 3–1. In October 2007, he joined Cheltenham Town on a month's loan, rejoining Cheltenham on another months loan in August 2008. On 8 January Sinclair signed a one-month loan deal with Mike Newell's Grimsby Town, which was later extended. Injury curtailed his stay at Blundell Park and he returned to Charlton. In November 2009, Sinclair rejoined Barnet on loan. He scored against Crewe Alexandra, but was sent off against Northampton Town and his loan spell was not renewed. On 28 January, he re-joined Grimsby Town on loan for the rest of the 2009–10 season. Grimsby suffered relegation from the Football League in May 201. Sinclair returned to Charlton but was released from the club having only played two games in three seasons at The Valley, none of which were league appearances.
Grimsby Town On 29 November 2010, after being without a club for the first four months of the 2010–11 season, Sinclair approached former club Grimsby Town to take a look at him. Sinclair began training with Grimsby again with the hope of a permanent deal in mind. Sinclair signed a deal until the end of the 2010–11 season on 9 December. Sinclair made his third debut for The Mariners in the club's 3–0 FA Trophy victory over Redditch United. Following the sacking of Neil Woods in February 2011, and despite scoring three goals in ten games Sinclair was loaned out to Cambridge United until the rest of the season on 25 March 2011 following the arrival of joint-manager's Rob Scott and Paul Hurst. and made his debut on 2 April against Altrincham. Sinclair returned to Grimsby at the end of the 10–11 season and was released.
Arlesey Town and Hayes & Yeading United In August 2011 Sinclair played for Southern League Premier Division side Arlesey Town in a friendly against Kettering Town. He then joined the club on a short-term deal, playing 11 times scoring 1 goal.
On 4 November Sinclair moved back up the football pyramid by signing with Conference National side Hayes & Yeading United. Sinclair played two games for the club, scoring once before returning to Arlesey on loan.
Lowestoft Town, Woking and Sutton United Sinclair joined Lowestoft Town on 16 February 2012. Sinclair joined Woking F.C. on 7 August 2012. Sinclair left Woking on 8 January 2013, having played 21 times in the league, scoring once in a 5–1 defeat against former club Grimsby Town.
In February 2013, Sinclair signed with Conference South side Sutton United. He left the club following the 2013–14 season, in which Sutton reached the playoffs with a second-place finish, but were knocked out in the semi-finals by eventual winners Dover Athletic.
Eastbourne Borough
Following his departure from Sutton, Sinclair joined league rivals Eastbourne Borough.
Hampton and Richmond Borough
Sinclair was released by Eastbourne towards the end of the 2014–15 season and subsequently went on to sign for Hampton & Richmond Borough.
Honours
Barnet Conference National Winner 2004–05
Hampton & Richmond Borough Isthmian League Premier Division Winner 2015–16
Career statistics + Appearances and goals by club, season and competitionClubSeasonLeagueFA CupLeague CupOtherTotalDivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsNorwich City2002–03First Division20000000202003–04First Division0000000000Total2000000020Barnet2004–05Conference Premier391120—1042112005–06League Two4421021114842006–07League Two426322020498Total1241962414113723Charlton Athletic2007–08Championship00002100212008–09Championship00000000002009–10League One0000000000Total0000210021Cheltenham Town (loan)2007–08League One121000020141Cheltenham Town (loan)2008–09League One3000000030Grimsby Town (loan)2008–09League Two9100000091Barnet (loan)2009–10League Two3110000041Grimsby Town (loan)2009–10League Two163000000163Grimsby Town2010–11Conference Premier12300—10133Cambridge United2010–11Conference Premier6100—0061Arlesey Town2011–12Southern League Premier Division6040—00100Hayes & Yeading United2011–12Conference Premier2100—0021Arlesey Town2011–12Southern League Premier Division11011—10131Lowestoft Town2011–12Isthmian League Premier Division18500—20205Woking2012–13Conference Premier21100—20231Sutton United2012–13Conference South16200—201822013–14Conference South29410—30334Total456100050516Eastbourne Borough2014–15Conference South24220—00262Hampton & Richmond Borough2014–15Isthmian League Premier Division6000—00602015–16Isthmian League Premier Division33810—50398Total398100050458Career total353521636222139758
References
External links at cafc.co.uk
Career information at ex-canaries.co.uk