Joel Toby Senior (born 24 June 1999) is an English professional footballer who plays as a right back for club Tranmere Rovers.
Early and personal life Senior was born in Didsbury. His brothers are also footballers, who played in non-league for Maine Road.
Career Senior spent nearly a decade with Oldham Athletic, but was released at the age of 15 for being too small. He later described it was the worst day of his life. He began playing non-league football around Greater Manchester, initially with Sunday league team Hough End. At the age of 16 he was playing for Maine Road and working two days a week in an engineering and design company. He was also included in the 2016 North West Counties Football League team of the year.
He then made 68 appearances in all competitions for F.C. United of Manchester, including 58 league appearances between 2017 and 2019. His only goal for F.C. United of Manchester was in the 2017–18 Manchester Premier Cup final, and he moved to Curzon Ashton in February 2019, for whom he made ten league appearances in National League North.
In May 2019 he signed a 12-month contract with Premier League club Burnley, with the option of a further year, with the intention that he would initially play with their under-23 team.
He was released by Burnley at the end of the 2019–20 season. He later signed for Altrincham. He signed for Carlisle United in January 2022.
On 30 May 2023, after Carlisle won promotion to League One, Carlisle manager Paul Simpson announced that Senior would be released once his contract expired.
In June 2023, it was announced that he would sign for League Two side Morecambe on a one-year deal from 1 July 2023. Following a successful first season, Senior was named as Morecambe's Player of the Year, also winning Players' Player of the Season. Despite having been offered a new contract, he opted to depart the club at the end of the 2023–24 season.
Bristol Rovers On 29 June 2024, Senior agreed to join League One side Bristol Rovers on a two-year deal with the option for a further season. In his fourth appearance for the club, a 2–0 defeat to Stockport County, Senior suffered a torn hamstring, likely to rule him out of action for a period of around two months according to manager Matt Taylor.
On 19 June 2026, the club announced that manager Steve Evans had agreed to allow Senior to depart the club in order for the player to move closer to his family.
Tranmere Rovers On 29 June 2026, Senior agreed to join fellow League Two club Tranmere Rovers on a two-year deal. The move saw him reunite with his former Bristol Rovers manager from the first half of the previous season, Darrell Clarke.
Career statistics
+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competitionClubSeasonLeagueFA CupLeague CupOtherTotalDivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsF.C. United of Manchester2017–18National League North39030—314512018–19National League North19000—40230Total580300071681Curzon Ashton2018–19National League North100——00100Altrincham2020–21National League40000—104102021–2National League21030—10250Total610300020660Carlisle United2021–22League Two40000010502022–23League Two131000030161Total171000040211Morecambe2023–24League Two431301030501Bristol Rovers2024–25League One1902010102302025–26League Two310001030350Total500202040580Tranmere Rovers2026–27League Two90001000100Career total2482110402012833
Honours FC United of Manchester
Manchester Premier Cup: 2017–18
Carlisle United EFL League Two play-offs: 2023
Individual Morecambe Supporters' Player of the Season: 2023–24 Morecambe Players' Player of the Season: 2023–24
References