Joseph William George Tomlinson (born 9 June 2000) is an English professional footballer who plays as a full-back for EFL League Two club Milton Keynes Dons.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Joseph William George Tomlinson[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 9 June 2000 | ||
| Height | 1.67 m (5 ft 6 in)[2] | ||
| Position(s) | Full-back | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Milton Keynes Dons | ||
| Number | 14 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Southampton | |||
| Yeovil Town | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2018–2019 | Brighton & Hove Albion | 0 | (0) |
| 2018–2019 | → Bognor Regis Town (loan) | 32 | (3) |
| 2019–2020 | Hungerford Town | 33 | (4) |
| 2020–2021 | Eastleigh | 41 | (12) |
| 2021–2023 | Peterborough United | 9 | (0) |
| 2022 | → Swindon Town (loan) | 10 | (1) |
| 2023 | → Swindon Town (loan) | 7 | (1) |
| 2023– | Milton Keynes Dons | 36 | (7) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 12:22, 12 May 2024 (UTC) | |||
Club career
Early years
Tomlinson played for the academies of Southampton and Yeovil Town, before joining the under-23 side of Brighton & Hove Albion at the age of 17.[3] He spent time on loan with non-league club Bognor Regis Town,[4] but was released by Brighton at the end of the 2018–19 season.[5]
Non-league
Ahead of the 2019–20 season, Tomlinson joined National League South club Hungerford Town, where he was later appointed captain at the age of 19.[6] He then signed for National League club Eastleigh ahead of the 2020–21 season.[7] In his first season, Tomlinson finished as the club's top scorer with 12 goals in 42 appearances in all competitions, despite playing from left-back.[8] He was later named the club's Player of the Year and Young Player of the Year for the 2020–21 season.[9]
Peterborough United
After catching the eye of several football league clubs, Tomlinson joined Championship club Peterborough United in July 2021, signing a three-year deal.[9][10][11] With first team opportunities limited, he signed for League Two club Swindon Town on loan in January 2022.[12][13] After impressing on loan at Swindon, Tomlinson was awarded the EFL Young Player of the Month award for February 2022, contributing with three assists and a goal across the month.[14] In January 2023, Tomlinson re-signed for Swindon on loan until the end of the season with a view to a permanent transfer, which later failed to materialise.[15][16]
Milton Keynes Dons
On 1 September 2023, Tomlinson joined League Two club Milton Keynes Dons for an undisclosed fee.[17][18] He made his debut the following day, coming on as a 63rd-minute substitute in a 3–1 away league defeat to Crewe Alexandra.[19] Tomlinson scored his first goal for the club on 24 October 2023, in a 4–1 home league win over Bradford City.[20]
Career statistics
- As of 11 May 2024
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | EFL Cup | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Brighton & Hove Albion | 2018–19[21] | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | |
| Bognor Regis Town (loan) | 2018–19[22] | Isthmian Premier Division | 32 | 3 | 3 | 0 | — | 5[a] | 0 | 40 | 2 | |
| Hungerford Town | 2019–20[23] | National League South | 33 | 4 | 1 | 0 | — | 4[b] | 1 | 38 | 5 | |
| Eastleigh | 2020–21[23] | National League | 41 | 12 | 2 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 43 | 12 | |
| Peterborough United | 2021–22[24] | Championship | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 7 | 0 | |
| 2022–23[25] | League One | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2[c] | 0 | 6 | 0 | |
| 2023–24[26] | League One | 2 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | ||
| Total | 9 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 17 | 0 | ||
| Swindon Town (loan) | 2021–22[24] | League Two | 10 | 1 | — | — | — | 10 | 1 | |||
| Swindon Town (loan) | 2022–23[25] | League Two | 7 | 1 | — | — | — | 7 | 1 | |||
| Milton Keynes Dons | 2023–24[26] | League Two | 36 | 7 | 0 | 0 | — | 3[d] | 0 | 39 | 7 | |
| 2024–25[27] | League Two | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Total | 36 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 39 | 7 | ||
| Career total | 168 | 28 | 7 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 14 | 1 | 194 | 29 | ||
Honours
Individual
- Eastleigh Young Player of the Year: 2020–21[9]
- Eastleigh Player of the Year: 2020–21[9]
- EFL Young Player of the Month: February 2022[14]