Joe Thompson (footballer)
Updated: 5/24/2026, 7:27:26 PM Wikipedia source
Joseph Thompson (5 March 1989 – 17 April 2025) was an English professional footballer who played as a midfielder for Rochdale, Tranmere Rovers, Carlisle United, Southport and Bury.
Infobox
2013
→ Rochdale (loan)
2014
→ Wrexham (loan)
2015
→ Southport (loan)
Full name
Joseph Thompson
Date of birth
(1989-03-05)5 March 1989
Place of birth
Bath, Somerset, England
Date of death
17 April 2025(2025-04-17) (aged 36)
Height
6 ft 0 in (1 m)
Position
Midfielder
1998–2005
Manchester United
2005–2006
Rochdale
Years
Team
2006–2012
Rochdale
2012–2014
Tranmere Rovers
2014–2015
Bury
2015–2016
Carlisle United
2016–2019
Rochdale
Tables
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition · Career statistics
Division
Division
Club
Division
Season
Apps
League
Goals
League
Apps
League
Goals
FA Cup
Apps
FA Cup
Goals
League Cup
Apps
League Cup
Goals
Other
Apps
Other
Goals
Rochdale
Rochdale
Club
Rochdale
Season
2005–06
League
League Two
League
1
League
0
FA Cup
0
FA Cup
0
League Cup
0
League Cup
0
Other
0
Other
0
Total
1
2006–07
2006–07
Club
2006–07
Season
League Two
League
13
League
0
League
0
FA Cup
0
FA Cup
0
League Cup
0
League Cup
0
Other
0
Other
13
Total
0
2007–08
2007–08
Club
2007–08
Season
League Two
League
12
League
1
League
0
FA Cup
0
FA Cup
0
League Cup
0
League Cup
1
Other
0
Other
13
Total
1
2008–09
2008–09
Club
2008–09
Season
League Two
League
30
League
5
League
1
FA Cup
0
FA Cup
0
League Cup
0
League Cup
4
Other
0
Other
35
Total
5
2009–10
2009–10
Club
2009–10
Season
League Two
League
36
League
6
League
2
FA Cup
2
FA Cup
1
League Cup
0
League Cup
1
Other
0
Other
40
Total
8
2010–11
2010–11
Club
2010–11
Season
League One
League
32
League
2
League
0
FA Cup
0
FA Cup
1
League Cup
0
League Cup
1
Other
0
Other
34
Total
2
2011–12
2011–12
Club
2011–12
Season
League One
League
17
League
1
League
0
FA Cup
0
FA Cup
3
League Cup
0
League Cup
1
Other
0
Other
21
Total
1
Total
Total
Club
Total
Season
141
League
15
League
3
League
2
FA Cup
5
FA Cup
0
League Cup
8
League Cup
0
Other
157
Other
17
Tranmere Rovers
Tranmere Rovers
Club
Tranmere Rovers
Season
2012–13
League
League One
League
19
League
1
FA Cup
2
FA Cup
1
League Cup
2
League Cup
0
Other
1
Other
0
Total
24
2013–14
2013–14
Club
2013–14
Season
League One
League
6
League
2
League
0
FA Cup
0
FA Cup
1
League Cup
0
League Cup
1
Other
0
Other
8
Total
2
Total
Total
Club
Total
Season
25
League
3
League
2
League
1
FA Cup
3
FA Cup
0
League Cup
2
League Cup
0
Other
32
Other
4
Rochdale (loan)
Rochdale (loan)
Club
Rochdale (loan)
Season
2012–13
League
League Two
League
7
League
0
FA Cup
0
FA Cup
0
League Cup
0
League Cup
0
Other
0
Other
0
Total
7
Bury
Bury
Club
Bury
Season
2014–15
League
League Two
League
1
League
0
FA Cup
1
FA Cup
0
League Cup
1
League Cup
0
Other
1
Other
0
Total
4
Wrexham (loan)
Wrexham (loan)
Club
Wrexham (loan)
Season
2014–15
League
Conference Premier
League
0
League
0
FA Cup
0
FA Cup
0
League Cup
~
League Cup
~
Other
1
Other
0
Total
1
Southport (loan)
Southport (loan)
Club
Southport (loan)
Season
2014–15
League
Conference Premier
League
4
League
0
FA Cup
0
FA Cup
0
League Cup
~
League Cup
~
Other
0
Other
0
Total
4
Carlisle United
Carlisle United
Club
Carlisle United
Season
2015–16
League
League Two
League
15
League
1
FA Cup
1
FA Cup
0
League Cup
0
League Cup
0
Other
1
Other
0
Total
17
Rochdale
Rochdale
Club
Rochdale
Season
2016–17
League
League One
League
21
League
3
FA Cup
2
FA Cup
0
League Cup
2
League Cup
0
Other
2
Other
0
Total
27
2017–18
2017–18
Club
2017–18
Season
League One
League
10
League
1
League
1
FA Cup
0
FA Cup
0
League Cup
0
League Cup
0
Other
0
Other
11
Total
1
2018–19
2018–19
Club
2018–19
Season
League One
League
1
League
0
League
0
FA Cup
0
FA Cup
0
League Cup
0
League Cup
0
Other
0
Other
1
Total
0
Total
Total
Club
Total
Season
32
League
4
League
3
League
0
FA Cup
2
FA Cup
0
League Cup
2
League Cup
0
Other
39
Other
4
Career total
Career total
Club
Career total
Season
225
League
23
League
10
League
3
FA Cup
11
FA Cup
0
League Cup
15
League Cup
0
Other
261
Other
26
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Other | Total | ||||||
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Rochdale | 2005–06 | League Two | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| 2006–07 | League Two | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 0 | |
| 2007–08 | League Two | 12 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 13 | 1 | |
| 2008–09 | League Two | 30 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 35 | 5 | |
| 2009–10 | League Two | 36 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 40 | 8 | |
| 2010–11 | League One | 32 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 34 | 2 | |
| 2011–12 | League One | 17 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 21 | 1 | |
| Total | 141 | 15 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 157 | 17 | ||
| Tranmere Rovers | 2012–13 | League One | 19 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 24 | |
| 2013–14 | League One | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 2 | |
| Total | 25 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 32 | 4 | ||
| Rochdale (loan) | 2012–13 | League Two | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | |
| Bury | 2014–15 | League Two | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | |
| Wrexham (loan) | 2014–15 | Conference Premier | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ~ | ~ | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| Southport (loan) | 2014–15 | Conference Premier | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ~ | ~ | 0 | 0 | 4 | |
| Carlisle United | 2015–16 | League Two | 15 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 17 | |
| Rochdale | 2016–17 | League One | 21 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 27 | |
| 2017–18 | League One | 10 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 1 | |
| 2018–19 | League One | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| Total | 32 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 39 | 4 | ||
| Career total | 225 | 23 | 10 | 3 | 11 | 0 | 15 | 0 | 261 | 26 | ||
References
- Appearances in the Football League Trophy
- Appearance in the FA Trophy
- The PFA Footballers' Who's Who 2009–10
- 11v11https://www.11v11.com/players/joe-thompson-49860/
- Evening Standardhttps://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/joe-thompson-dies-cancer-rochdale-man-utd-b1223184.html
- ESPNhttps://www.espn.com/soccer/story/_/id/44728597/joe-thompson-ex-rochdale-midfielder-dies-aged-36-third-cancer-battle
- Sky Sportshttps://www.skysports.com/football/news/11095/13351024/joe-thompson-former-rochdale-midfielder-dies-aged-36-after-third-cancer-diagnosis
- Rochdale Times – News, Sport and What's On in Rochdalehttps://www.rochdaletimes.co.uk/rochdale-remembers-dale-star-joe-thompson/
- FourFourTwohttps://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/joe-thompson-cancer-felt-a-snake-wrapping-around-my-neck-i-was-determined-win
- The Guardianhttps://www.theguardian.com/football/2018/oct/21/rochdale-joe-thompson-cancer
- "Joe Thompson: 'If the cancer returns for a third time, I won't be scared. Football has taught me how to survive'"https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2018/10/17/joe-thompson-cancer-returns-third-time-wont-scared-football/
- "Football: Joe Thompson book signing"https://web.archive.org/web/20210430212716/https://www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/4/sport-news/123144/football-joe-thompson-book-signing
- "One to watch – Joe Thompson"https://www.lfe.org.uk/news/one-to-watch-joe-thompson
- "No ordinary footballer: Rochdale's Joe Thompson on beating cancer twice – and returning in glory"https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/no-ordinary-footballer-rochdales-joe-15303844
- rochdaleafchttps://rochdaleafc.co.uk/ripjoethompson/#:~:text=Born%20in%20Bath%20on%205,until%2016-years-old.
- "Statement: Joe Thompson"https://web.archive.org/web/20170317233933/http://www.rochdaleafc.co.uk/news/article/2016-17/statement-joe-thompson-3629288.aspx
- "Hopwood Hall play key role in learning curve"https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/hopwood-hall-play-key-role-943868
- ManUtdhttps://www.manutd.com/en/news/detail/ex-man-utd-and-rochdale-player-joe-thompson-discusses-beating-cancer
- "Rochdale 0 Carlisle 2"https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/rochdale-0-carlisle-2-1029203
- "Joe Thompson"https://www.soccerbase.com/players/player.sd?season_id=135&player_id=43751