# Joel Senior (footballer, born 1999)

Joel Toby Senior (born 24 June 1999) is an English professional footballer who plays as a right back for EFL League One club Bristol 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 then made 68 appearances in all competitions for F.C. United of Manchester, including 58 league appearances, before moving 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.

## Career statistics

    As of match played 15 March 2025
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition :
| Club | Season | League | League | League | FA Cup | FA Cup | League Cup | League Cup | Other | Other | Total | Total |
| Club | Season | Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| Curzon Ashton | 2018–19 | National League North | 10 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| Altrincham | 2020–21 | National League | 40 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 1 | 0 | 41 | 0 |
| Altrincham | 2021–2 | National League | 21 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | — | 1 | 0 | 25 | 0 |
| Altrincham | Total | Total | 61 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 66 | 0 |
| Carlisle United | 2021–22 | League Two | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Carlisle United | 2022–23 | League One | 13 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 16 | 1 |
| Carlisle United | Total | Total | 17 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 21 | 1 |
| Morecambe | 2023–24 | League Two | 43 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 50 | 1 |
| Bristol Rovers | 2024–25 | League One | 17 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 21 | 0 |
| Career total | Career total | Career total | 148 | 2 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 168 | 2 |
* 1 2 Appearance(s) in FA Trophy
* 1 2 3 Appearance(s) in EFL Trophy
* ↑ Appearance(s) in EFL League Two play-offs

## Honours

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