Joel Senior (footballer, born 1999)

Joel Toby Senior (born 24 June 1999) is an English professional footballer who plays as a right back for 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. 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.

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