Joe Thompson

After missing the opening game of the season against Peterborough United due to injury, he made his first appearance of the season, coming on as a 62nd-minute substitute, in a 2–1 loss against Chester City.

However, Thompson was plagued with an injury that kept him out for two months.

Joseph Thompson (born 5 March 1989) is an English former professional footballer who played as a midfielder.

Thompson was born and raised in Bath, Somerset before moving to Manchester to live with his aunt when his mother was admitted to a psychiatric hospital.

He has a brother.

Thompson revealed that "his father was absent in their life and said: He'd gone down the wrong path and became addicted to hard drugs. I think he has spent 12 of the last 20 years behind bars and missed out seeing me and my brother achieve some great things in life."

He had a "turbulent" childhood, "witnessing his father abusing his mother physically and verbally, his younger brother Reuben being struck by a hit-and-run driver – he remembers the tyre mark on the face of Reuben, who made a full recovery from his injuries – and his mother suffering a breakdown when he was eight."

Attending St Vincent's Primary School, St Cuthbert's High School Hopwood Hall School, Thompson revealed he excelled in athletics and was a good 800-metre runner, but "wanted to be a part of something on a long term".

This led Thompson to begin playing football for a local team "as a way of integrating".

In 1998, he joined Manchester United's youth team and played alongside James Chester, Danny Drinkwater and Tom Cleverley.

At school, Thompson said "that football slowly turned him from an outsider into one of the gang" and that he had an air of arrogance and confidence in any situation, as he was good at something but his teachers warned him that he still needed to concentrate on his studies in case he "might not make it"; it did not stop him from "practising his signature on scraps of paper at the back of the classroom".

Thompson said life was "great" for him until at age 16, he learned that Manchester United released him because he was small.

Thompson said his release was difficult to take that he did not tell any of his friends for at least two weeks, stating: "I'd always been a winner – the best at football, athletics and basketball – but now I was a loser."

Determined to become a footballer, Thompson went on trials at Blackburn Rovers and Liverpool but failed to win a contract.

One day, his teacher told to "go down to Rochdale".

Initially reluctant as "he thought he was better than that", Thompson ended up relenting and joined the club, as he realised it did not matter what team he played for in the past, as long as, everyone were all in the same boat". Soon, Thompson was told by Rochdale's management that "he soon be playing for the first team." Aged seventeen, Thompson made his debut for the club, coming on as an 83rd-minute substitute, in a 2–0 loss against Carlisle United on 2 May 2006 during the 2005–06 season, in what turned out to be his only appearance of the season.

Thompsons made his first appearance of the 2006–07 season, coming on as an 86th-minute substitute, in a 1–0 loss against Swindon Town on 12 August 2006.

He then made his first start for the club against Milton Keynes Dons on 23 December 2006 and started the whole game, in a 2–1 loss.

In a follow–up match against Wrexham, Thompson set up Rochdale's second goal of the game and helped the club draw 2–2.

Following this, he was given more playing time for the rest of the 2006–07 season.

At the end of the 2006–07 season, Thompson went on to make thirteen appearances in all competitions.

For his performance, he was awarded the League Two Apprentice award.

After this achievement, manager Keith Hill hoped Thompson would continue to make progress.

Ahead of the 2007–08 season, Thompson signed his first professional contract with Rochdale on 5 July 2007.

He returned from injury on 26 December 2007, coming on as a late substitute in a 2–0 win against Wrexham.

However, he continued to be plagued with injuries on three occasions, as the 2007–08 season progressed.

Rochdale went on to reach the play–off final against Stockport County, only to lose 3–2.

At the end of the 2007–08 season, Thompson went on to make thirteen appearances and scoring once in all competitions.

Five days later on 1 January 2008, Thompson scored his first goal for the club, in a 3–1 win over Darlington.

At the start of the 2008–09 season, Thompson missed the first seven league matches of the season, due to an injury.

He made his return from injury, coming on as an 88th-minute substitute, in a 3–1 win against Accrington Stanley on 28 September 2008.

Since returning from injury, this proved to be Thompson's breakthrough season under the management of Keith Hill, as he received more playing time.

Thompson scored his first goal of the season on 25 October 2008 in a 3–1 win over Aldershot Town.

Despite being sidelined on three more occasions later in the 2008–09 season, Thompson made thirty–five appearances and scoring five times in all competitions.

Following this, he was rewarded with a new one-year contract after being offered a new contract by Rochdale.

He then scored a hat-trick in a 4–2 victory against Aldershot Town on 31 January 2009, scoring against them three times this season.

This was followed by scoring in the next game on 3 February 2009 in a 2–0 win over Chester City.

After the match, Thompson's performance, along with attacking tactics were praised by manager Hill.

Having helped Rochdale qualify for the League Two play–offs, he played in both legs against Gillingham, as the club lost 2–1 on aggregate.

In the opening game of the 2009–10 season, Thompson started the season well when he scored a goal and won a man of the match award against Port Vale.