 Lynch playing forQueens Park Rangers in 2017 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Joel John Lynch[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1987-10-03)3 October 1987 (age 38) | ||
| Place of birth | Eastbourne, England | ||
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)[2] | ||
| Position | Defender | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Precision | ||
| Number | 5 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2003–2005 | Brighton & Hove Albion | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2005–2009 | Brighton & Hove Albion | 79 | (2) |
| 2008–2009 | →Nottingham Forest (loan) | 23 | (0) |
| 2009–2012 | Nottingham Forest | 57 | (3) |
| 2012–2016 | Huddersfield Town | 122 | (8) |
| 2016–2019 | Queens Park Rangers | 90 | (7) |
| 2019–2020 | Sunderland | 16 | (0) |
| 2021–2023 | Crawley Town | 31 | (2) |
| 2023– | Precision | 9 | (0) |
| International career | |||
| 2012 | Wales | 1 | (0) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 08:06, 2 May 2025 (UTC) | |||
Joel John Lynch (born 3 October 1987) is a professionalfootballer who plays as adefender forUAE Second Division League clubPrecision. He previously played forBrighton & Hove Albion,Nottingham Forest,Huddersfield Town andQueens Park Rangers. Born in England, he has represented theWales national team.
Lynch came throughBrighton & Hove Albion's youth set up and was part of a history breaking youth team which saw them reach the quarter-finals of theFA Youth Cup.[3] His reward, along with teammateJoe Gatting, was a place in the squad for the first team which saw him make his debut againstSouthampton on 3 January 2006.[4]
In summer 2006, Lynch signed a professional three-year contract with Brighton, a deal which was later extended.[5][6]
Lynch attracted the interest of severalPremier League andChampionship clubs during his career with Brighton, withNottingham Forest andPortsmouth[7] keeping a close scrutiny on the player.
After starting the2008–09 season out of the Brighton first-team, Lynch handed in a written transfer request which was formally rejected by the club.[8] Lynch then handed in a second written transfer request during September 2008 and Brighton reluctantly allowed him to join Nottingham Forest on loan, initially for a month.[9]He made only one start and two substitute appearances for Brighton in the 2008–09 season.
Lynch made a total of 68 league starts for Brighton and scored a total of two goals.[10]
Lynch joinedNottingham Forest on loan in September 2008. After five appearances, the following month this loan spell was extended until 28 December,[11] then the loan deal was further extended to keep Lynch at the City Ground for the remainder of theseason.[12] Forest paid the player's contractual wages and paid Brighton a fee of £25,000[13] where he made 23 appearances for Forest. He found himself playing at leftfull-back, covering for the long term absence through injury ofJulian Bennett.
On 21 July 2009, Lynch was signed permanently by Forest on a three-year contract for a fee of £200,000. As part of this transfer deal, Forest loaned midfielderMatt Thornhill to Brighton for an initial six months.[14] Lynch's first team opportunities at Forest were limited, especially in his favoured position ofcentre-back as he has been down the pecking order toWes Morgan,Kelvin Wilson andLuke Chambers. He has also suffered from injuries. Most of his appearances have come from filling in at leftfull-back. In the 2009–10 season, Lynch made only 11 starts in all competitions (3 at centre-back; 8 at left-back).
Lynch made his first appearance of the 2010–11 season playing 101 minutes in Forest'sFootball League Cup first round exit toLeague Two sideBradford City on 10 August 2010 when they lost 2–1 after extra time.[15] His first appearance in the league didn't come until 20 November 2010 when he was used as an 85th-minute substitute in the sides 2–0 away win overCardiff City.[16] He made his first league start in a 1–0 away win overIpswich Town on 3 January 2011 being substituted in the 81st minute and would go on to start Forest's next five games.[17] Lynch would only play 15 times during the 2010–11 season making only 11 starts in all competitions and playing mostly at left back over his more natural centre back position.[18]
During the 2011–12 season, he was given a chance to play in his preferred position in the centre of defence, alongside Wes Morgan, then Luke Chambers when Morgan joinedLeicester City. He put in a series of very impressive displays and began to regularly hold down a starting place and showing signs of fulfilling his potential. On 19 November, Lynch scored his first goal for Nottingham Forest in the 3–2 win against Ipswich Town.[19] His second came in a 2–1 loss toMiddlesbrough,[20] and his third was a header against former club Brighton.[21]
On 11 July 2012, Lynch signed a 3-year deal withHuddersfield Town after turning down a new deal at former club Forest becoming managerSimon Grayson's fifth signing of 2012–13 season.[22][23] Lynch was given the number 33 shirt for the 2012–13 season by manager Simon Grayson on 14 July 2012.[24] He made his league début in the 1–0 defeat by Cardiff City at theCardiff City Stadium on 17 August. On 25 August he scored his first goal in a league match againstBurnley when he gave Huddersfield a 1–0 lead, where Huddersfield won 2–0 in the end.[25] Lynch received his firstred card of his Huddersfield career atHillsborough Stadium in Huddersfield's 3–1 win overSheffield Wednesday.[25]
Lynch's first goal of the 2013–14 season came in the 3–2 League Cup win againstCharlton Athletic on 27 August 2013.[26] Less than a month later Lynch would again score against Charlton, this time in League action on 17 September, before picking up a red card againstReading on 14 December.[26] 15 days later Lynch scored again, this time in a 5–1 rout againstYeovil Town.[26] On 12 April 2014 Lynch received his second red card of the season, this time on 12 April 2014 againstDerby County in what proved to be Lynch's penultimate appearance of the season.[26]
His first goal of the 2014–15 season came against former club Nottingham Forest, just 43 seconds into their Championship clash on 1 November 2014.[27]
On 29 June 2016, Lynch joined fellowFootball League Championship sideQueens Park Rangers on a three-year deal for an undisclosed fee believed to be around £1.2 million, potentially rising to £1.5 million. He scored his first goal for QPR in a 2–1 loss toWolverhampton Wanderers on 1 December 2016.[28]
Following release from QPR, Lynch joinedLeague One sideSunderland.[29] On 17 June 2020, the club confirmed Lynch would be leaving.[30]
On 7 September 2021, Lynch signed forEFL League Two clubCrawley Town on a contract until 3 January 2022.[31] He scored his first goal for the club in a 2-2 draw withHarrogate Town on 21 September 2021.[32]
On 13 August 2023, it was announced that Lynch had left Crawley after he agreed to terminate his contract with the club.[33]
Following his departure, Lynch joinedUAE Third Division League club Precision Football, founded by former Brighton & Hove Albion academy teammate Sonny Cobbs. During the 2023–24 season, Lynch scored five goals as the club were promoted.[34][better source needed] He signed a new contract with the club in August 2024.[35][better source needed]
Born and raised in England, Lynch qualified for Wales through his father who was born inBarry. On 17 May 2012, Lynch was called up to theWales squad for a friendly match againstMexico.[36] He was a substitute, but did not feature in the match.[37][38] On 12 August 2012 Lynch received his second international call up to the Wales squad for the friendly withBosnia and Herzegovina.[39] He made his debut as a 78th-minute substitute in that game on 15 August 2012.
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Brighton & Hove Albion | 2005–06[40] | Championship | 16 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 1 |
| 2006–07[41] | League One | 39 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4[a] | 0 | 48 | 0 | |
| 2007–08[42] | League One | 22 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2[a] | 0 | 28 | 1 | |
| 2008–09[43] | League One | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1[a] | 0 | 3 | 0 | |
| Total | 79 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 88 | 2 | ||
| Nottingham Forest (loan) | 2008–09[43] | Championship | 23 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 0 |
| Nottingham Forest | 2009–10[44] | Championship | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 0 |
| 2010–11[45] | Championship | 12 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 0 | |
| 2011–12[46] | Championship | 35 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 39 | 3 | |
| Total | 57 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 66 | 3 | ||
| Huddersfield Town | 2012–13[25] | Championship | 22 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 1 |
| 2013–14[26] | Championship | 29 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 31 | 3 | |
| 2014–15[47] | Championship | 34 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 35 | 3 | |
| 2015–16[48] | Championship | 37 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 40 | 2 | |
| Total | 122 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 128 | 9 | ||
| Queens Park Rangers | 2016–17[49] | Championship | 30 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 33 | 3 |
| 2017–18[50] | Championship | 25 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 25 | 1 | |
| 2018–19[51] | Championship | 35 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 37 | 3 | |
| Total | 90 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 95 | 7 | ||
| Sunderland | 2019–20[52] | League One | 16 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2[b] | 0 | 21 | 0 |
| Crawley Town | 2021–22[53] | League Two | 24 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 2 |
| 2022–23[54] | League Two | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Total | 24 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 2 | ||
| Career total | 411 | 22 | 17 | 0 | 16 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 446 | 23 | ||
Joel Lynch levelled the scores again with seven minutes remaining, heading in Andy Reid's cross. It was his first goal for the club.
