| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | (1989-03-03)3 March 1989 (age 36) | ||
| Place of birth | Glasgow, Scotland | ||
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)[1] | ||
| Position | Midfielder | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2007–2012 | Motherwell | 70 | (7) |
| 2009 | →Dumbarton (loan) | 18 | (1) |
| 2012 | Dumbarton (trial) | 1 | (0) |
| 2012–2014 | Partick Thistle | 43 | (4) |
| 2014–2015 | Dunfermline Athletic | 25 | (4) |
| 2015–2018 | Greenock Morton | 102 | (14) |
| 2018–2019 | Dumbarton | 36 | (13) |
| 2019–2020 | Forfar Athletic | 20 | (5) |
| 2020–2021 | Dumbarton | 27 | (1) |
| 2021–2023 | Stenhousemuir | 57 | (4) |
| 2023 | Clyde | 13 | (0) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2007 | Scotland U19 | 1 | (0) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 31 January 2024 ‡ National team caps and goals as of 7 December 2022 | |||
Ross Forbes (born 3 March 1989) is a Scottishfootballmidfielder. He has played forMotherwell,Dumbarton (three spells),Partick Thistle,Dunfermline Athletic,Greenock Morton,Forfar Athletic,Stenhousemuir andClyde.
Born inGlasgow, Scotland, Forbes began his football career withMotherwell. In the2007–08 season, Forbes was an unused substitute on 23 April 2008 againstCeltic[2] and continued doing so the following season, as he appeared on the bench four more times.
On 24 January 2009, Forbes was loaned out toDumbarton, until the end of the season.[3] At the club, Forbes was a key man in helping the club win theScottish Football League Third Division championship. He scored his only goal in a 2–0 win for the Sons againstBerwick Rangers on 11 April 2009.[4] He hoped his good performances would earn him a first team place at Motherwell the following season.[5]
Forbes made his first-team debut for Motherwell in theEuropa League first qualifying round defeat againstLlanelli on 2 July 2009,Jim Gannon's first match in charge. He scored 2 goals in the return leg of their second qualifying round match againstKS Flamurtari Vlorë which Motherwell won 8–1 and another in the next qualifying round home match, a 1–3 loss againstSteaua Bucharest.
After scoring on his debut in the opening game of the season, he carried his good form into the league campaign, scoring five times in the opening 10 games, and was rewarded by being namedSPL Young Player of the Month for August.[6][7] Forbes was also rewarded by extending his contract until 2012.[8] On 10 February 2010, Forbes had a goal ruled offside against his boyhood club,Rangers, which he described as the "goal of his dreams". The game ended in a 1–1 draw.[9] In amatch againstHibernian Forbes had the chance to equalise from a penalty kick with three minutes left, but it was saved byGraeme Smith, who had conceded the penalty in the first place.[10] After the match, Forbes said he couldn't cope and move on following the missed penalty.[11] Later in the season, under new managerCraig Brown, Forbes form dipped badly after a couple of months coming on as a sub without scoring. During this time he was often played out of position.
In the 2010/11 season, Forbes started the season by scoring a curling free-kick in theEuropa League second qualifying round match againstBreiðablik in the first leg.[12] Under new managerStuart McCall, Forbes said he'd been given a second chance to show his talent, and that he was to blame for dropping out of the team.[13] In the final ofScottish Cup, Forbes was an unused substitute, and this continued for the remainder of the matches played. After featuring just seven times for the club Forbes was released at the end of the 2011–12 season.[14]
After being released by Motherwell, Forbes was close to sealing a move to recently relegatedDunfermline Athletic and played as a trialist for former clubDumbarton in a Scottish First Division game againstPartick Thistle.[15] His performance earned him a six-month deal withThistle on 5 September 2012,[16] joining up with former team-mateSteven Lawless; and stating that joining the timing of the move was perfect.[17][18]
He made his debut for the club as a substitute forAaron Taylor-Sinclair, in a 2–1 win overCowdenbeath. A month later Forbes scored his first goal for the club, in a 7–0 victory overAirdrie United.[19] His second goal came on 10 November 2012, in a 5–1 win over Dunfermline Athletic; in a match where he also provided an assist forConrad Balatoni. After seven appearances and two goals Forbes signed a new contract until the end of the season in November 2012.[20] At the end of the season, following the club's promotion to the SPL for the first time in nine years Forbes signed a one-year deal.[21] Upon signing the new contract he said that Thistle had helped him get his career on track and brought back his love for playing football.[22]
In the 2013–14 season, Forbes made his first Scottish Premiership appearance since leaving Motherwell in a 0–0 draw against Dundee United on the opening day. Forbes scored his First Premiership goal for Partick Thistle against St Mirren, coming off the bench in a 2–1 comeback victory.[23] Despite this however his playing time was limited.
On 31 January 2014, Forbes was released by Partick Thistle[24] and signed for Scottish Second Division sideDunfermline Athletic on the same day.[25] Forbes made an immediate impact by scoring on his debut in a 3–1 win overEast Fife.[26]
In a swap deal withAndrew Barrowman, Forbes made the move toGreenock to sign for league rivalsGreenock Morton.[27] He signed a one-year extension in May 2015.[28]
At the end of his deal, Forbes agreed a two-year extension until summer 2018.[29]
Forbes was nominated by his peers for the Championship Player of the Year for 2016–17.[30] He was also selected in the PFA Scotland Team of the Year.[31]
After leaving Morton Forbes returned toDumbarton, nine years after his loan spell with the club, in June 2018.[32] His first goal back at the club was an injury time equaliser againstArbroath in August 2018.[33] During the season Forbes was appointed club captain afterAndy Dowie retired[34] and scored 13 goals in 43 games — the best goal return of his career.
Forbes left Dumbarton forForfar Athletic in May 2019.[35] After making 27 appearances, scoring six times he left the club on deadline day 2020.
Forbes returned for a third spell at Dumbarton in January 2020, signing an 18-month deal.[36][37][38]
Forbes signed forScottish League Two sideStenhousemuir in May 2021.[39]
In recognition of his good form at the start of the2009–10 season, Forbes was called into theScotland under–21s squad to playBelarus under-21s on 9 October 2009.[40]
Dumbarton
Morton
Partick Thistle 2012-13 Scottish First Division (second tier)
Forbes is a lifelongRangers fan and was a season ticket holder, along with his father, during theAdvocaat era. He revealed thatBarry Ferguson was his favourite player around that time.[44]
| Club | Season | League | Scottish Cup | League Cup | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Dumbarton | 2008–09[45] | Third Division | 18 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 1 |
| Motherwell | 2009–10[46] | Premier League | 28 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 6[a] | 3 | 37 | 9 |
| 2010–11[47] | 23 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 5[a] | 1 | 33 | 1 | ||
| 2011–12[48] | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | ||
| Total | 55 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 11 | 4 | 77 | 10 | ||
| Dumbarton | 2012–13[49] | First Division | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Partick Thistle | 2012–13[49] | First Division | 27 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2[b] | 0 | 31 | 4 |
| 2013–14[50] | Premiership | 16 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 1 | |
| Total | 43 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 51 | 5 | ||
| Dunfermline Athletic | 2013–14[50] | League One | 13 | 3 | – | – | 4[c] | 0 | 17 | 3 | ||
| 2014–15[51] | 12 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1[b] | 0 | 16 | 1 | ||
| Total | 25 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 33 | 4 | ||
| Greenock Morton | 2014–15[51] | League One | 16 | 1 | – | – | 0 | 0 | 16 | 1 | ||
| 2015–16[52] | Championship | 36 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 1[b] | 0 | 45 | 5 | |
| 2016–17[53] | 34 | 9 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 43 | 12 | ||
| 2017–18[54] | 16 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1[b] | 0 | 21 | 1 | ||
| Total | 102 | 14 | 7 | 2 | 14 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 125 | 18 | ||
| Dumbarton | 2018–19 | League One | 36 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 43 | 13 |
| Forfar Athletic | 2019–20 | League One | 20 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 27 | 6 |
| Dumbarton | 2019–20 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 1 | |
| 2020–21 | League One | 20 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 28 | 1 | |
| Dumbarton Total | 82 | 15 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 97 | 16 | ||
| Stenhousemuir | 2021–22 | League Two | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Career total | 327 | 47 | 19 | 4 | 37 | 5 | 27 | 4 | 410 | 60 | ||
