 Waterfall warming up forHartlepool United in 2024 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Luke Mathew Waterfall[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1990-07-30)30 July 1990 (age 35)[2] | ||
| Place of birth | Sheffield, England | ||
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)[3] | ||
| Position | Centre-back[4] | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Worksop Town | ||
| Youth career | |||
| –2008 | Barnsley | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2008–2009 | Tranmere Rovers | 0 | (0) |
| 2008 | →Altrincham (loan) | 1 | (0) |
| 2009–2010 | Ilkeston Town | 35 | (2) |
| 2010–2013 | Gainsborough Trinity | 104 | (8) |
| 2013–2015 | Scunthorpe United | 9 | (1) |
| 2014 | →Macclesfield Town (loan) | 17 | (2) |
| 2014–2015 | →Mansfield Town (loan) | 5 | (0) |
| 2015 | Wrexham | 9 | (1) |
| 2015–2018 | Lincoln City | 111 | (15) |
| 2018–2019 | Shrewsbury Town | 44 | (5) |
| 2019–2024 | Grimsby Town | 156 | (12) |
| 2024–2025 | Hartlepool United | 42 | (2) |
| 2025– | Worksop Town | 6 | (2) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 11:03, 31 August 2025 (UTC) | |||
Luke Mathew Waterfall (born 30 July 1990) is an English professionalfootballer who plays as acentre-back forNational League North clubWorksop Town.
He has previously played in theEnglish Football League forScunthorpe United,Mansfield Town,Lincoln City andShrewsbury Town and at non-league level forAltrincham,Ilkeston Town,Gainsborough Trinity,Macclesfield Town andWrexham. He was part of the Lincoln team that won theNational League andFA Trophy and the Grimsby Town team that was promoted to theEFL via the play-offs in 2022. He joined Hartlepool United in 2024.
Born inSheffield, South Yorkshire,[5] Waterfall started his career withBarnsley and was a regular for theiryouth andreserve teams in the2007–08 season.[6] After being released, he signed forLeague One clubTranmere Rovers on 18 July 2008 after a successfultrial.[7] He made his debut on 12 August after coming on as a 63rd-minutesubstitute in a 2–0 defeat away toGrimsby Town in theLeague Cup.[8] He made his first start on 2 September in a 1–0 victory overAccrington Stanley in theFootball League Trophy.[8]
He joinedConference Premier clubAltrincham on 14 October 2008 onloan,[9] and made one appearance in the league as a substitute and three cup starts.[10][11] He was released by Tranmere at the end of2008–09.[12]
He had unsuccessful trials with Conference Premier clubsOxford United andYork City[13][14] before signing forConference North clubIlkeston Town in August 2009 after a successful trial.[15][16] He finished 2009–10 with 43 appearances and two goals.[17] He signed for Ilkeston's divisional rivalsGainsborough Trinity in May 2010.[18]
Waterfall signed for newly relegated League Two clubScunthorpe United on 4 June 2013 on a one-year contract for an undisclosed fee.[19] On 5 August 2014, he moved to League TwoMacclesfield Town on a one-month loan,[20] with managerJohn Askey requiring him to cover during the search for a new defender, with several trialists failing to be up to his standard.[21] On 7 November, he moved toMansfield Town on loan until January 2015.[22] He made seven appearances forThe Stags before his loan expired.[23]
Waterfall signed for Conference Premier clubWrexham on 15 January 2015 on a one-and-a-half-year contract.[24] Wrexham approached him late into negotiations with two unnamed clubs, causing Waterfall to "make an easy decision" by signing forThe Dragons.[25]
He spent only half a season with Wrexham before signing for their National League rivalsLincoln City on 2 June on a two-year contract.[26] He was appointed club captain.[27] Waterfall made 55 appearances and scored seven goals in 2016–17[28] as Lincoln were promoted toEFL League Two as National League champions,[29] as well as leading Lincoln to the quarter-finals of theFA Cup by defeatingGuiseley,Altrincham,Oldham Athletic,Ipswich Town andBrighton & Hove Albion before defeatingPremier League sideBurnley. The Imps were eventually beaten 5–0 byArsenal.[30]
On 5 April 2018, Waterfall as captain lifted theEFL Trophy as the Imps defeatedShrewsbury Town atWembley Stadium.[31] Several months later Shrewsbury would meet Waterfall's release clause and convince him to sign for theShropshire side. Waterfall thanked Lincoln fans and called the decision to leave the "toughest decision" of his career, saying a three-year contract andLeague One football was too good to turn down.[32]
Waterfall signed for League One clubShrewsbury Town by on 7 August 2018 on a three-year contract for an undisclosed fee.[33] After only one season with The Shrews His contract with the club was terminated by mutual consent on 15 August 2019.[34]
The same day, Waterfall signed forLeague Two clubGrimsby Town on a two-year contract.[35]
Ian Holloway was replaced as manager byPaul Hurst, but neither could prevent Grimsby from being relegated back to the National League at the end of the 2020–21 season.[36]
On 28 May 2022, Waterfall scored twice including a 119th minute winner in extra-time of thesemi-final play-off againstWrexham at theRacecourse Ground, helping Grimsby win 5–4 to reach thefinal.[37] Waterfall captained the Mariners in the2022 National League play-off final as Grimsby beatSolihull Moors 2–1 at theLondon Stadium to return to theFootball League.[38]
Waterfall was voted into the National League Team of the Season for the 2021–22 season, alongside teammateJohn McAtee.[39] On 17 June 2022, Waterfall signed a new two-year contract to keep him atBlundell Park until the summer of 2024.[40]
Waterfall was part of the Grimsby team that reached theFA Cup quarter-finals for the first time since 1939, mirroring the progress he made with Lincoln in 2016. He played the full 90 minutes of the 2–1 win away atPremier League sideSouthampton that secured that achievement.[41][42]
On 25 January 2024, it was announced that Waterfall had signed forHartlepool United.[43] Early in his Hartlepool career, he formed a strong centre-back partnership withTom Parkes.[44]
He was named as Hartlepool's club captain at the start of the 2023–24 season.[45] In August 2024, he received red cards in successive home matches.[46] At the end of the2024–25 season, it was announced that he would be released by Hartlepool at the end of his contract.[47]
On 9 June 2025, Waterfall joined recently promotedWorksop Town ofNational League North on an 18-month deal.[48]
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Tranmere Rovers | 2008–09[8] | League One | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1[a] | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Altrincham (loan) | 2008–09[11] | Conference Premier | 1 | 0 | — | — | 2[b] | 0 | 3 | 0 | ||
| Ilkeston Town | 2009–10[17] | Conference North | 35 | 2 | 5 | 0 | — | 3[c] | 0 | 43 | 2 | |
| Gainsborough Trinity | 2010–11[49] | Conference North | 36 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | 1[c] | 0 | 38 | 1 | |
| 2011–12[50] | Conference North | 27 | 3 | 0 | 0 | — | 4[d] | 0 | 31 | 3 | ||
| 2012–13[28][51] | Conference North | 41 | 4 | 2 | 0 | — | 8[c] | 1 | 51 | 5 | ||
| Total | 104 | 8 | 3 | 0 | — | 13 | 1 | 120 | 9 | |||
| Scunthorpe United | 2013–14[52] | League Two | 9 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 1 |
| 2014–15[53] | League One | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 9 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 1 | ||
| Macclesfield Town (loan) | 2014–15[28] | Conference Premier | 17 | 2 | — | — | — | 17 | 2 | |||
| Mansfield Town (loan) | 2014–15[53] | League Two | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 7 | 0 | ||
| Wrexham | 2014–15[28] | Conference Premier | 9 | 1 | — | — | 5[c] | 0 | 14 | 1 | ||
| Lincoln City | 2015–16[28] | National League | 36 | 6 | 3 | 0 | — | 1[c] | 0 | 40 | 6 | |
| 2016–17[28] | National League | 44 | 7 | 9 | 0 | — | 2[c] | 0 | 55 | 7 | ||
| 2017–18[54] | League Two | 30 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10[e] | 1 | 41 | 3 | |
| 2018–19[55] | League Two | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 111 | 15 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 1 | 137 | 16 | ||
| Shrewsbury Town | 2018–19[55] | League One | 44 | 5 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1[f] | 0 | 53 | 6 |
| 2019–20[56] | League One | 0 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | |||
| Total | 44 | 5 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 54 | 6 | ||
| Grimsby Town | 2019–20[56] | League Two | 30 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1[f] | 0 | 33 | 3 |
| 2020–21[57] | League Two | 33 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1[f] | 0 | 36 | 1 | |
| 2021–22[28] | National League | 42 | 7 | 1 | 0 | — | 3[g] | 2 | 46 | 9 | ||
| 2022–23[58] | League Two | 40 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 48 | 3 | |
| 2023–24[59] | League Two | 11 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1[f] | 0 | 14 | 0 | |
| Total | 156 | 12 | 11 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 177 | 16 | ||
| Hartlepool United | 2023–24[28] | National League | 15 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 1 |
| 2024–25[28] | National League | 27 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 29 | 1 | |
| Total | 42 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 44 | 2 | ||
| Worksop Town | 2025–26[28] | National League North | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 6 | 2 | |
| Career total | 535 | 50 | 43 | 2 | 7 | 1 | 45 | 4 | 634 | 57 | ||
Wrexham
Lincoln City
Grimsby Town
Individual
