{{Short description|English footballer (born 2000)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=November 2019}} {{Use British English|date=November 2019}} {{Infobox football biography | name = Jack Sparkes | image = | fullname = Jack Sparkes<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.efl.com/siteassets/image/201920/general-news/efl-squad-numbering-06.09.2019.pdf |title=Notification of shirt numbers: Exeter City |publisher=English Football League |page=26 |accessdate=19 October 2019}}</ref> | birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=y|2000|09|29}}<ref name="bio">{{cite web|title=First team – Midfielder – Jack Sparkes|url=https://www.exetercityfc.co.uk/teams/first-team/defender/jack-sparkes/|website=Exeter City FC official site|accessdate=6 October 2022}}</ref> | birth_place = Exmouth, England<ref name="bio" /> | height = {{convert|1.77|m|order=flip}}<ref name="soccerway">{{cite web |title=J. Sparkes: Summary |url=https://uk.soccerway.com/players/jack-sparkes/488825/ |website=Soccerway |publisher=Perform Group |access-date=11 October 2022 }}</ref> | position = Left-back, left wing-back | currentclub = Bristol Rovers | clubnumber = 3 | youthyears1 = {{0|0000}}–2017 | youthclubs1 = Exeter City | years1 = 2017–2023 | clubs1 = Exeter City | caps1 = 118 | goals1 = 6 | years2 = 2018 | clubs2 = → Chippenham Town (loan) | caps2 = 3 | goals2 = 0 | years3 = 2018–2019 | clubs3 = → Salisbury (loan) | caps3 = 21 | goals3 = 2 | years4 = 2021–2022 | clubs4 = → Torquay United (loan) | caps4 = 3 | goals4 = 1 | years5 = 2023–2024 | clubs5 = Portsmouth | caps5 = 38 | goals5 = 0 | years6 = 2024–2025 | clubs6 = Peterborough United | caps6 = 21 | goals6 = 0 | years7 = 2025 | clubs7 = → Chesterfield (loan) | caps7 = 10 | goals7 = 0 | years8 = 2025– | clubs8 = Bristol Rovers | caps8 = 42 | goals8 = 2 | club-update = 18:03, 2 May 2026 (UTC) }} '''Jack Sparkes''' (born 29 September 2000) is an English footballer who plays as a left-back or left wing-back for {{English football updater|BristolR}} club Bristol Rovers.
==Career== ===Exeter City and loans=== Sparkes began his career with Exeter City and made his professional debut for the Grecians on 12 August 2017 in a 1–1 away draw at Swindon Town.<ref name="debut">{{cite news|last1=Strange|first1=Ben|title=Swindon Town 1 City 1|url=https://www.exetercityfc.co.uk/news/2017/august/match-report-for-swindon-town-vs-exeter-city-on-12-aug-17/|accessdate=12 August 2017|publisher=Exeter City FC official site|date=12 August 2017}}</ref> He then made his first appearance at Exeter's home ground St James Park the following week in a 1–0 win over Lincoln City.<ref>{{cite news|title=City 1 Lincoln City 0|url=https://www.exetercityfc.co.uk/news/2017/august/match-report-for-exeter-city-vs-lincoln-city-on-19-aug-17/|accessdate=19 August 2017|publisher=Exeter City FC official website|date=19 August 2017}}</ref> He scored his first goal for Exeter in an EFL Trophy tie against Yeovil Town on 29 August 2017.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.somersetlive.co.uk/sport/football/match-reports/yeovil-town-beat-exeter-city-397670 |title=Yeovil Town beat Exeter City 3-1 in Checkatrade Trophy but injury to Southampton youngster clouds win |publisher=somersetlive.co.uk |date=29 August 2017 |accessdate=30 August 2017}}</ref>
In October 2018, Sparkes joined National League South side Chippenham Town on a one-month loan deal.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.exetercityfc.co.uk/news/2018/october/loan-deals-for-jack-sparkes-ben-seymour-and-max-smallcombe/ |title=Loan deals for Jack Sparkes, Ben Seymour and Max Smallcombe |publisher=Exeter City F.C. |date=26 October 2018 |accessdate=30 October 2018 }}</ref> On 21 December, he was loaned out again, this time to Salisbury for one month.<ref>[https://www.evostikleaguesouthern.co.uk/news/115462/Jack-Sparkes-joins-Salisbury-on-loan-deal Jack Sparkes joins Salisbury on loan deal], evostikleaguesouthern.co.uk, 21 December 2018</ref> The deal was later extended until the end of the season.<ref>[https://www.exetercityfc.co.uk/news/2019/january/-jack-sparkes-extends-loan-deal-with-salisbury-until-the-end-of-the-season/ Jack Sparkes extends loan deal with Salisbury], exetercityfc.co.uk, 23 January 2019</ref>
Sparkes broke into the Exeter City first team in the first half of the 2019–20 season, making 17 first-team appearances in League Two before being ruled out for the rest of the campaign with a knee injury sustained against Newport County.<ref>{{cite news |title=Jack Sparkes: Exeter City midfielder out for the season with knee injury |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/50946361 |accessdate=31 December 2019 |publisher=BBC Sport |date=30 December 2019}}</ref>
Following his recovery from a shoulder injury suffered early on in the 2021–22 season, Sparkes joined National League side Torquay United on loan on 9 December 2021, with the deal lasting until 8 January 2022.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.exetercityfc.co.uk/news/2021/december/sparkes-loan/ |title=Jack Sparkes joins Torquay United on loan |publisher=Exeter City FC |date=9 December 2021 |accessdate=10 December 2021}}</ref>
===Portsmouth=== Sparkes signed a two-year contract with League One side Portsmouth in June 2023.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.devonlive.com/sport/football/transfer-news/jack-sparkes-signs-portsmouth-after-8559771|title=Jack Sparkes signs for Portsmouth after Exeter City release|work=devonlive.com|date=28 June 2023|access-date=29 July 2024}}</ref>
===Peterborough United=== On 26 July 2024, Sparkes joined Peterborough United for an undisclosed fee on a three-year contract.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theposh.com/news/posh-add-sparkes-mix|title=Posh Add Sparkes Into The Mix|website=www.theposh.com|date=26 July 2024|accessdate=26 July 2024}}</ref>
On 20 January 2025, he joined League Two side Chesterfield on loan for the remainder of the season.<ref> {{cite web|url=https://chesterfield-fc.co.uk/news/spireites-capture-full-back-on-loan|title=Spireites capture full-back on loan|website=chesterfield-fc.co.uk|date=20 January 2025|accessdate=24 June 2025}}</ref>
On 6 May 2025, Peterborough announced the player had been transfer listed.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Posh Announce Retained List {{!}} Peterborough United - The Posh |url=https://www.theposh.com/news/posh-announce-retained-list-0 |access-date=2025-05-12 |website=www.theposh.com |language=en}}</ref>
===Bristol Rovers=== On 23 June 2025, Sparkes joined League Two side Bristol Rovers on a free transfer with performance-related contingency fees, signing a two-year deal with ''the Gas''.<ref> {{cite web|url=https://www.bristolrovers.co.uk/news/bristol-rovers-complete-signing-jack-sparkes|title=Bristol Rovers complete signing of Jack Sparkes|website=www.bristolrovers.co.uk|date=23 June 2025|accessdate=23 June 2025}}</ref>
==Career statistics== {{updated|end of 2025–26 season}}
{| class=wikitable style="text-align: center" |+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition |- !rowspan=2|Club !rowspan=2|Season !rowspan=2|Division !colspan=2|League !colspan=2|FA Cup !colspan=2|EFL Cup !colspan=2|Other !colspan=2|Total |- !Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals |- |rowspan=7|Exeter City |2017–18<ref name=sb1718>{{soccerbase season|103566|2017|access-date=11 October 2022 }}</ref> |rowspan=5|EFL League Two |3||0||0||0||0||0||3{{efn|name=EFLT|Appearance(s) in EFL Trophy}}||1||6||1 |- |2018–19<ref name=sb1819>{{soccerbase season|103566|2018|access-date=11 October 2022 }}</ref> |0||0||0||0||2||0||3{{efn|name=EFLT}}||0||5||0 |- |2019–20<ref name=sb1920>{{soccerbase season|103566|2019|access-date=11 October 2022 }}</ref> |17||0||3||0||1||0||4{{efn|Two appearances in EFL Trophy, two appearances in League Two play-offs}}||0||25||0 |- |2020–21<ref name=sb2021>{{soccerbase season|103566|2020|access-date=11 October 2022 }}</ref> |42||3||3||0||1||0||4{{efn|name=EFLT}}||1||50||4 |- |2021–22<ref name=sb2122>{{soccerbase season|103566|2021|access-date=11 October 2022 }}</ref> |21||2||1||0||1||0||1{{efn|name=EFLT}}||0||24||2 |- |2022–23<ref name=sb2223>{{soccerbase season|103566|2022|access-date=11 October 2022 }}</ref> |EFL League One |35||1||2||0||1||1||2{{efn|name=EFLT}}||0||40||2 |- !colspan=2|Total !118||6||9||0||6||1||17||2||150||9 |- |Chippenham Town (loan) |2018–19<ref name="soccerway"/> |National League South |3||0||0||0||colspan=2|—||1{{efn|Appearance in Wiltshire County FA Senior Cup}}||0||4||0 |- |Salisbury (loan) |2018–19<ref name="aylesbury">{{cite web |url=http://www.aylesburyunitedfc.co.uk/players/jack-sparkes |title=Jack Sparkes Profile |website=aylesburyunitedfc.co.uk |publisher=Aylesbury United F.C. |access-date=11 October 2022 }}</ref> |Southern Premier South |21||2||0||0||colspan=2|—||3{{efn|One appearance in Southern League Cup, one appearance in FA Trophy, one appearance in Southern League Premier Division South play-offs}}||0||24||2 |- |Torquay United (loan) |2020–21<ref name="soccerway"/> |National League |3||1||colspan=2|—||colspan=2|—||1{{efn|name=FAT|Appearance in FA Trophy}}||0||4||1 |- |Portsmouth |2023–24<ref>{{soccerbase season|103566|2023|accessdate=26 July 2024}}</ref> |League One |38||0||0||0||2||0||2{{efn|name=EFLT}}||0||42||0 |- |Peterborough United |2024–25<ref name="JS24"> {{soccerbase season|103566|2024|accessdate=23 June 2025}}</ref> |League One |21||0||2||0||1||0||4{{efn|name=EFLT}}||1||28||1 |- |Chesterfield (loan) |2024–25<ref name="JS24"/> |League Two |10||0||0||0||0||0||2{{efn|name=L2PO|Appearance(s) in EFL League Two play-offs}}||0||12||0 |- |Bristol Rovers |2025–26<ref> {{soccerbase season|103566|2025|accessdate=27 December 2025}}</ref> |League Two |42||2||0||0||1||0||4{{efn|name=EFLT}}||0||47||2 |- !colspan=3|Career total !256||11||11||0||10||1||34||3||311||15 |}
{{notelist}}
==Honours== '''Exeter City''' *League Two runner-up: 2021–22<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/61281131 |title=Port Vale end Exeter's League two title hopes |website=BBC Sport |date=7 May 2022 |access-date=5 February 2023}}</ref>
'''Portsmouth''' * EFL League One: 2023–24<ref name="JM2324">{{cite news |date=16 April 2024 |title=Portsmouth 3–2 Barnsley: Pompey seal promotion to Championship with dramatic win |url=https://www.skysports.com/football/portsmouth-vs-barnsley/report/484077 |access-date=17 April 2024 |website=Sky Sports}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *[https://www.exetercityfc.co.uk/teams/first-team/midfielder/jack-sparkes/ Jack Sparkes]{{Dead link|date=July 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} at the Exeter City official website *{{Soccerbase}} *{{Soccerway}}
{{Bristol Rovers F.C. squad}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sparkes, Jack}} Category:2000 births Category:Living people Category:People from Exmouth Category:Footballers from Devon Category:English men's footballers Category:Men's association football defenders Category:Men's association football midfielders Category:Exeter City F.C. players Category:Chippenham Town F.C. players Category:Salisbury F.C. players Category:Torquay United F.C. players Category:Portsmouth F.C. players Category:Peterborough United F.C. players Category:Chesterfield F.C. players Category:Bristol Rovers F.C. players Category:English Football League players Category:National League (English football) players Category:Southern Football League players Category:21st-century English sportsmen