{{Short description|Gibraltarian footballer|bot=PearBOT 5}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Infobox football biography | name = Roy Chipolina | image = Roy Chipolina vs. Estonia.jpg | caption = Chipolina with Gibraltar in 2014 | fullname = Roy Alan Chipolina | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1983|1|20|df=y}} | birth_place = Enfield, England | height = | currentclub = | clubnumber = | position = Defender | youthyears1 = | youthclubs1 = Southgate Saints | youthyears2 = 2000–2003 | youthclubs2 = Lincoln Red Imps | years1 = 2003–2006 | caps1 = | goals1 = | clubs1 = Rock Wolves | years2 = 2006–2024 | caps2 = 153 | goals2 = 24 | clubs2 = Lincoln Red Imps{{efn|Lincoln stats before 2013 are unknown}} | nationalyears1 = 2009–2013 | nationalteam1 = Gibraltar XI (Non-FIFA) | nationalcaps1 = 8 | nationalgoals1 = 3 | nationalyears2 = 2013–2024 | nationalteam2 = Gibraltar | nationalcaps2 = 75 | nationalgoals2 = 5 | club-update = 10 May 2024 | nationalteam-update = 23:44, 21 March 2024 (UTC) }} '''Roy Alan Chipolina''' (born 20 January 1983) is a Gibraltarian former footballer who played as a defender for Lincoln Red Imps and the Gibraltar national team, for which he served as captain.<ref name="Gibraltar captain Roy Chipolina">{{cite web|title=Interview #3 (January 2013) – Gibraltar captain Roy Chipolina.|date=14 January 2013 |url=http://nonfifafootball.blogspot.com/2013/01/interview-3-january-2013-gibraltar.html|publisher=nonfifafootball.blogspot.com|accessdate=4 March 2014}}</ref>
==Club career== Chipolina has played for Rock Wolves between 2003 and 2006, and then Gibraltar Premier Division side Lincoln Red Imps since 2006.<ref name="NFT Profile">{{cite web|title=NFT Profile|url=http://www.national-football-teams.com/player/8713/Roy_Chipolina.html|publisher=National Football Teams|accessdate=4 March 2014}}</ref> He became the first Gibraltarian, and oldest player, to score in the fledgling UEFA Europa Conference League when he scored in a 4–1 defeat to Slovan Bratislava on 4 November 2021.<ref>[https://www.lincolnredimpsfc.co.uk/news/reaction--captain's-role-for-roy Reaction: Captain's Role for Roy] Lincoln Red Imps. 5 November 2021. Retrieved 2 December 2021</ref>
He announced his retirement from football on 9 October 2024.<ref>[https://x.com/RoyC14/status/1844064188249055563 Statement] Roy Chipolina on Twitter. 9 October 2024. Retrieved 9 October 2024.</ref>
==International career== Chipolina made his international debut with the Gibraltar national team on 18 November 2013 in a 0–0 home draw with Slovakia,<ref>{{cite web | url=http://footballgibraltar.wordpress.com/2013/11/20/gibraltar-0-0-slovakia-extended-match-report/ |date=20 November 2013 | title=Gibraltar 0–0 Slovakia – extended match report | publisher=footballgibraltar.wordpress.com |first=Josh |last=Challies | accessdate=21 November 2013}}</ref> Gibraltar's first game since being admitted to UEFA.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.uefa.com/european-qualifiers/news/0253-0d7eefa3a836-5b37f29bb5fa-1000--gibraltar-hold-slovakia-in-maiden-international/ | title=Gibraltar hold Slovakia in maiden international | date=19 November 2013 | publisher=UEFA | access-date=21 November 2013}}</ref> Chipolina scored Gibraltar's first UEFA goal, in their second official game, on 1 March 2014 against the Faroe Islands at Victoria Stadium, which they lost 4–1.<ref name="Gibraltar 1-4 Faroe Islands">{{cite web|title=Gibraltar 1–4 Faroe Islands|date=March 2014 |url=http://footballgibraltar.wordpress.com/2014/03/02/gibraltar-1-4-faroe-islands/|publisher=Football Gibraltar|accessdate=3 March 2014}}</ref>
==Personal life== Chipolina was born in Enfield, London, but moved to Gibraltar at age four. He moved back to England aged 12, and attended Southgate School, where he featured heavily for the school football team and their offshoot, the Southgate Saints. During his time in Southgate, he had a trial period of three months at Luton Town. He moved back to Gibraltar at age 18. Chipolina works as a Customs Officer in Gibraltar.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bartlett |first=Evan |date=8 September 2014 |title=Gibraltar v Poland: Starting XIs by professional occupation {{!}} indy100 {{!}} indy100 |url=https://www.indy100.com/sport/gibraltar-v-poland-starting-xis-by-professional-occupation-7246006 |access-date=2026-05-31 |website=The Independent |language=en}}</ref>
Roy is a cousin of fellow Gibraltar footballers Joseph (born 1987) and Kenneth (born 1994) Chipolina.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.skysportaustria.at/fussballzwerg-gibraltar-traeumt-von-em-eine-woche-voller-geschichte/|title=Fußballzwerg Gibraltar träumt von EM: "Eine Woche voller Geschichte"|date=17 October 2018 |publisher=skysportaustria|accessdate=26 April 2022}}</ref>{{citation needed|date=September 2025}}
==Career statistics== ===International=== {{updated|match played 21 March 2024}}<ref name="NFT Profile"/>
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" |+ Appearances and goals by national team and year |- !National team!!Year!!Apps!!Goals |- |rowspan="12"|Gibraltar |2013||1||0 |- |2014||8||1 |- |2015||6||0 |- |2016||6||0 |- |2017||6||0 |- |2018||5||0 |- |2019||10||1 |- |2020||4||0 |- |2021||11||0 |- |2022||7||3 |- |2023||10||0 |- |2024||1||0 |- !colspan="2"|Total!!75!!5 |}
:''Scores and results list Gibraltar's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Chipolina goal.''
{| class="wikitable sortable" |+ List of international goals scored by Roy Chipolina |- !scope=col|No. !scope=col|Date !scope=col|Venue !scope=col|Opponent !scope=col|Score !scope=col|Result !scope=col|Competition |- | style="text-align:center"|1 | 1 March 2014 || Victoria Stadium, Gibraltar || {{fb|FRO}} || style="text-align:center"|1–0 || style="text-align:center"|1–4 || Friendly |- | style="text-align:center"|2 | 15 October 2019 || Victoria Stadium, Gibraltar || {{fb|GEO}} || style="text-align:center"|2–2 || style="text-align:center"|2–3 || UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying |- | style="text-align:center"|3 | 23 September 2022|| Huvepharma Arena, Razgrad, Bulgaria || {{fb|BGR}} || style="text-align:center"|1–1 || style="text-align:center"|1–5 || 2022–23 UEFA Nations League C |- | style="text-align:center"|4 | 16 November 2022|| Victoria Stadium, Gibraltar || {{fb|LIE}} || style="text-align:center"|1–0 || style="text-align:center"|2–0 || Friendly |- | style="text-align:center"|5 | 19 November 2022|| Victoria Stadium, Gibraltar || {{fb|AND}} || style="text-align:center"|1–0 || style="text-align:center"|1–1|| Friendly |}
==Honours== '''Lincoln Red Imps''' * Gibraltar League (15): 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2010–11, 2011–12, 2012–13, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2020–21, 2021–22, 2022–23 *Rock Cup (10): 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2010–11, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2021, 2021–22 * Pepe Reyes Cup (9): 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2022 * Gibraltar League Senior Cup (5): 2006–07, 2007–08, 2010–11, 2011–12, 2013–14
==Notes== {{Notelist}}
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== {{Commons category}} * {{NFT player|8713}} * {{UEFA player|250057153}} * {{Soccerway|roy-chipolina/322354}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chipolina, Roy}} Category:1983 births Category:Living people Category:Gibraltarian men's footballers Category:Gibraltar men's international footballers Category:Men's association football defenders Category:Lynx F.C. players Category:Lincoln Red Imps F.C. players Category:Footballers from the London Borough of Enfield Category:People from Enfield, London Category:Gibraltar Premier Division players Category:Gibraltar pre-UEFA men's international footballers Category:Gibraltar National League players Category:English men's footballers Category:21st-century English sportsmen