Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | Connor Essam [1] | ||
Date of birth | [2] | 9 July 1992||
Place of birth | Sheerness, England [3] | ||
Height | 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in) [2] | ||
Position(s) | Centre back | ||
Youth career | |||
2002–2010 | Gillingham | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
2010–2013 | Gillingham | 18 | (0) |
2010–2011 | → Bishop's Stortford (loan) | 10 | (0) |
2011 | → Dover Athletic (loan) | 7 | (0) |
2011 | → Bishop's Stortford (loan) | 7 | (1) |
2011–2012 | → Dartford (loan) | 7 | (1) |
2012 | → Luton Town (loan) | 9 | (0) |
2013–2014 | Crawley Town | 11 | (1) |
2013 | → Dartford (loan) | 4 | (1) |
2014–2015 | Dover Athletic | 38 | (4) |
2015–2016 | Leyton Orient | 24 | (0) |
2016 | → Dover Athletic (loan) | 8 | (0) |
2016–2017 | Eastleigh | 11 | (0) |
2016 | → Woking (loan) | 6 | (0) |
2017 | → Dover Athletic (loan) | 16 | (1) |
2017–2019 | Dover Athletic | 64 | (2) |
2018–2019 | → Concord Rangers (loan) | 24 | (1) |
2019–2020 | Hemel Hempstead Town | 33 | (2) |
2020–2023 | Dartford | 85 | (4) |
2023–2024 | Faversham Town | 35 | (5) |
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 18:18, 11 June 2024 (UTC) |
Connor Essam (born 9 July 1992) is an English professional footballer who plays as a defender.
Born in Chatham, Kent, [4] Essam joined Gillingham in January 2002 and progressed through the ranks of the youth team and also captained the side. [5] In March 2010, Essam was awarded his first professional contract along with Dean Rance and Charlie Stimson. [6] He was sent out to Conference South side Bishop's Stortford in October 2010 on an initial one-month loan which was later extended. [7] Later on in the season he joined Dover Athletic on loan in the same division. [8] His contract was extended by a year in May 2011. [9] In August 2011, Essam rejoined Bishop's Stortford of the Conference North on a one-month loan deal along with Dean Rance. [10] He scored his first goal for the club on 29 August in a 5–0 win over Hinckley United. [11] Essam joined Conference South outfit Dartford on loan in December 2011. [12] He scored in the 4–1 away league win over Staines Town. [13] Essam made his professional and Gillingham debut on 13 February 2012 in a 2–1 home defeat to Southend United. [14] On 31 August 2012 Essam signed for Luton Town on a month-long loan, later extended for a second month. [15] [16] He returned to Gillingham on 2 November after making nine appearances for Luton, and was swiftly made available on a free transfer by Gillingham manager, Martin Allen.
On 23 January 2013, Essam signed for Crawley Town of Football League One on a free transfer, with Gillingham retaining an interest by inserting a sell-on clause into the contract. [17] In November 2013, Essam joined Conference Premier side Dartford on a one-month loan deal. [18] Shortly into the 2013–14 season, he was released. [19]
On 1 September 2014, Essam signed for Dover Athletic, on the same day as he was released by Crawley Town. [20]
On 27 July 2015, it was announced that Essam signed for Football League Two side Leyton Orient on a one-year contract following a successful trial, despite Orient having not agreed to a transfer fee with Dover. [21] [22] A transfer fee was agreed between the sides the following week. [22]
In March 2016, he returned to Dover Athletic on loan until the end of the season. [23]
In May 2016, he was released from Leyton Orient when it was announced that he would not be retained when his contract expired. [24]
On 14 June 2016, Essam joined National League side Eastleigh on a one-year deal. [25] After only making five appearances in the space of a month, Essam joined Woking on a 93-day loan. [26] Two days later, Essam made his Woking debut in a 1–1 draw against Guiseley, playing the full 90 minutes. [27] However, just after a month into his loan spell with Woking, Essam was recalled by Eastleigh to cover an injury crisis. [28] After a short spell back at Eastleigh, Essam once again left the club on loan, this time returning to Dover Athletic on a deal for the remainder of the campaign. [29] Following a successful loan spell back at Dover, it was announced that Essam would leave Eastleigh in June 2017 upon the expiry of his current deal. [30]
On 20 June 2017, Essam joined Dover Athletic, returning to the Whites on a two-year deal. [31] He made his debut on the opening day in a 1–0 away victory to Hartlepool United. [32]
In November 2018, he joined Concord Rangers on loan until the end of the season. [33]
Essam joined National League South team Hemel Hempstead Town in the summer of 2019. [34]
On 16 August 2020, Essam was announced to have joined Dartford. [35]
On 26 May 2023, Essam announced that he had left Dartford. [36]
On 22 June 2023, Essam joined SCEFL Premier Division side Faversham Town. [37] His departure from the club was announced in June 2024. [38]
Club | Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Other | Total | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
Gillingham | 2010–11 [39] | League Two | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2011–12 [40] | League Two | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 0 | |
2012–13 [41] | League Two | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | ||
Total | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 0 | ||
Bishop's Stortford (loan) | 2010–11 [42] | Conference South | 10 | 0 | — | — | 1 [lower-alpha 1] | 0 | 11 | 0 | ||
Dover Athletic (loan) | 2010–11 [43] | Conference South | 7 | 0 | — | — | — | 7 | 0 | |||
Bishop's Stortford (loan) | 2011–12 [44] | Conference North | 7 | 1 | — | — | — | 7 | 1 | |||
Dartford (loan) | 2011–12 [45] | Conference South | 7 | 1 | — | — | 1 [lower-alpha 1] | 0 | 8 | 1 | ||
Luton Town (loan) | 2012–13 [46] | Conference Premier | 9 | 0 | — | — | — | 9 | 0 | |||
Crawley Town | 2012–13 [47] | League One | 9 | 1 | — | — | — | 9 | 1 | |||
2013–14 [48] | League One | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 [lower-alpha 2] | 0 | 3 | 0 | |
Total | 11 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 12 | 1 | ||
Dartford (loan) | 2013–14 [46] | Conference Premier | 4 | 1 | — | — | 2 [lower-alpha 1] | 0 | 6 | 1 | ||
Dover Athletic | 2014–15 [46] | Conference Premier | 38 | 4 | 5 | 1 | — | 6 [lower-alpha 1] | 1 | 49 | 6 | |
Leyton Orient | 2015–16 [46] | League Two | 24 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 [lower-alpha 2] | 0 | 26 | 0 |
Dover Athletic (loan) | 2015–16 [46] | National League | 8 | 0 | — | — | 1 [lower-alpha 3] | 0 | 9 | 0 | ||
Eastleigh | 2016–17 [46] | National League | 11 | 0 | 5 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 16 | 0 | |
Woking (loan) | 2016–17 [46] | National League | 6 | 0 | — | — | — | 6 | 0 | |||
Dover Athletic (loan) | 2016–17 [46] | National League | 16 | 1 | — | — | — | 16 | 1 | |||
Dover Athletic | 2017–18 [46] | National League | 46 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — | 3 [lower-alpha 1] | 0 | 51 | 1 | |
2018–19 [46] | National League | 18 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 19 | 1 | ||
Total | 64 | 2 | 3 | 0 | — | 3 | 0 | 70 | 2 | |||
Concord Rangers (loan) | 2018–19 [46] | National League South | 24 | 1 | — | — | 0 | 0 | 24 | 1 | ||
Hemel Hempstead Town | 2019–20 [46] | National League South | 33 | 2 | 1 | 0 | — | 2 [lower-alpha 1] | 1 | 36 | 3 | |
Dartford | 2020–21 [46] | National League South | 15 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | 2 [lower-alpha 1] | 0 | 17 | 1 | |
2021–22 [46] | National League South | 26 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 8 [lower-alpha 4] [lower-alpha 5] [lower-alpha 6] | 2 | 37 | 2 | ||
2022–23 [46] | National League South | 44 | 3 | 1 | 0 | — | 1 [lower-alpha 7] | 0 | 46 | 3 | ||
Total | 85 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 2 | 100 | 6 | ||
Faversham Town | 2023–24 [46] | Southern Counties East Football League Premier Division | 35 | 5 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 35 | 5 | |
Career total | 417 | 23 | 18 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 29 | 4 | 465 | 28 |
Dartford
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