Shaq Forde

Last updated

Shaq Forde
Personal information
Full name Shaqai Tyreece Steven Forde
Date of birth (2004-05-05) 5 May 2004 (age 21)
Place of birth Watford, England
Height 5 ft 9 in (1.74 m) [1]
Position(s) Forward
Team information
Current team
 Bristol Rovers
Number 7
Youth career
2012–2022 Watford
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
2022–2024 Watford 0 (0)
2022 → Kings Langley (loan) 3 (2)
2022–2023 → York City (loan) 20 (9)
2023–2024 → Leyton Orient (loan) 40 (9)
2024– Bristol Rovers 31 (2)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 21:39, 3 May 2025 (UTC)

Shaqai Tyreece Steven Forde (born 5 May 2004) is an English professional footballer who plays as a forward for EFL League Two club Bristol Rovers.

Contents

Early life

Shaqai Tyreece Steven Forde [2] was born on 5 May 2004 in Watford, Hertfordshire. [1] He is the son of former footballer Fabian Forde [3] and is of Barbadian descent through his father, who played for the Barbados national team. [4]

Career

Watford

Forde started his career with Watford in 2012. [5] He made his first-team debut on 8 January 2022 aged 17 as a 74th-minute substitute in a 4–1 away defeat to Leicester City in the 2021–22 FA Cup third round. [6]

In February 2022, Forde joined Southern League Premier Division South club Kings Langley on a one-month loan. [7] He made his debut on 26 February in a 4–0 home win over Wimborne Town in the league, in which he scored a goal 10 minutes into the match, won a penalty kick and recorded an assist. [7] The loan was extended by a further month in March [8] before Forde was recalled by Watford on 1 April to join first-team training, [9] having scored two goals in three appearances for Kings Langley. [10] A successful 2021–22 season saw him named Watford's Young Player of the Season [11] before signing a professional contract with the club in July. [12]

Forde joined National League club York City on 28 December 2022 on loan until the end of the 2022–23 season. [13] He scored in the 90th minute of his debut on 2 January 2023 with a shot into the bottom-right corner of the goal as York drew 2–2 away to Gateshead, after entering the match as a 66th-minute substitute. [14] Five days later, on his first start for the team, he scored a hat trick, helping York City to a 4–1 home win over Maidstone United. [15] He had a successful spell at York City, scoring nine goals in 20 appearance. [16]

On 14 August 2023, Forde joined League One club Leyton Orient on a season-long loan deal. [17] On 26 August 2023, his second appearance for the club, Forde scored a first senior English Football League goal as he opened the scoring in a 2–0 victory over Cambridge United. [18]

Bristol Rovers

On 30 August 2024, Forde signed for League One club Bristol Rovers for an undisclosed fee on an initial three-year deal. [19] On 5 October 2024, he scored his first goal for the club, equalising in an eventual 3–1 victory over Burton Albion. [20] In October 2024, Forde was racially abused on social media following a match. [21] Ahead of the club's following league match, fan podcast GasCast set up a crowdfunder to purchase two flags to go on display at the club's Memorial Stadium representing fans' commitment to diversity and inclusion. [22] [23]

Following a disappointing first season that ended in relegation, Forde suffered a hamstring injury in the club's penultimate pre-season friendly ahead of the 2025–26 season, expected to miss the first twelve weeks of the season. [24]

Style of play

Forde plays as a forward and in March 2022 described himself as being "creative, powerful and always looking to go forwards". [25]

Career statistics

As of end of 2024–25 season
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
ClubSeasonLeague FA Cup EFL Cup OtherTotal
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Watford 2021–22 [26] Premier League 001000—10
2022–23 Championship 000000—00
2023–24 Championship000000—00
Total0010000010
Kings Langley (loan) 2021–22 [10] Southern League
Premier Division South		32———32
York City (loan) 2022–23 [1] National League 209——00209
Leyton Orient (loan) 2023–24 [27] League One 40920001 [a] 0439
Bristol Rovers 2024–25 [28] League One31220001 [a] 0342
Career total942250002010122
  1. 1 2 Appearance(s) in EFL Trophy

Honours

Individual

References

  1. 1 2 3 "S. Forde: Summary". Soccerway. Perform Group. Retrieved 2 January 2023.
  2. ↑ "EFL – Squad List 2022/23: Watford – Under 21 Contract players" (PDF). English Football League. p. 139. Retrieved 28 December 2022.
  3. ↑ "Forde: "It Means Everything To Make My Debut"". Watford F.C. 9 January 2022. Retrieved 28 December 2022.
  4. ↑ "Barbadian descendant Forde joins York City on loan". The Jamaica Star. Kingston. 29 December 2022. Retrieved 29 December 2022.
  5. ↑ "Shaqai Forde". Watford F.C. Retrieved 28 December 2022.
  6. ↑ Gray, Ryan (8 January 2022). "Watford knocked out of FA Cup by Leicester City". Watford Observer. Retrieved 28 December 2022.
    "Leicester City 4–1 Watford". BBC Sport. 8 January 2022. Retrieved 28 December 2022.
  7. 1 2 "Loan Watch: Hungbo & Forde Find The Target". Watford F.C. 28 February 2022. Retrieved 28 December 2022.
  8. ↑ "Academy: Forde Extends Kings Langley Loan". Watford F.C. 24 March 2022. Retrieved 28 December 2022.
  9. ↑ "News: Forde Joining First-Team Training After Loan Recall". Watford F.C. 1 April 2022. Retrieved 28 December 2022.
  10. 1 2 "First Team: Matches: 2021/22 Season". Kings Langley F.C. Retrieved 28 December 2022.
  11. 1 2 "End Of Season Awards: 2021/22 Winners Revealed". Watford F.C. 15 May 2022. Retrieved 28 December 2022.
  12. ↑ "Official: Forde Signs Professional Contract". Watford F.C. 4 July 2022. Retrieved 28 December 2022.
  13. ↑ "York City complete loan signing of highly rated Watford attacker Shaqai Forde". York City F.C. 28 December 2022. Retrieved 28 December 2022.
  14. ↑ Kilbride, Jacob (2 January 2023). "Late strike from debutant Forde earns York City 2–2 draw at Gateshead". The Press. York. Retrieved 2 January 2023.
  15. ↑ "York City 4 – 1 Maidstone United". BBC News. 7 January 2023. Retrieved 8 January 2023.
  16. ↑ Ramsey, Gabriel (30 April 2023). "Shaq Forde grateful for York City supporters after Notts County draw". York Press. Retrieved 22 July 2023.
  17. ↑ "O's land Watford forward Shaq Forde on season long loan". Leyton Orient FC. Retrieved 14 August 2023.
  18. ↑ "Match Report: Leyton Orient 2–0 Cambridge United". www.leytonorient.com. 26 August 2023. Retrieved 1 September 2024.
  19. ↑ "Bristol Rovers sign forward Shaq Forde". www.bristolrovers.co.uk. 30 August 2024. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
  20. ↑ "Burton Albion 1–3 Bristol Rovers". BBC Sport. 5 October 2024. Retrieved 6 October 2024.
  21. ↑ "Shaq Forde: Bristol Rovers 'infuriated' by racist abuse sent to player". BBC Sport. 27 October 2024.
  22. ↑ "Bristol Rovers fans unite to tackle racism in stands". BBC Sport. 8 November 2024. Retrieved 9 November 2024.
  23. ↑ Hargraves, Daniel (7 November 2024). "Matt Taylor expresses gratitude for Bristol Rovers fan inititative set to take place pre-Lincoln". Bristol Post. Retrieved 9 November 2024.
  24. ↑ Hargraves, Daniel (7 August 2025). "Shaq Forde injury latest following issue picked up in Bristol Rovers' pre-season preparations". Bristol Post. Retrieved 8 August 2025.
  25. ↑ "Getting To Know: Shaq Forde". Watford F.C. 17 March 2022. Retrieved 28 December 2022.
  26. ↑ "Games played by in 2021/2022". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 28 December 2022.
  27. ↑ "Games played by Shaq Forde in 2023/2024". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 1 September 2024.
  28. ↑ "Games played by Shaq Forde in 2024/2025". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 9 November 2024.
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