Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | Thomas Pinault [1] | ||
Date of birth | 4 December 1981 | ||
Place of birth | Grasse, France | ||
Height | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) [2] | ||
Position(s) | Midfielder | ||
Youth career | |||
–1998 | Cannes | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
1998–1999 | Cannes | 0 | (0) |
1999–2004 | Colchester United | 133 | (5) |
2004–2005 | Grimsby Town | 43 | (7) |
2006–2007 | Brentford | 27 | (1) |
2007–2010 | Crawley Town | 108 | (8) |
2010–2013 | RC Grasse | ||
Total | 311 | (21) | |
*Club domestic league appearances and goals |
Thomas Pinault (born 4 December 1981) is a French former professional footballer who played as a midfielder in the Football League for Colchester United, Grimsby Town and Brentford, and his native country for Cannes and RC Grasse.
A product of the Cannes youth system, Pinault moved to England to join Second Division club Colchester United on a free transfer in June 1999. [3] [4] After making just 10 appearances during his first two full seasons at Layer Road, [5] [6] he broke into the first team squad during the 2001–02 season and signed a new two-and-a-half-year contract in October 2001. [7] [8] Pinault remained with Colchester United until his contract expired at the end of the 2003–04 season, [4] by which time he had made 157 appearances and scored seven goals for the club. [9]
After an unsuccessful trial with Dundee United and turning down a contract from Northampton Town, [10] Pinault signed a one-year contract with League Two club Grimsby Town on a free transfer in July 2004. [11] Pinault was a regular in the team during the 2004–05 season, making 47 appearances and scoring seven goals, [12] but his relationship with manager Russell Slade deteriorated after he was "singled-out for criticism" by Slade for his defensive performance during a 2–2 draw with Notts County late in the season. [13] He was released at the end of the 2004–05 season. [14] In 2006, Pinault's remarks about his time at Blundell Park were chosen as one of BBC Sport's Quotes of the Year: [15]
After a year out of football with an ankle ligament injury, [16] Pinault returned to England sign a one-year contract with League One club Brentford on a free transfer in July 2006. [17] Despite being transfer-listed by incoming manager Scott Fitzgerald in December 2006, [18] Pinault remained at Griffin Park for the duration of the 2006–07 season and made 37 appearances, scoring one goal. [19] He was released in June 2007, [20] after Brentford's relegation to League Two was confirmed. [21]
Pinault joined Conference Premier club Crawley Town on a one-year contract in July 2007. [22] Through successive one-year extensions of his contract, [23] [24] he remained at the Broadfield Stadium for three seasons and made over 110 appearances for the club. [9] Pinault rejected a new contract and left Crawley at the end of the 2009–10 season. [25]
Early in the 2010–11 season, Pinault returned to France to join hometown Championnat de France Amateur 2 club RC Grasse. [26] He remained at the Stade Jean Girard until his retirement at the end of the 2012–13 season. [27]
Thomas is the brother of footballer Clément Pinault. [28] After retiring from football, he became an estate agent. [29]
Club | Season | League | National Cup | League Cup | Other | Total | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
Colchester United | 1999-00 [5] | Second Division | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
2000–01 [6] | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | ||
2001–02 [7] | 42 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 [lower-alpha 1] | 0 | 48 | 0 | ||
2002–03 [30] | 42 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 [lower-alpha 1] | 0 | 45 | 4 | ||
2003–04 [31] | 40 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 5 [lower-alpha 1] | 1 | 54 | 2 | ||
Total | 133 | 5 | 10 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 8 | 1 | 157 | 7 | ||
Grimsby Town | 2004–05 [12] | League Two | 43 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 [lower-alpha 1] | 0 | 47 | 7 |
Brentford | 2006–07 [19] | League One | 27 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 [lower-alpha 1] | 0 | 31 | 1 |
Crawley Town | 2007–08 [32] | Conference Premier | 41 | 4 | 0 | 0 | ― | 1 [lower-alpha 2] | 0 | 43 | 4 | |
2008–09 [33] | 28 | 3 | 1 | 0 | ― | 0 | 0 | 28 | 3 | |||
2009–10 [27] | 40 | 1 | 2 | 0 | ― | 0 | 0 | 40 | 1 | |||
Total | 109 | 8 | 3 | 0 | ― | 1 | 0 | 113 | 8 | |||
RC Grasse | 2012–13 [27] | Championnat de France amateur 2 | 23 | 2 | 0 | 0 | ― | ― | 23 | 2 | ||
Career total | 335 | 29 | 15 | 0 | 10 | 1 | 11 | 1 | 371 | 31 |
Colchester United
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Thomas Pinault at Soccerbase