Dean Rance
{{short description|English footballer}}
{{Update|date=April 2020}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2016}}
{{Use British English|date=April 2016}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Dean Rance
| image =
| caption =
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1991|9|24|df=y}}
| birth_place = Maidstone, England
| height = {{height|ft=5|in=11}}{{cite book|editor1-first=Glenda|editor1-last=Rollin|editor2-first=Jack|editor2-last=Rollin|title=Sky Sports Football Yearbook 2012–2013|year=2012|publisher=Headline|location=London|isbn=978-0-7553-6356-8|page=473|edition=43rd}}
| currentclub = Folkestone Invicta
| clubnumber =
| position = Midfielder
| youthyears1 = {{0|0000}}–2009
| youthclubs1 = Gillingham
| years1 = 2009–2012
| clubs1 = Gillingham
| caps1 = 0
| goals1 = 0
| years2 = 2010
| clubs2 = → Maidstone United (loan)
| caps2 =
| goals2 =
| years3 = 2011
| clubs3 = → Maidstone United (loan)
| caps3 =
| goals3 =
| years4 = 2011
| clubs4 = → Bishop's Stortford (loan)
| caps4 = 7
| goals4 = 3
| years5 = 2011
| clubs5 = → Bishop's Stortford (loan)
| caps5 = 8
| goals5 = 0
| years6 = 2012
| clubs6 = → Dover Athletic (loan)
| caps6 = 2
| goals6 = 0
| years7 = 2012–2013
| clubs7 = Dover Athletic
| caps7 = 35
| goals7 = 0
| years8 = 2013–2019
| clubs8 = Ebbsfleet United
| caps8 = 193
| goals8 = 9
| clubs9 = Aldershot Town
| years9 = 2019–2020
| caps9 = 31
| goals9 = 2
| years10 = 2020–2023
| clubs10 = Dagenham & Redbridge
| caps10 = 78
| goals10 = 5
| years11 = 2023–2024
| clubs11 = Scunthorpe United
| caps11 = 7
| goals11 = 0
| years12 = 2024
| clubs12 = → Folkestone Invicta (loan)
| caps12 = 16
| goals12 = 0
| years13 = 2024–
| clubs13 = Folkestone Invicta
| caps13 = 0
| goals13 = 0
| nationalyears1 =
| nationalteam1 =
| nationalcaps1 =
| nationalgoals1 =
| club-update = 12:24, 6 May 2024 (UTC)
| ntupdate =
}}
Dean James Robert Rance (born 24 September 1991){{cite web|url=https://www.theshots.co.uk/player-profile/dean-rance/|title=Dean Rance|publisher=Aldershot Town Football Club|access-date=5 April 2020}} is an English footballer who plays for Folkestone Invicta as a defensive midfielder.
Career
Born in Maidstone, Kent, Rance joined the Gillingham Centre of Excellence at the age of eight.{{Cite web
| title = Player Profiles
| url = http://www.gillinghamfootballclub.com/page/ProfilesDetail/0,,10416~46175,00.html
| publisher = Gillingham F.C
| access-date = 3 April 2012}} He started an apprenticeship with the club during the summer of 2008 and his good form for the youth team earned him a call-up for the first team squad, being named on the bench for Gillingham's FA Cup game against Aston Villa in January 2009. Rance finished the 2009–10 season as the youth team's top goalscorer, and in May 2010 signed his first professional contract with the club. However, his opportunities in the first team were limited in the 2010–11 season by a foot injury sustained during a pre-season friendly.
Despite this, he impressed during loan spells with non-League sides Maidstone United and Bishop's Stortford. He signed a new one-year contract with Gillingham ahead of the 2011–12 season, during which he made his first team debut as a substitute in an FA Cup first round replay against Bournemouth in November 2011.
Rance was loaned out to Conference South side Dover Athletic on a one-month loan on 2 March 2012.{{Cite news
| title = Reading winger Jordan Obita joins Andy Hessenthaler's Gillingham while midfielder Dean Rance leaves for Dover Athletic
| url = http://www.kentonline.co.uk/kentonline/sport/2012/march/2/jordan_obita.aspx
| publisher = Kent Online
| date = 2 March 2012
| access-date = 3 April 2012}} He was released by Gillingham in May 2012 and signed a permanent contract with Dover.{{cite web|url=http://www.kentonline.co.uk/kentonline/sport/2012/may/22/dean_rance.aspx|title=Ex-Gillingham youngster Dean Rance joins Dover Athletic|date=22 May 2012|access-date=22 May 2012|work=Kent Online}}
Ahead of the 2013–14 season, Rance signed for Ebbsfleet United. Rance quickly established himself as a fan favourite at Stonebridge Road and was named players' player of the season despite being sent off in the play-off final second leg at Bromley and thus missing the play-off final against his former club, Dover.
In March 2023, Rance signed for Scunthorpe United on a short-term deal until the end of the season, with the option for a further year.{{cite web|url=https://www.scunthorpe-united.co.uk/news/2023/march/iron-sign-experienced-midfielder-dean-rance/|title=Iron sign experienced midfielder Dean Rance|website=www.scunthorpe-united.co.uk|date=21 March 2023|accessdate=21 March 2023}} He joined Isthmian League Premier Division club Folkestone Invicta on a one-month loan deal in January 2024, managed by Rance's former Ebbsfleet United teammate Andy Drury.{{cite web|url=https://folkestoneinvictafc.co.uk/2024/01/welcome-dean-rance/|title=Welcome: Dean Rance|website=folkestoneinvictafc.co.uk|date=16 January 2024|accessdate=17 January 2024}} On 1 May 2024, he joined the club permanently, signing a two-year deal.{{cite web|url=https://folkestoneinvictafc.co.uk/2024/05/welcome-back-dean-rance/|title=Welcome (Back) Dean Rance|website=folkestoneinvictafc.co.uk|date=1 May 2024|accessdate=6 May 2024}}
Career statistics
{{updated|end of 2023–24 season}}
{{notelist}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{Soccerbase}}
- {{Soccerway|dean-rance/133564}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rance, Dean}}
Category:Footballers from Maidstone
Category:English men's footballers
Category:Men's association football midfielders
Category:Gillingham F.C. players
Category:Maidstone United F.C. players
Category:Bishop's Stortford F.C. players
Category:Dover Athletic F.C. players
Category:Ebbsfleet United F.C. players
Category:Aldershot Town F.C. players
Category:Dagenham & Redbridge F.C. players
Category:Scunthorpe United F.C. players
Category:Folkestone Invicta F.C. players
Category:National League (English football) players