Jordon Garrick has been let go by Forest Green Rovers, who recently missed out on a place back in the Football League.
The winger, who arrived at Sincil Bank on loan with no shortage of expectation, had most recently dropped into the National League with the Villagers. With his contract at Forest Green now expired, Garrick finds himself a free agent – and another cautionary tale of a career that never quite delivered on early promise.
When Garrick arrived at City in the summer of 2022, there was genuine excitement. He had just spent a productive season at Plymouth Argyle, scoring goals and providing energy from the flanks. Imps supporters couldn’t help but compare him to Morgan Whittaker – and some even believed we’d come out on top in that trade, with Plymouth taking Whittaker and us getting Garrick.
We hadn’t.
What followed was a frustrating and underwhelming stint. Garrick made 16 appearances in all competitions during the first half of the 2022/23 campaign. His only goal came in the League Cup against Barrow, and even that did little to build momentum. His performances lacked bite – he had pace, yes, and flashes of raw power, but his end product was sorely missing. As the months passed, it became clear he wasn’t going to be a key figure under Mark Kennedy.
In early January, the rumours emerged that Garrick would be heading back to his parent club, Swansea City. He left quietly, his loan spell terminated early and with few mourning his departure. The hoped-for impact never materialised; he seemed to exist on the fringes, a placeholder in the forward line rather than a protagonist.
Post-Lincoln, Garrick’s career never recovered. He joined Forest Green Rovers permanently from Swansea in 2023, but it was a struggling side and a poor fit. Successive relegation followed, and despite moving to Oldham on a short-term contract, he was back in Gloucestershire just after Christmas on a deal until the end of the season. He scored four times in 21 outings, and was last seen coming off in the final minutes of their 2-2 draw with Southend.
Now 26, Garrick faces a crossroads. Once seen as a raw, exciting talent with the physical tools to trouble defenders, he’s become another name on the released list, fighting for a fresh start. The chances of a return to League One or even League Two look slim. More likely, he’ll need to drop into the National League again or even below, and try to rebuild.
Jordon Garrick’s time at Lincoln was a reminder that pace and power alone don’t make a complete footballer. He never looked comfortable in our system and struggled to link up with others or consistently beat his man. Since then, nothing in his journey has suggested we were wrong to let him go early.
In fact, his release from Forest Green confirms what we saw back in 2022 – all the tools, but just not quite able to use them.