City stole a 2-1 win against Doncaster a few days ago, putting us into the automatic promotion spaces.
Robbie Gotts, who scored the own goal for our win, is a former Imp. He featured during the 2020/21 season, even scoring as we beat Accrington en route to the EFL Trophy semi-final. However, he hadn’t got a league goal at Sincil Bank, until his unfortunate moment.
I always rated Gotts, but for those who don’t remember, here is a reminder of who he is, and where he’s been since City.
Gotts came through the Leeds United academy, establishing himself as a regular in their Under-23 side that won the Professional Development League in 2019. He was highly rated by Marcelo Bielsa, who converted him from a right-back into a central midfielder and described him as the most “dynamic” player he had coached.
After spending much of 2018–19 on the bench for the first team, Gotts finally made his senior debut for Leeds in January 2020, starting against Arsenal in the FA Cup. He was part of the Leeds squad promoted to the Premier League and was named the club’s Academy Player of the Year for 2019–20.
In October 2020, Gotts joined City on loan for the first half of the 2020–21 season. He made 12 appearances in all competitions, debuting against Portsmouth and later scoring his only goal for the Imps in an EFL Trophy tie against Accrington Stanley in January 2021. That turned out to be his final outing for City, as he was recalled by Leeds shortly afterwards.
His time at City came as we were a bit of a success, and while Gotts looked capable of holding his own with us, his chances were limited. In midfield, we rotated James Jones, Conor McGrandles, Liam Bridcutt and Jorge Grant, while at right back, TJ Eyoma was a shoo-in. It left Gotts on the fringe of the action, despite being a capable player. He even had Bridcutt living with him a few days a week, mentoring him and helping his development.
He immediately moved on loan to Salford City, where he played 23 league games and scored three goals as the Ammies pushed for promotion. He missed out on appearing in their delayed 2020 EFL Trophy Final win due to being cup-tied.
In August 2021, he left Leeds permanently, joining Barrow. Over four seasons, he became a key figure for the Bluebirds, making 154 league appearances and scoring eight goals. He was named Barrow’s Player of the Year in his debut campaign and remained an ever-present in the midfield across subsequent seasons, playing more than 40 games in three consecutive years.
After his contract expired in 2025, Gotts signed for newly-promoted Doncaster Rovers, joining on a two-year deal with an option for a further year. By September 2025, he had already featured in League One for his new side, scoring a brace against Grimsby in the EFL Trophy.
With three starts and eight outings from the bench, he will feel unfortunate to have handed the Imps a winner at the weekend.