Player Profile – Dan Vinten 

We wanted somebody this week who has just played for a couple of clubs so Thackley defender and popular figure Dan Vinten seemed the man for the job.

Here’s his Player Profile 

Thackley defender Dan Vinten

Name

Dan Vinten

Age

28 

Current Club 

Thackley 

Previous clubs 

Too many to list – Stocksbridge Park Steels, Glossop, Northwich Vics, Prestwich to name a few. 

Position 

Defender 

Day Job 

Area Director for a construction insurance firm 

Best mate in football 

Too many to list again but Tom Rose, Ryan Hopper, Francesco Frangillo and Dapo Kayode

Team you support 

The West London Barcelona, QPR! 

Football Idol

Don’t really have one. But one of the players I’ve admired the most is Wayne Rooney. Criminally underrated – the player who had everything.

Dan Vinten playing for New Mills

Biggest influence on football career 

Initially my family for taking me all over the country – but now my mrs for letting me play every week.

Career Highlight 

My time at Crawley Town – playing football nearly every day, as a young kid. Best time of my life 

Most Memorable Game 

It will sound silly. But I was 15/16 and I played in a in-house game for Horsham YMCA U16s v U18s. I played soo well, I was on fire. I scored, got a couple assists and defended like my life depended on it. It got me called up to the first team for that season and that was the start of my non league career. Not a massive game or anything or not even a massive achievement but it’s one of the only games I can almost remember minute by minute. Playing in front of family and just enjoying the moment. 

Lowest moment in football

Dan Vinten during his Crawley Town days

Getting released from Crawley wasn’t nice.

Biggest regret in football 

Not looking further into a higher level of football after Crawley. It was too easy to just drop down the levels in non league and get a job. 

Funniest moment in football 

I don’t have one. Anyone who knows me, knows I’m a bit of an idiot and can be like marmite. But anyone who knows me well enough knows I’m sound and would do anything for anyone but I’ll always be one of the jokers in a dressing room. So I don’t have one moment as I’m always having a laugh and trying to wind people up. Especially on the pitch! 

First semi-professional manager 

Absolute proper wheeler dealer typical non league gaffer. From brown envelopes to changing room punch ups. Probably the best I ever played for a manager as I was s*** scared of him. 

Non League Debut 

I was 16 and about 7 stone and the first 20 were a proper “welcome to Non League”. I got kicked to shreds by some 6 foot 2 lad who looked like he trained with Dwayne Johnson. But I am a believer of if you are good enough you’re old enough. I soon grew into the game and we actually kept a clean sheet and won so I’d say it went well! 

Dan Vinten playing as a trialist for Shaw Lane Aquaforce in a friendly against Bradford (Park Avenue) in 2016 on the day Darren Smith dyed his hair green

First Red Card in Non League 

Might not be actually my first but one of the first I can remember was away at Chichester for Crawley Down Gatwick. The first yellow was an awful late tackle which I deserved but the second yellow the guy slipped in front of me and not even he could believe it. I was fuming and booted their changing room door in and ended up getting walled up by one of the Chichester board members. We kissed and made up in the bar afterward but definitely memorable 

Best Non League Goal 

WITHOUT DOUBT this was for Horsham FC against Worthing. I was skipper and it was a tight game. These were the days when I was fit and good enough to play left wing. We won a throw on the right, it was a massive throw flicked on to the edge of the box right in line with the penalty spot. It was one of those moments where time stood still, the ball bounced up and I hit it first time on a bicycle kick and it flew into the top bins. People watching in the bar told me it was one of the best they’d seen and it was just like Trevor Sinclair’s for QPR which made me very happy. It was the first time my dad told me I did something well on the pitch too so that meant a lot!

Dan Vinten back in the day playing for Horsham

What do you want to achieve in football in the future? 

For me these days at my age and with a family I just want to be playing as much as possible and high as possible and enjoy it. Also, it may sound corny. But I’m an old head, I’ve been in non league for nearly 15 years so I just want to help the young lads and help them on the pitch as I didn’t have that growing up and I think If I did my non league career down south would have been a lot different 

Favourite Non League Ground 

Gorings Mead for Horsham YMCA will always be up there for me because of the family connection and the time I spent there.

If you want to take part in our weekly Player Profile, get in touch via social media, either on Facebook or Twitter.

Take a look at our previous Player Profiles HERE

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