Sam Hornby

Hornby played for the youth teams at Hednesford Town and Redditch United, and signed his first professional contract with Burton Albion in June 2015. He joined Brackley Town on an initial one-month loan in October 2015, and went on to remain an ever-present for the rest of the 2015–16 season, helping them avoid relegation. Brackley manager Kevin Wilkin named him as his player of the season, and Hornby also picked up the club's player's player of the season award. He was loaned to newly relegated club Kidderminster Harriers. Harriers ended the 2016–17 season in second place, and lost out to Chorley in the play-off semi-finals; manager John Eustace praised Hornby's performance in the play-offs. Hornby signed a two-year contract with Port Vale in June 2017. Hornby picked up an injury in October and was ruled out of action for six weeks. In December 2017, he joined National League club Chester on an initial one-month loan, which was initially extended by a further month, and then until the end of the 2017–18 season. However he was recalled by Port Vale manager Neil Aspin on 26 February after Lainton picked up an injury. Despite playing well in pre-season friendlies he began the 2018–19 season as back-up to experienced new signing Scott Brown, and was limited to appearances in the group stages of the EFL Trophy. In May 2019, after rejecting a new contract offer from Port Vale, Hornby signed a two-year contract with Bradford City. He moved on loan to AFC Fylde on 7 October after manager Gary Bowyer wanted Hornby to play regular football. Hornby played 21 games in the 2020–21 season, which proved a difficult campaign for the club and one which he described as "a real mixed bag and a test of character" after he replaced an injured Richard O'Donnell in the starting eleven. On 12 May 2021, he was one of four players offered a new contract by Bradford City. Having featured nine times for Bradford during the first half of the campaign, he joined rivals Colchester United on loan until the end of the 2021–22 season in January 2022 and his loan spell was made permanent on 28 June after he signed a two-year contract with Colchester.