Jack Sparkes to Leave Exeter City
Jack Sparkes has announced he’ll be moving on from Exeter City at the end of the season. Morecambe was his last game in the red and white of the Grecians.
Jack Sparkes joined the Exeter City Academy aged 8 and will end his Grecians career after 14 years on 150 first team appearances, scoring nine times for his boyhood club.
In 2018 Jack was handed the honour of the Exeweb supported no.31 shirt.
Jack Sparkes big breakthrough season would come in 2019-20,making 17 appearances in League Two before an injury sustained on Boxing Day ruled him out for the season. The Covid shutdown and league extension meant he was able to return for the play-offs, playing the first leg against Colchester and in the final against Northampton, where he was a second half substitute.
Jack played 150 times for Exeter, 120 League appearances, and 30 cup matches. scoring a total of 9 goals. Who will forget his 96th minute last season at SJP when Harrogate had been leading 3-1 but Jack’s late goal made it a memorable night for the Grecians and a 4-3 win as we led our way to promotion.
Jack said on his departure:-
I’d like to start by saying how grateful I am to the club for the faith they have shown in me over the last 14 years. It is an emotional time for me, but speaking to the manager, it is time for new opportunity for me somewhere else which I am looking forward to. Having a newborn, it will difficult moving away, but you have to embrace it while she is young. It will be a different life for us and we’re looking forward to it.
If you’d told me when I was 8 I’d be playing this many games for the first team, it is every lads dream. I wouldn’t have thought that at all. I am immensely proud of where I have come from and what I have done for the club. Growing up at the academy, I had Simon Haywood as my first proper manager and he taught me what I needed to be a professional, and then Matt Taylor who had been a massive part. I am so grateful to everyone who has played a massive part in my journey.
Jack thanked the fans saying:-
Thank you for sticking by me. It’s been tough at times. I’ve had some bad games, and I have some good games. I hope they see me as a good person more than anything else. I always gave my best for the club, and I always will.
The gaffer Gary Caldwell added:-
It’s always sad when you see an academy player leave. Since January, his game time has been limited due to competition in his position, but he has been a brilliant servant for the club who has contributed a lot this season and last season in the promotion campaign, which I know will always be special to him. We felt it was right for him to be playing at this stage of his career and we hope that he has a lot of success when he moves on. He is somebody who is always welcome back and we wish him all the best.