Jack Sims

Jack Sims made the move to Sutton in June 2024, fresh off helping Braintree Town to promotion via the National League South play-offs.

Born in Southend-on-Sea, Sims began his career as a schoolboy with local side Southend United, having been picked up after playing for non-league side Canvey Island, spending six years at Roots Hall before making the move to Blackpool.

Having made the brave decision to move to Lancashire at the tender age of 16, Sims gained experience on loan at Skelmersdale United and Lancaster United, racking up almost 50 appearances for both and being named Player of the Season during a successful season with the latter, before making his senior debut for the Tangerines as a substitute when he had to replace Jak Alnwick for the final hour of a 1-0 defeat to Accrington Stanley.

Sims was later released at the expiry of his contract at Bloomfield Road and dropped into non-league with a move to Welling United, where he notably won three successive Player of the Month awards, before returning to Essex to join Braintree ahead of the 2022/23 season.

He was an ever-present across a two-year spell with the Iron, racking up 79 appearances, and notably played a key role in their promotion-winning campaign under Angelo Harrop, earning an inclusion in the National League South Team of the Season as the Iron won the National League South play-offs.

Despite this, Sims was on the move again when he was unable to agree a new deal, and subsequently made the move to Sutton ahead their return to the National League after three seasons in League Two. After having to bide his time initially – featuring once during the opening months of the season in a 3-1 FA Cup win at Chertsey Town – Sims finally nailed down the number one spot and ended the campaign with 40 appearances in all competitions.

He especially earned plaudits for his penalty-saving ability, keeping out three spot-kicks throughout the campaign against Eastleigh, AFC Fylde and Dagenham & Redbridge, and quickly established himself as one of the best goalkeepers in the entire division as well as being named joint-Player of the Season alongside Lewis Simper.