An in-depth look into our tenth signing of the summer: Harry Phipps.
New Sutton recruit Harry Phipps has spent the bulk of his career in East London, having spent seven years with Dagenham & Redbridge after joining at the age of 19. However, Phipps’ footballing journey began over in Kent, having started out in non-league with Margate.
Harry joined the Gate at an early age and quickly broke into the first team, making his senior debut at the tender age of 17 as a substitute, coming on in a 4-1 defeat at future club Sutton in which he came off the bench and assisted Margate’s consolation goal. He later scored his first goal in a 5-1 defeat against Concord Rangers, and a string of impressive performances in the National League South earned plaudits from higher up the football pyramid.
This saw him join Maidstone United in January 2017, remaining in Kent but otherwise allowing him to gain an improved footballing education in the fifth tier of English football. An 18-month stint at the Gallagher Stadium saw him appear ten times for the Stones, making his National League debut in a 4-2 win over Southport, but otherwise gained experience out on loan with both Welling United and East Thurrock United.
His stint with the Wings saw him spend two separate month-long loans at Park View Road, initially joining the club in August and returning to Bexley in November, before spending the rest of the season on loan at East Thurrock United. Having achieved promotion from the Isthmian Premier Division just two seasons prior, Harry played his part in helping the Rocks establish their place in the National League South for a second year in a row after securing a 15th place finish in the sixth tier, before being released by Maidstone upon his return to the Gallagher Stadium at the end of his loan spell.
Harry had certainly been around the place before his came out of his teenage years, unable to nail down a spot in the Maidstone team on a regular basis, and by the time he turned 19, he perhaps needed a bit of stability and consistency as he looked to continue his development and forge a prolonged career in professional football. Alas, his long-term association with his hometown in Kent would come to an end when he joined Dagenham a week before the start of the 2018/19 season, and little did he know, but Victoria Road would be the place he would spend his prime years at, remaining a Dagger for the next seven years.
An impressive start to life at Dagenham saw him become an integral part of Peter Taylor’s midfield, making 19 appearances during his opening months at Victoria Road and scoring once in a 2-0 win away at Dover Athletic, but it was his defensive work-rate and aerial dominance that made him a stalwart at the base of the midfield trio. As a result, Harry signed an 18-month contract extension just six months after joining the club, committing himself to the Daggers for the foreseeable future.
However, he was only able to end his maiden campaign with a total of 23 appearances due to injury, and proved a real setback to a promising start to his Dagenham career. This kick-started a horrendous two years in terms of injuries for the defender, although Dagenham maintained their faith and agreed a new deal with him in August 2021 after the previous one had expired, allowing him to prove his fitness, with manager Daryl McMahon commenting on Harry’s strong attitude and positive personality that made him a popular member within the dressing room.
Consequently, Harry struggled for game time during the 2021/22 campaign as he looked to maintain full match fitness, and even spent a spell on loan at King’s Lynn Town where he racked up a relatively extended string of minutes, playing eight times for the Linnets and scoring once – the opening goal in a 2-1 defeat against Southend United. While he was unable to help prevent Tommy Widdrington’s side from suffering relegation back to the National League North, the move proved to be an important one in Phipps’ recovery, and he came out of a difficult period stronger to make 36 appearances in all competitions during the 2022/23 campaign, finally solidifying his place at the heart of the Daggers’ team for the first time since he joined the club back in 2018.
He subsequently signed a contract extension midway through the season that would keep him at Victoria Road until 2024, and saw his good form rewarded with an England C call-up towards the end of the campaign, being named in the 16-man squad that took on Wales C at Altrincham’s J. Davidson Stadium. Phipps went on to make his Three Lions debut with a five-minute cameo from the bench as his country beat the Dragons 1-0 thanks to a first half Ryan De Havilland strike, before returning to Dagenham to close out the campaign with a tenth-place finish.
The 26-year old continued to be a regular fixture in the Daggers side during 2024/25, and aside from a ten-game spell midway through the season due to injury, played every game throughout the campaign, as well as frequently completing 90 minutes. However, the season ended with Phipps suffering a second relegation of his career, with Wealdstone’s 3-1 win over FC Halifax Town on the final day being enough to save the Stones, with Lewis Young’s side’s result being bettered having drawn with Solihull Moors as their fate was condemned, and a nine-year spell in the fifth tier came to an end as they dropped further down the football pyramid for the first time this century.
Consequently, Phipps departs Victoria Road after seven long years, racking up 143 appearances and proving his quality in the fifth tier, with the midfielder-turned-defender eager to now remain in the National League and push on up the division with his new club.
