75: Tom Pett
Comfortable playing anywhere in midfield, Pett had a major role to play in the Cowley-era. He scored the goal that sent us to the play-offs in 2018, levelling against Yeovil on the final day. The following season, he played 44 times as we won League Two, as a six and as an eight.
74: Justin Walker
Slick midfielder Walker got a little lost in the post-millennium Lincoln side, as route one football often bypassed a midfield that had talent. With 76 outings and four goals, he was a rare beacon of light during a couple of tough seasons, but had to be released after the collapse of ITV Digital.
73: James Collins
A title-winner this season, Collins scored the goal that helped drag us out of a really tough patch in late 2024 and early 2025. He was off the mark early this season, but sadly suffered an ACL injury, which ruled him out from December onwards.
72: Lee Thorpe
Thorpe is perhaps better known for his prowess in the late 90s, but he straddled the early 2000s and clearly left an impression on fans, as he did on a few defenders. He bagged 35 goals in exactly 100 outings post-Millennium, as well as a couple of red cards in back-to-back matches.
71: Bruno Andrade
Andrade was a title winner in 2018/19, but is perhaps most fondly remembered for his goal against Everton in the League Cup. He was one of the many victims of the Michael Appleton-driven cull, and has recently caused controversy in non-league.
70: Davide Somma
He won’t be the highest loan player on the list, but he is the one who made perhaps the biggest impression. He netted nine times in 14 outings to drag City away from the relegation spots in 2009/10. A year later, he was on the cusp of South Africa’s World Cup squad, before a 2011 ACL injury effectively finished his career.
69: Jamie McCombe
Big Jamie McCombe had two spells with the Imps, the first after joining from Scunthorpe United in 2004. He was a play-off finalist in 2005, but left after the completion of the 2006 season, moving to Bristol City. He came back in 2015/16, and was an important part of the 2016/17 title-winning squad.
68: Jason Shackell
Former Premier League defender Shackell was a vital cog in the 2018/19 title-winning side, adding a lot of experience, as well as appearing 34 times, scoring four. He fell out with Michael Appleton the following season, but appeared 26 times in the league before leaving.
67: John Akinde
Another vital cog in the 2018/19 title-winning side, big John hit the net 17 times, as well as chipping in with six assists. He drifted from the first team picture the following season, and was sold by Michael Appleton after a brace against Bolton Wanderers.
66: Matt Green
Another veteran of the Cowley-era, Matt Green scored 17 goals in 56 games across league and cup as we lost in the play-offs and won the Checkatrade Trophy in 2018. He bagged three in three at the start of the following season, but drifted from the first team picture and left for Salford after 54 league appearances and 15 league goals.
65: Tayo Edun
Tayo Edun arrived as part of the Appleton revolution and was a play-off finalist in 2020/21, appearing at left back for much of the campaign. Blackburn paid half a million pounds for him at the start of the 2021/22 season.
64: Ben Wright
An interesting entry, because while I liked Ben Wright, him landing above Joe Taylor, James Collins and Davide Somma is a shock. He was the leading scorer in the challenging 2007/08 season, offering a physical presence as well as plenty of goals.
63: John Finnigan
£50,000 brought Finns from Nottingham Forest in 1998, and he was the heartbeat of the team in the early part of the century. As the ITV Digital collapse took hold, he was allowed to leave for Cheltenham, robbing us of another solid player. Imagine, at one point in 2002, we had a midfield of Peter Gain, John Finnigan and Justin Walker.
62: Ben Sedgemore
Another surprise entry, Ben Sedgemore, was one of my favourite players, but I didn’t expect him to pop up here. Sedge joined from Macclesfield and was industrious in the midfield. He stayed after the ITV Digital collapse and was a regular in the Imps side in 2002/03, until Richard Butcher arrived. People forget that he played 31 matches in 2003/04 as well.
61: Brooke Norton-Cuffy
There is no doubt Norton-Cuffy was a proper player, even as a teenager at the Bank. He played 17 times, scoring against Sheffield Wednesday and providing an assist against Portsmouth, like a proper big game player. He’s currently in Serie A with Genoa.
60: Tom Hamer
A popular member of the current squad, Tom Hamer is now a League One title winner, after making 44 appearances this season. It takes his Imps total to 76, with five goals and a host of assists. The long throw has also become something of a weapon for the Imps, but there is much more to Hamer’s game.
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