After playing youth football with AS Cannes, he started his senior career with Basingstoke Town in 2016, before signing for Fulham in 2017. He had a loan spell with Braintree Town in 2019, and joined Eastleigh on a permanent basis later that year. He joined Oxford United in January 2020, and Bristol City in July 2021.
Club career
Atkinson was born in Chesterfield,[2] and spent much of his youth in France, playing for the academy of AS Cannes.[3] He played for Knaphill U18s and first team before starting his senior football career at Basingstoke Town in the 2016–17 season,[3] where he made thirty league appearances, scoring twice.[4] He joined Fulham in September 2017 for a fee of £30,000 after a trial period with the club; he initially played for the club's under-23 side.[3][5] He joined Braintree Town on loan in January 2019,[6] and made 15 appearances for the club.[2]
In June 2019, he signed for National League side Eastleigh, making 24 appearances in total for the Spitfires and impressing with the National League side.[5]
Oxford United
In January 2020, he signed for League One side Oxford United for an undisclosed fee on a three-and-a-half-year contract, though he returned to Eastleigh on loan until the end of the season as part of the deal.[7] He was recalled by Oxford United in February 2020 as a result of an injury to John Mousinho and a suspension for Robert Dickie.[8] He made his professional debut on 5 October 2020, in a 1–1 EFL Cup draw with AFC Wimbledon, in which Oxford won on penalties.[9] He scored his first league goal, and his first goal for Oxford, in a 4–1 home victory over Shrewsbury Town on 13 April 2021.[10] Atkinson had a successful 2020–21 season, scoring once in 39 league appearances as the club finished 6th, qualifying for the play-offs,[11][12] with Atkinson named in the EFL League One Team of the Season.[13] Despite a goal for Atkinson in the play-off semi-final second leg against Blackpool, the club were eliminated from the play-offs after a 6–3 aggregate defeat.[11]
Bristol City
Atkinson signed for Bristol City for an undisclosed seven-figure fee in July 2021.[14] On 28 April 2023, it was announced that Atkinson had signed a new three-year deal with Bristol City.[15]
Career statistics
As of match played 7 May 2022
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition