He made his league debut on 10 August 2002 in a 3–1 victory away to Burnley, picking up man-of-the-match honours from the sports press.
He made more than 40 appearances in the Championship for Brighton over the next couple of seasons, playing so well that he was selected for the England U21 squad for games against Wales and Azerbaijan in October 2004.
[3] On 6 August Aldershot Town manager Gary Waddock announced that Hinshelwood would be the captain for the 2009–10 season.
[4] Hinshelwood subsequently signed for Wycombe Wanderers on 1 January 2010 on a free transfer, until the end of the season.
On 27 February 2024, Hinshelwood was appointed manager of National League club York City on a long-term deal.
[10] Following a strong start to the 2024–25 season, he was named National League Manager of the Month for September 2024 having picked up twelve points from six unbeaten matches.