He had loans with Hornchurch, Kettering Town, and Bristol Rovers, joining the latter permanently in 2005 after making over 80 appearances for Northampton.

He was released after one season with Gateshead, joining Hereford United before dropping down to the Southern League Premier Division with Corby Town in 2013.

He also represented the England national under-20 team and played at the 2003 Toulon Tournament and the 2003 FIFA World Youth Championship.

Christopher Paul Carruthers[3] was born on 19 August 1983[4] in Kettering, Northamptonshire,[5] and attended Raunds Manor School from 1994 to 1999.

[14] He received the first yellow card of his career in a 2–2 away draw with Cambridge United in the FA Cup second round on 7 December.

[16] He played for Northampton in a 3–0 home defeat to Premier League team Manchester United in the FA Cup fourth round on 25 January 2004, in which he conceded a penalty kick after two minutes and then was stretchered off in the second half with a neck injury.

[23][25] After returning he only managed to play one match before being loaned out again on 24 March 2005, this time to League Two club Bristol Rovers, until the end of the season.

[36] He played in an FA Cup fourth round match against Championship team Derby County on 27 January 2007, in which he cleared a header by Arturo Lupoli off the line, although Rovers lost 1–0.

[46] He signed for Conference Premier club Oxford United on 4 July 2008,[47] with manager Darren Patterson describing him as "another great pro who has bags of experience considering his age".

[56][60] Carruthers joined Conference Premier club York City on 28 September 2009 on a one-month loan to provide competition for the left-side.

[73][74] Following the match, he was hit by a coin with the York squad being forced to leave the ground through the back of a stand after having missiles thrown at them by a section of Luton fans.

[75] He started in the 2010 Conference Premier play-off final at Wembley Stadium on 16 May, being substituted on 74 minutes, as York lost 3–1 to Oxford.

[62] Carruthers made his first appearance of 2010–11 in the opening match, a 2–1 home defeat to Kidderminster Harriers on 14 August 2010, in which he was substituted in the 65th minute.

[78][79] Carruthers made his return as an 81st-minute substitute in a 2–0 victory away to Kidderminster in the FA Cup fourth qualifying round on 23 October.

[77][80] His first start since August came on 17 November in a 3–0 home victory over League Two club Rotherham United in an FA Cup first round replay.

[86] During a pre-season friendly against Evesham United, Carruthers clashed heads with teammate Greg Tindle and required seven stitches, with the match being abandoned.

[87] Carruthers signed for newly relegated Southern League Premier Division club Corby Town on 21 June 2013.

[88] He scored 5 goals in 50 appearances for Corby in 2013–14,[89] while they finished in 11th place in the Southern League Premier Division table.

[94] Having made 14 appearances for Corby,[84] he was allowed to leave to seek regular football, and joined Southern League Premier Division club Kettering on dual registration on 13 November.

[6] Carruthers represented the England national under-20 team over a period of two years,[9] first being called into the squad for a match against Switzerland in November 2002.

[98] He was named in the squad for a friendly against the Czech Republic on 9 October 2003 and entered the match as a half-time substitute before being forced to leave after around 60 minutes due to an injury.