Tomlinson notably played for Manchester United and Wimbledon whilst both were Premier League sides but appearances for both teams only came in cup competitions.

Born in Watford, Tomlinson began his career in the Football League for Bradford City, scoring six goals in 17 Division Two games, before joining Manchester United for £100,000 in the summer of 1994.

His only first team appearance for United came in October 1994, when he came on as a substitute in a League Cup second round tie against Port Vale at Old Trafford, although he would remain at the club until the end of his four-year contract.

[1] He had a brief loan spell at Wimbledon in 1995, featuring in their makeshift squad for the 1995 UEFA Intertoto Cup along with fellow United players Michael Appleton and John O'Kane,[2] and then returned to Old Trafford to play in the reserve team.

He was loaned to Luton Town in March 1996, but suffered a compound leg fracture in a Division One fixture against Port Vale, and was out of action for the next year.