Long started his football career at Charlton Athletic in 1995 and progressed through the youth system, spending ten years on the club's books, and although a regular in the reserve team, he did not make a first-team appearance.
He ended his playing career with Leatherhead of the Isthmian League Premier Division, before taking up a coaching role at Ebbsfleet in October 2015, a position he held until November 2018.
[15][16][17] He played 23 times for Notts County during the 2005–06 season as they narrowly escaped relegation from the Football League,[18] scoring two goals.
[26] He played 47 games in all competitions and scored 14 goals from midfield, which included successive braces against Grays Athletic and Weymouth.
[27][28] Long was also a regular player in the club's successful FA Trophy campaign the same season, playing in all seven games, including the 1–0 win against Torquay United in the final at Wembley Stadium on 10 May 2008.
[30] After being released by the newly renamed Ebbsfleet United at the end of the 2008–09 season, Long joined fellow Conference Premier club Stevenage on a one-year contract on 5 June 2009.
[35] A month later, on 4 September 2010, he started his first game of the season, against Crewe Alexandra, but was sent-off in the 63rd minute of the match for two bookable offences.
[36] He remained a regular starter throughout the remainder of 2010, scoring his first goal of the season in a 1–1 home draw against Shrewsbury Town on 23 November 2010.
[44] Long started the next game, a League Cup home tie against Peterborough United on 9 August 2011, scoring in the first half in an eventual 4–3 defeat after extra-time.
[50] He made his Wimbledon debut in the club's first game of the season, starting in a 3–1 defeat away to his previous employers, Stevenage, in a League Cup fixture on 14 August 2012.
[55] Following his release from AFC Wimbledon, Long took a "significant wage drop" and "rejected better offers from League clubs" to re-join Ebbsfleet United of the Conference South on 8 June 2013.
[56] He made his second debut for Ebbsfleet in the club's opening match of the 2013–14 season, playing the first 88 minutes in a 0–0 draw with Havant & Waterlooville on 17 August 2013.
[2] Due to this, Ebbsfleet manager Steve Brown stated that it was important for Long to "get minutes under his belt", and he was subsequently loaned to fellow Conference South club Eastbourne Borough on an initial one-month deal on 15 January 2014.
[2] Following his release from Ebbsfleet, Long joined newly promoted Isthmian League Premier Division club Leatherhead on initial non-contract terms in August 2014.
[67] Long left Ebbsfleet on 16 November 2018 following the departure of McMahon, with new manager Garry Hill making changes to the club's back-room staff.