Exeter-born Dean Moxey had two spells with the club either side of playing in the Premier League. In total he played 310 games for City between 2003 and 2020: 196 the first time around; 114 when he returned. In his entire career Dean appeared in over 600 senior games for his various clubs.

Dean made his first-team debut in the Conference against Accrington in October 2003 and quickly established himself as a first-team regular playing 16 league games that season and scoring two goals. In City’s five Conference seasons Dean played 150 games and scored 18 goals including the second against  Doncaster which set up the two FA Cup games against Manchester United in January 2005. Dean famously appeared in both games against the Old Trafford club either side of his 19th birthday.  

In the 2007/08 season Dean played 52 times as the Grecians were promoted back to the Football League via the Conference play-off final. He also played for England C against Wales at St James Park in February 2008. Then in 2008/09, Dean’s first in the Football League, he played in 46 league and cup games - scoring six goals - as the club secured back-to-back promotions with a second-place finish in League Two. 

In May 2009 Dean left for Championship club Derby playing two seasons at Pride Park before joining Crystal Palace and winning promotion to the Premier League with the Eagles in 2013. After one season in England’s top flight, Dean joined Bolton Wanderers where he spent three seasons at the Lancashire club before returning to St James Park on 27 June 2017 signing a three-year deal. 

In three seasons back at City Dean played in two losing play-off finals and clocked up more than a hundred more appearances for the Grecians whilst also passing 500 hundred games in senior football.

Released in July 2020, just a few days after the Wembley play-off defeat, Dean joined Torquay United and featured in the team which finished as runners-up in the National League in 2020/21. He then played in the club’s losing play-off final against Hartlepool United at Ashton Gate but had been substituted before extra-time and penalties. In December 2021 Dean made his 600th appearance in senior football when he played for Torquay at Eastleigh and, during the following season, faced Derby County (one of his former clubs) in a FA cup-tie as he headed towards a hundred games for his latest club.

Following Torquay's relegation to National League South in April 2023, Dean signed a new contract to take him into a fourth season with the Gulls at the end of which he was voted player of the season at the age of thirty-eight having now accumulated 145 appearances for the club in all competitions. With ex-Plymouth Argyle player Paul Wotton now in charge at Plainmoor, Dean signed a further contract with the club in June 2024.