Alex Inglethorpe was better-known as an Exeter City manager than he was as a player. Arriving from Leyton Orient in 2000, Alex played around twenty times for the Grecians before returning as manager after three years away. He went on to run the academy and youth set-ups at Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool.   

Alex began his playing career at Watford but, after relatively few starts over a five-year period and a loan spell at Barnet, left to join Leyton Orient in June 1995. Over the best part of five seasons at Brisbane Road, Alex made over 120 league appearances scoring thirty-odd goals. Scoring less-often in his latter seasons, Alex made his final appearance for Orient in December 1999 before signing for Exeter City in February 2000.

Arriving at Exeter City aged twenty-eight, Alex’s initial impact was somewhat limited as he made just two appearances that season. Both were away - at York City on 26 February 2000 and at Bristol City four days later. Retained for the 2000/21 season Alex played just 21 times in all competitions scoring twice: once against Barnet, then against Leyton Orient. After a brief loan to Crawley before Christmas, Alex made his final appearance for the Grecians against Kidderminster in late-March 2021.

Gaining early experience of management at Leatherhead, Alex returned to Leyton Orient as an under-19 coach prior to his appointment as manager of Exeter City - in succession to Eamonn Dolan (whose later career path was to be followed by Alex) - in October 2004. Alex was to serve as manager for just short of two seasons with the club finishing 6th in 2004/05 and 7th in 2005/06. The highpoint of Alex’s tenure at the Park was surely the 0-0 draw with Manchester United in the FA Cup in January 2005. 

Having also briefly served as assistant manager of the England National Game XI (later England C), Alex decided to pursue the opportunity to become head of youth at Tottenham Hotspur in June 2006. Then, after six years at Spurs, he moved to Liverpool initially as reserve team coach and under-21s manager before his elevation to academy director. 

Alex was still in post in July 2022 when, after nearly ten years at Liverpool, he signed a new long-term contract.