Sam Nombe joined Exeter City from MK Dons in summer 2021 and scored eight league goals when the club won promotion in 2021/22. After scoring 17 league and cup goals in the following campaign, he left the club to join Rotherham United in August 2023. 

Sam was in the MK Dons academy from the under-11s becoming a scholar/trainee in 2015 and a full professional in 2017.  He made his first-team debut in the League Cup in August 2017 and his league debut four days later. In total Sam made a total of twelve league and cup appearances during 2017/18 as well as spending a few months on loan at Oxford City. Then, after signing a new contract in May 2018, Sam played in slightly fewer first-team games in 2018/19 and had time on loan back at Oxford City and then Maidenhead United.

After the experience gained on loan Sam was ready for first-team football on a regular basis and he played around thirty league and cup games before a loan to Championship Luton Town in October 2020. Playing a step above his host club, Sam made eleven Championship appearances during his stay at Kenilworth Road. As Luton declined to sign Sam on a permanent basis he moved to Exeter City on a three year deal, for an undisclosed fee, in July 2021 after making forty-six league and cup appearances for MK Dons.     

Sam made his debut for the Grecians in the opening game of the season against Bradford City on 7 August 2021 and scored his first goal for the club on 18 September against Sutton United. Once he had opened his account Sam was to score in each of the next five games. By the end of the season, as City finished second and were promoted, Sam had played in twenty-eight league games. 

Playing in League One in 2022/23 Sam comfortably surpassed both his appearance and goal tallies of the previous season as he finished with 17 goals in all competitions. With speculation about Sam's future mounting from the start of the following season he made another half-a-dozen league and cup appearances before departing to Rotherham United (managed by former Exeter manager Matt Taylor) at the end of August 2023 for a 'significant undisclosed fee'. Reported in some quarters as a 'million-pound transfer', it was merely announced by Rotherham as a 'club record fee' although Sam enjoyed little success with his new club as he scored just three times in what proved to be a relegation season.