Timothée (Tim) Dieng spent a memorable eighteen months at St James Park scoring a dozen goals from midfield when City won promotion in 2022.

Tim, whose brother Nathanaël was a professional footballer in France, started off as a youth player at Brest and made his debut in the Coupe de France in January 2013. Later that year he played in Ligue 1 for the first time in a fixture against Paris St Germain. Featuring mainly for Brest’s B team, Tim switched to Oldham Athletic in July 2014 where he played sixty league games over the next two seasons. in 2016 he signed for Bradford City for whom he played sixty-eight league games until leaving in June 2018. Tim then spent three seasons at Southend United where he made a hundred league appearances and was appointed captain. Unfortunately for Tim the Shrimpers were relegated twice during his time in Essex and, looking to stay in the Football League, he signed for Exeter City in July 2021.  

Tim made his debut for the Grecians in the opening game of the season on 7 August 2021 against Bradford City, one of his former teams. He scored his first goal for City a fortnight later against Bristol Rovers at St James Park.

For a player who had never scored more than three goals in a league season Tim netted a remarkable twelve times as City won promotion. He also scored twice more in cup games. At the end of the season Tim was in the League Two team of the season and won two Exeter City player of the year awards. 

Tim added three League One goals in 2022/23 before, in January 2023, Gillingham triggered a release clause in Tim’s contract thus allowing him to move to Kent for an undisclosed fee. Making his debut for his new club against Hartlepool, Tim scored twice in 21 appearances during the remainder of the season.