Nottingham Forest Crookes began his career with St. Helen's and Navenby before signing for
Nottingham Forest at eight. In an interview with the
Nottingham Post in November 2017, he said that, "I thought I've been playing quite strongly and hopefully I can push on, and maybe the gaffer (
Mark Warburton) is going to have a look at me. If not, I'll look to go on
loan." He moved on loan to struggling
National League side
Guiseley the following month. He made his senior debut on 20 December, in a 2–1 defeat at
Gateshead in the
FA Trophy. He made his league debut at
Nethermoor Park three days later in a 1–1 draw with
Aldershot Town. Having established himself in the first-team for
Paul Cox's "Lions", the loan was later extended until the end of the
2017–18 season. However, he was recalled by Forest
manager Aitor Karanka in March 2018, after making 16 appearances. He moved on loan to his hometown club,
Lincoln City, in August 2018 after impressing manager
Danny Cowley on trial. He made his debut in the
EFL Cup on 28 August, as the "Imps" fell to a 4–1 defeat at
Championship side
Blackburn Rovers. However, he failed to break into the first-team for the
League Two leaders and was recalled to the
City Ground in January 2019, having made only four further
EFL Trophy appearances at
Sincil Bank.
Port Vale On 14 January 2019, Crookes joined struggling League Two side
Port Vale on loan for the remainder of the
2018–19 season. Manager
Neil Aspin state that "A natural left-footer in the defence is something we've not had and he'll compete for a place". He made his debut in the
English Football League in a 1–0 win at
Crawley Town on 19 January. He maintained his first-team place under new manager
John Askey, impressing both playing on the left of a back three and at left-back in a back four. Assistant manager
Dave Kevan said that Crookes had good character and that the management team would monitor his availability in the summer. Nottingham Forest released Crookes on 13 May 2019. However, his agent
Phil Sproson revealed that he had received
contract offers from Vale and another, unnamed club. He signed a two-year deal with Port Vale on 31 May. He began the
2019–20 season playing at left-back and said that he had been studying
Liverpool full-back
Andrew Robertson to improve his performance in the role. He maintained his first-team place until a "freakish training accident" saw him sidelined in late-October. He returned to training after a four-month layoff, but was unable to add to his 17 starts before the season was ended early due to the
COVID-19 pandemic in England. He struggled for playing time at the start of the
2020–21 season as he was behind centre-backs
Nathan Smith,
Leon Legge and
Shaun Brisley in the pecking order, though impressed the management after filling in at left-back in the absence of
Cristian Montaño and
David Fitzpatrick. He scored his first goal in professional football on 30 January, in a 5–1 home win over
Southend United. He started new manager
Darrell Clarke's first two games in charge, playing left-back in a 4–4–2 and then left-sided centre-back in a 3–5–2
formation. However, he was one of 15 players released at the end of the season.
Grimsby Town He signed a one-year contract with National League club
Grimsby Town on 9 July 2021; manager
Paul Hurst said he had been aware of Crookes for some time and that former manager Clarke had spoken well of him. He played 24 league games in the
2021–22 campaign, helping the "Mariners" to qualify for the play-offs with a sixth-place finish. On 11 June, the club announced their retained list and confirmed that Crookes would be released upon the expiry of his contract at the end of the month.
York City On 30 June 2022, Crookes joined newly promoted National League club
York City, alongside Grimsby teammate
Scott Burgess, both of whom had played under York manager John Askey at Port Vale. He recovered from an injury early in the season and signed a two-and-a-half-year contract in January 2023. He was named in the National League Team of the Week on 9 April following good performances against
Chesterfield and
Barnet. He made 23 appearances in the
2023–24 season, He suffered a quad injury in August 2024 that kept him sidelined for six weeks; manager
Adam Hinshelwood commented that he would be a "big miss". by the end of November, Crookes managed to win a place on the Vanarama Team of the Week for his goal and performance in a 6–2 victory over
Maidenhead United at the
York Community Stadium. However, he tore his calf in the new year and so was sidelined again for some weeks. When questioned about his injury record, Hinshelwood said that he was showing faith in Crookes and would not need to sign a replacement. He played 13 league games in the
2024–25 campaign and was released upon the expiry of his contract.
Gainsborough Trinity On 2 June 2025, Crookes joined
Northern Premier League Premier Division side
Gainsborough Trinity. The move into semi-professional football allowed him to start a new career. ==Playing style==