Blackburn Rovers Lowe joined
Blackburn Rovers'
Academy as an under-12 and had progressed to the
reserve team when he signed his first professional
contract on 4 September 2009. On 8 January 2011, he made his senior debut at
Ewood Park in the 1–0 win over
Queens Park Rangers in the first round of the
FA Cup. A week later, he made his first appearance in the
Premier League, as a 24th-minute
substitute for the injured
David Dunn in a 2–0 loss to
Chelsea. Lowe was set to join
Aberdeen on
loan before the deal fell through due to injuries in the Blackburn first-team. On 24 March, he joined
Oldham Athletic of
League One on loan until the end of the
2010–11 season, to gain experience of competitive first-team football. Lowe made his debut at
Boundary Park four days later against
Tranmere Rovers, He was singled out for praise by
manager Paul Dickov after the match for volunteering to take the penalty despite being a young player at a new club. On 25 April, he "fired into the top corner late on" to help Oldham secure a 1–1 draw with
Walsall on 25 April. He finished his loan spell with two goals from seven appearances. After producing what
BBC Sport dubbed "a string of impressive displays", Lowe signed a five-year contract with Blackburn. He continued to be a first-team regular, playing in a variety of positions; according to manager
Steve Kean, "he can play right-back, holding midfield player, wide right, doubling up with a full-back, he can play box-to-box as a genuine midfield player". but still made 37 appearances in all competitions as Blackburn Rovers were
relegated from the Premier League. At the start of the
2012–13 season, manager Steve Kean spoke of Lowe as one of several players in contention for a place in defence. He started the opening
Championship match, away to
Ipswich Town, at left-back, and scored a late
own goal to give the hosts a draw. He started regularly in midfield in October 2012 under
caretaker manager Eric Black, but a
hamstring injury then kept him out for a month. He was utilised at right-back by
Michael Appleton in March after a series of injuries to the club's regular full-backs. Against a background of continued managerial changes, Lowe established himself in Blackburn's midfield, and finished the season with 42 appearances in all competitions. Manager
Gary Bowyer said that if Lowe wanted to make himself into "that old-fashioned midfielder that can do a bit of everything", he needed to start scoring goals. Four days later, he obliged, with a "thunderous strike into the top corner" at home to
Middlesbrough that earned him the club's Goal of the Season award. After Lowe's third consecutive
man of the match performance, teammate and former
England international David Dunn discussed his potential in glowing terms. He made his 100th appearance for the club on 3 December, in a 3–1 loss against Ipswich Town, and went on to make 42 appearances in all competitions over the season. but Rovers' shortage of defenders through injury meant he reverted to the right-back position, and then injury intervened. A
stress fracture in his foot kept him out for several months, and a week after his return to the side, he suffered a recurrence of the injury during a 2–0 win over
Charlton Athletic on 20 December. He came back into the team fully fit a month later, producing what Bowyer dubbed a terrific performance against
Wigan Athletic on 17 January 2015, but the injury recurred yet again in mid-February. Lowe underwent surgery that kept him out for the rest of the season. Four appearances into the
2015–16 season his foot let him down yet again. He had another operation. Having spent six months on the sidelines, Lowe returned to action with the reserve side to regain his match fitness. He returned to the first-team on 9 April in the starting eleven for a goalless draw away to
Wolverhampton Wanderers, and started four of the remaining five matches. The team struggled, and he himself had disciplinary issues: he received his tenth
yellow cardhis fifth in six appearanceson 17 December, so by the end of the year had missed three matches through suspension. As the season progressed, Rovers' form dipped and they settled in the relegation zone. In the penultimate match of the season, against
Aston Villa, Lowe supplied the
cross for
Danny Graham's winning goal; the result left survival in their own hands. On the final day, Rovers won 3–1 at
Brentford, but other results went against them and they were relegated to League One. Lowe was one of eight players released. In a farewell message, he thanked staff and supporters who had helped him "grow as a man and a player" over 13 years with the club and said that Blackburn Rovers would always have a special place in his heart. During his time at the club he was named the club's first Player Ambassador by Blackburn Rovers Community Trust.
Birmingham City Lowe signed a one-year contract with Championship club
Birmingham City on 31 August 2017. He was one of six debutants in the starting eleven for Birmingham's next fixture, away to
Norwich City; he played 78 minutes and was yellow-carded in the first half as his team lost 1–0. After just two minutes of his home debut a week later at
St Andrew's, Lowe injured a hamstringthe fifth such injury sustained by Birmingham players in the first few weeks of the season. Having been a last-minute squad addition by manager
Harry Redknapp, he found himself frozen out under Redknapp's successor
Steve Cotterill, and then only featured twice under
Garry Monk. He was released by Birmingham at the end of the
2017–18 season.
Bolton Wanderers After his release from Birmingham, Lowe became Championship club
Bolton Wanderers' first signing of the 2018 summer
transfer window when he signed a two-year deal on 8 June. He made his debut for Bolton on 4 August when starting Wanderers' 2–1 victory at
West Bromwich Albion. He started 35 of the club's 46 Championship games in the
2018–19 campaign, picking up eleven yellow cards, as Bolton were relegated in 23rd-place. This lasted until 17 September, when
Liam Bridcutt became captain. Despite losing the captaincy under new manager
Keith Hill, Lowe enjoyed an upturn in form as Bridcutt took on more defensive midfield duties to allow Lowe the freedom to roam forward and join the attack. Lowe started in the centre of midfield for every game he was available until being moved to right-back towards the end of December, with
Phil Parkinson stating that "he's a good midfielder but he's a better right-back". On 29 December, he received the first
sending off of his career for a lunging challenge on
Ollie Norburn during a 1–1 draw with
Shrewsbury Town at the
University of Bolton Stadium. Lowe became captain again after Bridcutt left in January 2020. Lowe was one of 14 senior players released at the end of his contract following the club's relegation at the end of the
2019–20 season. in July 2022
Salford City On 22 July 2020, Lowe joined
League Two club
Salford City on a three-year deal. Upon the deal being confirmed, manager
Graham Alexander said that Lowe was a leader who would strengthen the spine of the team, whilst Lowe said that "they want
promotion and it's as simple as that". He made his competitive debut on 5 September in the EFL Cup, in a 1–1 draw against Championship side
Rotherham United; Salford won on
penalties. On 13 March 2021, he started the
2020 EFL Trophy final at
Wembley Stadium against League One side
Portsmouth, which finished as a 0–0 draw; he scored the winning penalty in the shoot-out to secure Salford City their first honour in the
English Football League. He was released at the end of the
2022–23 season, having been limited to 28 appearances and missing the play-off semi-final defeat to
Stockport County; he featured 125 times during his three years at
Moor Lane.
Port Vale Lowe signed a two-year contract with League One club
Port Vale on 3 July 2023. Manager
Andy Crosby and director of football
David Flitcroft both emphasised the player's experience and leadership capabilities. Lowe made his first start for the club on 7 October, playing on the right of a back three in a 2–0 defeat at
Portsmouth. He failed to establish himself in any one position in the
2023–24 season as Vale were relegated from League One. He was released upon the expiry of his contract at the end of the
2024–25 promotion-winning season.
Tranmere Rovers On 30 June 2025, Lowe agreed a one-year contract with League Two club Tranmere Rovers, who were managed by former Port Vale boss Andy Crosby. Crosby was sacked by March, and Lowe said the Rovers squad must "stick together" as they fought against relegation after interim manager
Andy Parkinson handed him the captaincy. He played 19 games in the
2025–26 campaign. ==International career==