After starring for Heston Gaels
GAA club at underage level, Rowlands started his football career at
Wycombe Wanderers, but did not earn a professional contract and joined
Farnborough Town in 1997 before moving to
Brentford in August 1998 for a transfer fee of £45,000. In five seasons with Brentford, he made 186 appearances in all competitions, scoring 23 goals. That season, Rowlands also showed versatility, playing right back, right midfield, left midfield and centre midfield; excelling in all positions. He won both the supporters and players' player of the year competitions. Since then, Rowlands has suffered many injuries and has never truly recaptured his outstanding form of 2003–04. However, in 2006–07 he managed to score 10 goals from midfield. In 2007–08 he was selected captain, and was regularly among Rangers` best performers. He played 43 league games, scoring 6 goals, including a memorable brace in Rangers' 4–2 victory at
Watford. He won both the Supporters' Player of the Year and the
Ray Jones Players' Player of the Year award. As of January 2012 Rowlands was the longest-serving member of the Queens Park Rangers squad having spent nine years at the club. On 25 February 2011 Rowlands signed for Millwall, on an emergency one-month loan, after only playing 23 minutes of competitive football for QPR in the 2010–11 season. On 31 January 2012, Rowlands' contract with Queens Park Rangers was terminated by mutual consent. On 2 February 2012, Rowlands signed a contract with
Colchester United. After a solid three months with the U's, he was released from his contract after suffering with injuries. He made nine appearances and scored two goals during his time in Essex. On 22 September 2012, Rowlands scored his first Orient goal, a 20-yard volley against
Crewe Alexandra at Gresty Road. The game ended 1–1. After 40 appearances and four goals in all competitions, ==International career==