Barnsley Holgate was born in
Doncaster, South Yorkshire. At the age of nine, having progressed through the club's academy and reserve team, Holgate signed his first professional contract, keeping him at Barnsley until 2016. Following this, the club were determined to negotiate a longer-term contract for Holgate. Following a successful
debut season at Barnsley, Holgate was named 2014–15 Young Player of the Year. In addition to this award, press speculation linked Holgate with a number of
Premier League clubs; in July 2015, he went on trial at
Manchester United.
Everton On 13 August 2015, Holgate signed a five-year deal to join Premier League side
Everton for a reported fee of £2 million. On 13 August 2016, a year after he signed for the club, Holgate made his Premier League debut in the 1–1 draw with
Tottenham Hotspur. After
Séamus Coleman suffered a broken leg in a World Cup qualifier match in March 2017, which caused him to be missing for nearly a year, Holgate was selected by
Ronald Koeman as a replacement at the right back position for the latter part of the season. On 29 October 2019, Holgate scored his first goal for the club in a 2–0 victory against
Watford in the
EFL Cup after he nodded in a cross by
Theo Walcott. Following the arrival of
Carlo Ancelotti, Holgate established himself as a regular centre back at Everton, although he was deployed as a defensive midfielder on some occasions. During the
2019–20 season, he made 32 appearances for
the Toffees in all competition, including 27 in the league. He was named as captain for a home game against
Leeds United on 28 November 2020, a game which Everton went on to lose 1–0. On 16 December 2020, he scored his first Premier League goal in a 2–0 away win against
Leicester City. On 9 June 2025, after a ten-year spell with the club, Everton announced that Holgate would be one of the players leaving the side at the end of the season.
West Bromwich Albion (loan) On 31 December 2018, Holgate joined
Championship side
West Bromwich Albion on loan until the end of the
season.
Southampton (loan) On 25 August 2023, Holgate joined Championship side
Southampton on a season-long loan. He made his debut for the club on 2 September 2023 in a 5–0 defeat to
Sunderland. On 1 February 2024, his loan move was terminated early.
Sheffield United (loan) On 1 February 2024, Holgate joined Premier League side
Sheffield United for the remainder of the 2023–24 season. He made his debut two days later at home against
Aston Villa, in a 5–0 defeat at
Bramall Lane. On 18 February 2024, Holgate became the only Premier League player to be sent off in each of the last three seasons, when he tackled Brighton's
Kaoru Mitoma with excessive force after 12 minutes, following a
VAR check, after referee
Stuart Attwell had initially shown him a yellow card. People on social media and the news were furious about the tackle, including former Premier League goalkeeper, Ben Foster. In his absence, Sheffield United went on to suffer another 5–0 defeat.
West Bromwich Albion (loan) On 30 August 2024, Holgate returned to
West Bromwich Albion for a second loan spell for the 2024–25 season.
Al-Gharafa In July 2025, Holgate moved to Qatar, signing for
Qatar Stars League side
Al-Gharafa on a two-year deal, with an option for an extra year.
Al-Sailiya (loan) On 10 January 2026, Holgate signed for fellow Qatari side
Al-Sailiya on a six-month loan until the end of the season. ==International career==