born Mitchell was in the youth system at Livingston then Falkirk. At Falkirk he graduated to the first team. In a pre-season game in 2007 he scored the winning goal against Dutch team Ajax. He made his competitive debut on 22 December 2007 as an added-time substitute in a 3–0 Scottish Premier League victory at Motherwell. He finished his first season with five appearances the last three of which were starts. On 21 November 2009 he scored his only competitive goal for the Bairns. This 20-yard free kick was in a 2–0 home win against Hamilton Academical for a first league win of the season. Mitchell moved to Ayr United on loan on 22 January 2010 for the rest of the season. He made ten appearances for the Honest Men in the Scottish Football League First Division. He scored the opening goal of a 1–1 draw at Raith Rovers on 27 March again from another free kick but from 30 yards. In his time at Falkirk he won seven caps for the Scotland national under-21 football team. The first was on 20 May 2008 in a 4–1 friendly loss to Norway at Rugby Park in Kilmarnock.
Bradford City
Mitchell signed for Bradford City on 1 July 2011 on a one-year deal along with Falkirk teammate Mark Stewart. He made his debut against Aldershot Town at Valley Parade on 6 August. He played the full 90 minutes in this 1–2 loss on the opening day of the Football League Two season. On 27 August Mitchell provided three assists during a 4–2 home win against Barnet. On 8 November he scored the winning spot-kick as the Bantams defeated Yorkshire neighbours Sheffield United 6–5 in a penalty shootout. This was in the quarter-finals of the Football League Trophy. On 19 November Mitchell scored his first goal for the club in a home game Yorkshire neighbours Rotherham United. Despite Mitchell's headed equaliser his side lost 2–3. On 28 April 2012 Bradford announced that he would leave the club with his contract ended by mutual consent. Michael Flynn and Craig Fagan were also included in the announcement.
Queen of the South
On 26 July 2012 Mitchell returned to Scotland initially on a one-year contract. He signed for newly relegated Scottish Football League Second Division team Queen of the South. He scored nine minutes into his debut for the Doonhamers. This goal on 4 August opened a 5–2 win over Alloa Athletic in the first round of the Scottish League Cup. On 7 April 2013 Mitchell played in the Scottish Challenge Cup final at the Almondvale Stadium in Livingston. He played the full 120 minutes of the 1–1 draw against Partick Thistle. Mitchell scored with his side's penultimate kick in a penalty shootout they won 6–5. In his first season in Dumfries he played in 33 league games of a title winning campaign. He scored twice in that campaign – both against Stenhousemuir. QoS had six players including Mitchell named in the division's PFA Scotland Team of the Year. Next season back in the second tier Queens finished fourth making the play offs. Injury disrupted Mitchell's third and final season at Palmerston Park.
Complications from surgery for spinal injury caused Mitchell to go from playing professionally for Queen of the South to part-time for Clyde while working in a factory. He eventually left the sport to train as a salesman for his uncle's company, but during his training he confessed that he was depressed and his family took him to see a psychologist; he was placed on medication but stopped taking it due to side effects. On 7 May 2016, while his partner Louise Rooney was in London, Mitchell went to a level crossing in Cornton near his home in Stirling and telephoned her to say that he was intending to kill himself. The call was still live when he was fatally struck by the train.
Reaction
On 10 May, Clyde paid tribute to Mitchell in their play-off game against Queen's Park. Falkirk did the same against Hibernian four days later. Clyde, Falkirk, Queen of the South and Bradford joined with Mitchell's family to make a charitable foundation in his name, to help former professionals make the transition into new jobs.
