Luke Leahy
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 19 November 1992[1] | ||
| Place of birth | Coventry, England | ||
| Playing position | Defender/Midfielder | ||
| Club information | |||
Current team | Falkirk | ||
| Number | 3 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2011–2012 | Rugby Town | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2012– | Falkirk | 109 | (9) |
|
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 12 November 2016. | |||
Luke Leahy (born 19 November 1992) is an English footballer who plays for Falkirk in the Scottish Championship. He started his career at Rugby Town and signed for Falkirk in 2012.
Club career
Falkirk
Leahy began his career with Rugby Town, affiliated with the Gordon Strachan Football Foundation.[2] He signed for Falkirk in the summer of 2012, after trials with Birmingham City, Bradford City and Peterborough United.[3]
He was signed by Steven Pressley originally as an attacking midfielder, despite the fact he had played left-back for Rugby Town the previous season. He made his first team début in the Scottish Challenge Cup against Stirling Albion on 28 July 2012.[4] His league debut came in September against Cowdenbeath at Central Park as a substitute in the 72nd minute of the game.[5] On 10 November 2012, he scored his first goal for The Bairns against Raith Rovers at Stark's Park.[6] However, he would only go on to make three further appearances that season; two of which were from the bench.[7]
Leahy continued to be a peripheral figure under Gary Holt as he struggled to stake a claim for a place in the side; on 7 September 2013, he was even listed as the substitute goalkeeper for Falkirk in their Petrofac Training Cup Quarter Final against Raith Rovers,[8] as Falkirk didn't have a third choice keeper to put on the bench. He made 23 appearances in all competitions in season 2013/14, most of which were from the bench, and managed a solitary goal; an injury time equaliser against Dundee at Dens Park.[9][10]
Peter Houston became Falkirk manager in the summer of 2014, just after Leahy had signed a new two-year contract extension. Houston was the first manager to give Leahy a chance to hold down a place in the side. He was on the bench for the first four league games of season 2014/15, but started the 1-1 draw with Queen of the South on 13 September 2014 at left-back,[11] and has since made the position his own. Leahy made 41 appearances in all competitions; he also started the 2015 Scottish Cup Final for Falkirk against Inverness Caledonian Thistle, which they lost 2-1.[12][13] He continued to be a mainstay in the Falkirk team that had a fantastic season finishing 2nd in the 2015/16 Scottish Championship, making 46 appearances across all competitions.[14] On 22 August 2015, he scored what would go on to be voted Falkirk's goal of the season in a 2-1 win against Livingston at Almondvale.[15] On 19 February 2016, Leahy penned a one-year extension with Falkirk, keeping him at the club until the summer of 2017.[16]
Career statistics
Club
| Club | Season | League | Cup | League Cup | Other[19] | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Falkirk | 2012–13 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 1 |
| 2013–14 | 19 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 24 | 1 | |
| 2014–15 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 11 | 1 | |
| Career total | 35 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 45 | 3 | |
References
- ↑ "Player Biographies". Retrieved 10 February 2013.
- ↑ "Luke and Lyle sign on with Bairns". Falkirk Herald. 16 July 2012. Retrieved 10 February 2013.
- ↑ "Falkirk manager Steven Pressley snaps up young Rugby star Luke Lehy". Daily Record. 24 May 2012. Retrieved 10 February 2013.
- ↑ "Luke Leahy". Soccerbase. Retrieved 10 February 2013.
- ↑ "Luke Leahy – Falkirk". ESPN. Retrieved 10 February 2013.
- ↑ "Raith Rovers 2 – 1 Falkirk : Saturday, 10th November 2012". Scottish Football League. Retrieved 10 February 2013.
- ↑ "Luke Leahy 12/13 stats". Soccerbase. Retrieved 13 August 2016.
- ↑ "Raith 1-0 Falkirk, 07/09/13". Sky Sports. Retrieved 13 August 2016.
- ↑ "Luke Leahy 13/14 stats". Soccerbase. Retrieved 13 August 2016.
- ↑ "Dundee 1-1 Falkirk, 16/11/13". BBC. Retrieved 13 August 2016.
- ↑ "Falkirk 1-1 Queen of the South". BBC. Retrieved 14 August 2016.
- ↑ "Luke Leahy 14/15 stats". Soccerbase. Retrieved 14 August 2016.
- ↑ "ICT 2-1 Falkirk, 30/05/15". BBC. Retrieved 14 August 2016.
- ↑ "Luke Leahy 15/16 stats". Soccerbase. Retrieved 14 August 2016.
- ↑ "VIDEO: Luke Leahy goal against Livingston, 22/08/15".
- ↑ "'Leahy agrees deal to extend Falkirk stay'". Falkirk Herald. Retrieved 14 August 2016.
- ↑ "Luke Leahy". ESPNsoccernet. Retrieved 10 February 2013.
- ↑ "Luke Leahy player profile". Soccerway. Retrieved 1 October 2014.
- ↑ Includes Challenge Cup ties and SPFL play-offs.
