Luke Leahy (born 19 November 1992) is an English footballer, who plays as a defender or midfielder for Shrewsbury Town. He started his career at Rugby Town and signed for Falkirk in 2012, where he played for five seasons.
Personal information | |||
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Full name | Luke Leahy[1] | ||
Date of birth | (1992-11-19) 19 November 1992 (age 29)[2] | ||
Place of birth | Coventry, England | ||
Height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)[3] | ||
Position(s) | Defender / Midfielder | ||
Club information | |||
Current team | Shrewsbury Town | ||
Number | 3 | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
2011–2012 | Rugby Town | 31 | (2) |
2012–2017 | Falkirk | 127 | (11) |
2017–2019 | Walsall | 90 | (5) |
2019–2021 | Bristol Rovers | 70 | (8) |
2021– | Shrewsbury Town | 51 | (9) |
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 16:27, 19 September 2022 (UTC) |
Leahy began his career with Rugby Town, affiliated with the Gordon Strachan Football Foundation.[4]
He signed for Falkirk in the summer of 2012, after trials with Birmingham City, Bradford City and Peterborough United.[5]
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.[6] His league debut came in September against Cowdenbeath at Central Park as a substitute in the 72nd minute of the game.[7] On 10 November 2012, he scored his first goal for The Bairns against Raith Rovers at Stark's Park.[8] However, he would only go on to make three further appearances that season; two of which were from the bench.[9]
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 Scottish Challenge Cup Quarter Final against Raith Rovers,[10] 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.[11]
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,[12] 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.[13][14] 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.[15] 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.[16] On 19 February 2016, Leahy penned a one-year extension with Falkirk, keeping him at the club until the summer of 2017.[17] Leahy left the Bairns in May 2017, following the expiration of his contract.[18]
He was released by Walsall at the end of the 2018–19 season.[19] On 9 July 2019, Leahy joined League One side Bristol Rovers.[20] He made his debut for the club on 3 August 2019, in an opening 2–0 defeat away at Blackpool.[21] He scored his first goal for the club on 10 November 2019, opening the scoring at the back-post in a 1–1 draw with Bromley in the FA Cup first round.[22]
Leahy scored his first league goal for Rovers on the opening day of the 2020–21, converting a penalty in a 1–1 draw away at Sunderland.[23] With the appointment of Rovers' third manager of the season Joey Barton, Leahy was made captain of the club as Max Ehmer lost his armband.[24] On 10 April 2021, Leahy scored his tenth goal of the season to open the scoring in a vital relegation six-pointer against Northampton Town, a game in which Rovers would go on to draw 1–1.[25] Leahy was out of contract at the end of the 2020–21 season, a season that saw Rovers relegated bottom of the league. Despite an offer of a new contract from the club, Leahy opted to leave instead.[26]
On 17 May 2021, Leahy agreed to join Shrewsbury Town, signing a two-year contract from 1 July 2021.[27]
Club | Season | League | National Cup | League Cup | Other | Total | ||||||
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Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
Rugby Town | 2011–12[28][29] | SL Division One Central | 31 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — | 4[lower-alpha 1] | 0 | 35 | 2 | |
Falkirk | 2012–13[30] | Scottish First Division | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1[lower-alpha 2] | 0 | 10 | 1 |
2013–14[31] | Scottish Championship | 19 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2[lower-alpha 3] | 0 | 23 | 1 | |
2014–15[32] | Scottish Championship | 33 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2[lower-alpha 2] | 0 | 41 | 3 | |
2015–16[33] | Scottish Championship | 36 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 5[lower-alpha 4] | 1 | 46 | 4 | |
2016–17[34] | Scottish Championship | 31 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 3[lower-alpha 5] | 0 | 38 | 3 | |
Total | 127 | 11 | 7 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 13 | 1 | 158 | 12 | ||
Walsall | 2017–18[35] | League One | 46 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4[lower-alpha 6] | 1 | 52 | 3 |
2018–19[36] | League One | 44 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3[lower-alpha 6] | 0 | 53 | 3 | |
Total | 90 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 105 | 6 | ||
Bristol Rovers | 2019–20[37] | League One | 32 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1[lower-alpha 6] | 0 | 41 | 1 |
2020–21[38] | League One | 38 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3[lower-alpha 6] | 0 | 44 | 10 | |
Total | 70 | 8 | 8 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 85 | 11 | ||
Shrewsbury Town | 2021–22[39] | League One | 42 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3[lower-alpha 6] | 0 | 50 | 9 |
2022–23[40] | League One | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 2 | |
Total | 51 | 9 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 61 | 11 | ||
Career total | 369 | 35 | 23 | 4 | 21 | 1 | 31 | 2 | 444 | 42 |
Shrewsbury Town F.C. Player of the Year | |
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Shrewsbury Town F.C. – current squad | |
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