Michael Leary
Encyclopedia
Michael Antonio Leary is an English
professional footballer who plays as a midfielder
for Conference North
side Gainsborough Trinity
.
He has previously played for Luton Town
, Bristol Rovers
, Walsall
, Torquay United
, Brentford
, Barnet
and Grimsby Town
.
, turning professional in July 2002. He played in two Football League Trophy
games the following season and made his league debut on 20 September 2003 in a 1–1 draw at home to Queens Park Rangers
.In August 2005 he joined Bristol Rovers
on loan until the end of the year and in January 2006 he joined Walsall
on loan until the end of the season. This meant that for most of the 2005-2006 season he was a Luton player but not at the club. In November 2006 Leary joined Torquay United
on loan, making his debut as a substitute in the 1-0 defeat away to Walsall
on 4 November 2006. Leary signed for Brentford on a one month loan deal on 4 January 2007. This was extended to the end of the season on 31 January 2007.
on 3 July 2007, spending two years at the club before being released in the summer of 2009.
at Football League Two
side Grimsby Town
in July on a two-year deal. Newell was replaced by Neil Woods
in Leary's first season at Blundell Park
and he was in and out of the team on a regular basis, but had lost his way in the ranks under the new management. Grimsby suffered relegation from the Football League at the end of the 2009-2010 season, and with this it would see Town compete in the fifth tier of English football for the first time in over 100 years.. After During Town's debut season as a member of the Conference National
Leary only served The Mariners as a bit part player and he was eventually released by Town's new managerial duo Rob Scott
and Paul Hurst
after the conclusion of the 2010-2011 campaign. He played 48 times scoring once in his two year spell at Blundell Park
.
Following his release from Grimsby, Leary stated he was gutted at his departure claiming his family had settled in North East Lincolnshire
, and now he was already planning a career away from football having began training to become a plumber
. Leary also mentioned that he would be interested in dropping divisions to play semi professional football for namely Gainsborough Trinity
or Boston United
if they were interested in him.
side Gainsborough Trinity
on trial. On 18 July he played for Trinity in there 8-0 friendly victory over Brigg Town
, and the following day he played for Boston United
in there 2-2 draw with Stamford
.
On 21 July he signed for Trinity on a one year deal.
, Leary's family namely his father originated from Grimsby
. Upon his release from Grimsby Town
in May 2011, Leary claimed that his time as a player for The Mariners had made himself and his family very proud and that he was "gutted" when he found out he was to be released.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
professional footballer who plays as a midfielder
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...
for Conference North
Conference North
The Conference North also known as Blue Square Bet North for sponsorship reasons, is a division of the Football Conference in England, taking its place immediately below the Conference National. Along with Conference South it is at Step 2 of the National League System and the sixth overall tier of...
side Gainsborough Trinity
Gainsborough Trinity F.C.
Gainsborough Trinity Football Club are an English football club based in Gainsborough, Lincolnshire.Between 1896 and 1912 they were members of the Football League. They are currently in the Conference North, and play their home matches at The Northolme, which has a capacity of 4,304...
.
He has previously played for Luton Town
Luton Town F.C.
Luton Town Football Club is an English professional football club based since 1905 at Kenilworth Road, Luton, Bedfordshire. The club currently competes in the fifth tier of English football, the Conference National, for the third consecutive season during the 2011–12 season.Formed in 1885, it was...
, Bristol Rovers
Bristol Rovers F.C.
Bristol Rovers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Bristol, that competes in Football League Two. The team plays its home matches at the Memorial Stadium, in the Horfield area of the city....
, Walsall
Walsall F.C.
Walsall Football Club are an English association football club based in Walsall, West Midlands. They currently play in League One. The club was founded in 1888 as Walsall Town Swifts, an amalgamation of Walsall Town F.C. and Walsall Swifts F.C. The club was one of the founder members of the Second...
, Torquay United
Torquay United F.C.
Torquay United Football Club, nicknamed the Gulls, are an English association football club based in the tourist resort town of Torquay, Devon. They played in the Conference National in 2008–09, but were promoted to Football League Two after a 2–0 win over Cambridge United on 17 May 2009 at Wembley...
, Brentford
Brentford F.C.
Brentford Football Club are a professional English football club based in Brentford in the London Borough of Hounslow. They are currently playing in Football League One....
, Barnet
Barnet F.C.
Barnet Football Club is an English football team from High Barnet, London, England, currently playing in Football League Two. The ground is in the town of Barnet within the London Borough of Barnet....
and Grimsby Town
Grimsby Town F.C.
Grimsby Town Football Club is an English football club based in the seaside town of Cleethorpes, in North East Lincolnshire, England, who compete in the Conference National. They were formed in 1878 as Grimsby Pelham and later became Grimsby Town...
.
Luton Town
Leary began his career as a trainee with Luton TownLuton Town F.C.
Luton Town Football Club is an English professional football club based since 1905 at Kenilworth Road, Luton, Bedfordshire. The club currently competes in the fifth tier of English football, the Conference National, for the third consecutive season during the 2011–12 season.Formed in 1885, it was...
, turning professional in July 2002. He played in two Football League Trophy
Football League Trophy
The Football League Trophy, currently known as the Johnstone's Paint Trophy for sponsorship reasons, is an annual English association football knock-out competition open to the 48 clubs in Football League One and Football League Two, the bottom two divisions in the four fully professional top...
games the following season and made his league debut on 20 September 2003 in a 1–1 draw at home to Queens Park Rangers
Queens Park Rangers F.C.
Queens Park Rangers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in White City, Hammersmith and Fulham, west London. As the 2010-11 Football League Championship champions, they now play in the top tier of English football the Premier League, for the first time in 15 years...
.In August 2005 he joined Bristol Rovers
Bristol Rovers F.C.
Bristol Rovers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Bristol, that competes in Football League Two. The team plays its home matches at the Memorial Stadium, in the Horfield area of the city....
on loan until the end of the year and in January 2006 he joined Walsall
Walsall F.C.
Walsall Football Club are an English association football club based in Walsall, West Midlands. They currently play in League One. The club was founded in 1888 as Walsall Town Swifts, an amalgamation of Walsall Town F.C. and Walsall Swifts F.C. The club was one of the founder members of the Second...
on loan until the end of the season. This meant that for most of the 2005-2006 season he was a Luton player but not at the club. In November 2006 Leary joined Torquay United
Torquay United F.C.
Torquay United Football Club, nicknamed the Gulls, are an English association football club based in the tourist resort town of Torquay, Devon. They played in the Conference National in 2008–09, but were promoted to Football League Two after a 2–0 win over Cambridge United on 17 May 2009 at Wembley...
on loan, making his debut as a substitute in the 1-0 defeat away to Walsall
Walsall F.C.
Walsall Football Club are an English association football club based in Walsall, West Midlands. They currently play in League One. The club was founded in 1888 as Walsall Town Swifts, an amalgamation of Walsall Town F.C. and Walsall Swifts F.C. The club was one of the founder members of the Second...
on 4 November 2006. Leary signed for Brentford on a one month loan deal on 4 January 2007. This was extended to the end of the season on 31 January 2007.
Barnet
In May 2007, the Hatters released Leary on a free transfer. He signed for BarnetBarnet F.C.
Barnet Football Club is an English football team from High Barnet, London, England, currently playing in Football League Two. The ground is in the town of Barnet within the London Borough of Barnet....
on 3 July 2007, spending two years at the club before being released in the summer of 2009.
Grimsby Town
His next port of call was to join his former manager Mike NewellMike Newell (footballer)
Michael Colin "Mike" Newell is an English football manager and former professional footballer. As a player he notably was a member of the Blackburn Rovers team which won the Premier League in 1995, as well also playing for Crewe Alexandra, Wigan Athletic, Luton Town, Leicester City, Everton,...
at Football League Two
Football League Two
Football League Two is the third-highest division of The Football League and fourth-highest division overall in the English football league system....
side Grimsby Town
Grimsby Town F.C.
Grimsby Town Football Club is an English football club based in the seaside town of Cleethorpes, in North East Lincolnshire, England, who compete in the Conference National. They were formed in 1878 as Grimsby Pelham and later became Grimsby Town...
in July on a two-year deal. Newell was replaced by Neil Woods
Neil Woods
Neil Stephen Woods is a former English footballer who played as a striker and former manager of Grimsby Town where he also played between 1990 and 1998. He now works as the Head of Youth at Football League One side Walsall...
in Leary's first season at Blundell Park
Blundell Park
Blundell Park is a football ground in Cleethorpes, North East Lincolnshire, England and home to Grimsby Town Football Club. The stadium was built in 1898, but only one of the original stands remain. The current capacity of the ground is 9546, though with the introduction of all seating in the late...
and he was in and out of the team on a regular basis, but had lost his way in the ranks under the new management. Grimsby suffered relegation from the Football League at the end of the 2009-2010 season, and with this it would see Town compete in the fifth tier of English football for the first time in over 100 years.. After During Town's debut season as a member of the Conference National
Conference National
Conference National is the top division of the Football Conference in England. It is the highest level of the National League System and fifth highest of the overall English football league system...
Leary only served The Mariners as a bit part player and he was eventually released by Town's new managerial duo Rob Scott
Rob Scott
Robert "Rob" Scott is an English former professional footballer and current joint manager of Conference National club Grimsby Town alongside Paul Hurst. He is the younger brother of Rotherham United manager Andy Scott....
and Paul Hurst
Paul Hurst
Paul Michael Hurst is a former English footballer who played in Football League Two in England, for Rotherham, where he played for over 10 years. He is currently joint manager of Conference National side Grimsby Town with Rob Scott.-Playing career:Hurst figured regularly on the left side of the...
after the conclusion of the 2010-2011 campaign. He played 48 times scoring once in his two year spell at Blundell Park
Blundell Park
Blundell Park is a football ground in Cleethorpes, North East Lincolnshire, England and home to Grimsby Town Football Club. The stadium was built in 1898, but only one of the original stands remain. The current capacity of the ground is 9546, though with the introduction of all seating in the late...
.
Following his release from Grimsby, Leary stated he was gutted at his departure claiming his family had settled in North East Lincolnshire
North East Lincolnshire
North East Lincolnshire is a unitary authority in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England, bordering the unitary authority of North Lincolnshire and the administrative county of Lincolnshire...
, and now he was already planning a career away from football having began training to become a plumber
Plumber
A plumber is a tradesperson who specializes in installing and maintaining systems used for potable water, sewage, and drainage in plumbing systems. The term dates from ancient times, and is related to the Latin word for lead, "plumbum." A person engaged in fixing metaphorical "leaks" may also be...
. Leary also mentioned that he would be interested in dropping divisions to play semi professional football for namely Gainsborough Trinity
Gainsborough Trinity F.C.
Gainsborough Trinity Football Club are an English football club based in Gainsborough, Lincolnshire.Between 1896 and 1912 they were members of the Football League. They are currently in the Conference North, and play their home matches at The Northolme, which has a capacity of 4,304...
or Boston United
Boston United F.C.
Boston United Football Club are an association football club based in Boston, Lincolnshire, England. They currently play in the Conference North. The club is known as 'the Pilgrims' in reference to the Pilgrim Fathers, who fled from Boston to the USA and founded Boston, Massachusetts. The club's...
if they were interested in him.
Gainsborough Trinity
On 8 July it was announced that he had joined Conference NorthConference North
The Conference North also known as Blue Square Bet North for sponsorship reasons, is a division of the Football Conference in England, taking its place immediately below the Conference National. Along with Conference South it is at Step 2 of the National League System and the sixth overall tier of...
side Gainsborough Trinity
Gainsborough Trinity F.C.
Gainsborough Trinity Football Club are an English football club based in Gainsborough, Lincolnshire.Between 1896 and 1912 they were members of the Football League. They are currently in the Conference North, and play their home matches at The Northolme, which has a capacity of 4,304...
on trial. On 18 July he played for Trinity in there 8-0 friendly victory over Brigg Town
Brigg Town F.C.
Brigg Town Football Club, formed in 1864, are a football team from Brigg, North Lincolnshire. They are the oldest football team in the county and one of the oldest in the world...
, and the following day he played for Boston United
Boston United F.C.
Boston United Football Club are an association football club based in Boston, Lincolnshire, England. They currently play in the Conference North. The club is known as 'the Pilgrims' in reference to the Pilgrim Fathers, who fled from Boston to the USA and founded Boston, Massachusetts. The club's...
in there 2-2 draw with Stamford
Stamford F.C.
Stamford A.F.C. is an English football club based in Stamford, Lincolnshire. The club are currently members of Division One South of the Northern Premier League and play at the Vic Couzens Stadium...
.
On 21 July he signed for Trinity on a one year deal.
Personal life
Although born in LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, Leary's family namely his father originated from Grimsby
Grimsby
Grimsby is a seaport on the Humber Estuary in Lincolnshire, England. It has been the administrative centre of the unitary authority area of North East Lincolnshire since 1996...
. Upon his release from Grimsby Town
Grimsby Town F.C.
Grimsby Town Football Club is an English football club based in the seaside town of Cleethorpes, in North East Lincolnshire, England, who compete in the Conference National. They were formed in 1878 as Grimsby Pelham and later became Grimsby Town...
in May 2011, Leary claimed that his time as a player for The Mariners had made himself and his family very proud and that he was "gutted" when he found out he was to be released.
Career statistics
| Club | Season | League | Level English football league system The English football league system, also known as the football pyramid, is a series of interconnected leagues for association football clubs in England, with six teams from Wales also competing... |
League The Football League The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football... |
FA Cup FA Cup The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's... |
League Cup Football League Cup The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis... |
FL Trophy Football League Trophy The Football League Trophy, currently known as the Johnstone's Paint Trophy for sponsorship reasons, is an annual English association football knock-out competition open to the 48 clubs in Football League One and Football League Two, the bottom two divisions in the four fully professional top... |
Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||||
| Luton Town Luton Town F.C. Luton Town Football Club is an English professional football club based since 1905 at Kenilworth Road, Luton, Bedfordshire. The club currently competes in the fifth tier of English football, the Conference National, for the third consecutive season during the 2011–12 season.Formed in 1885, it was... |
2002–03 2002-03 in English football The 2002-03 season was the 123rd season of competitive football in England.-Most Memorable rise:*Wigan Athletic marked their 25th season of Football League membership by winning the Division Two championship and reaching the league's second tier for the very first time.-Most Memorable... |
Division Two | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 2003–04 2003-04 in English football The 2003-04 season was the 124th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:Arsenal completed the entire campaign without losing a single league game.... |
Division Two | 3 | 14 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 20 | 3 | |
| 2004–05 2004-05 in English football The 2004–05 season was the 125th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:*2004–05 was the first season to feature the rebranded Football League. The First Division, Second Division and Third Division were renamed the Football League Championship, Football League One and Football League... |
League One | 3 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2005–06 2005-06 in English football The 2005–06 season was the 126th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:*The rebuilt Wembley Stadium was due to open in time for the FA Cup final in May. However, in August 2005, The Football Association reserved the Millennium Stadium as a backup, as there was some doubt whether... |
Championship | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2006–07 2006-07 in English football The 2006–07 season was the 127th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:* The number of divisions at Level 8 of the English football league system increased from four to five... |
Championship | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Bristol Rovers Bristol Rovers F.C. Bristol Rovers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Bristol, that competes in Football League Two. The team plays its home matches at the Memorial Stadium, in the Horfield area of the city.... (loan) |
2005–06 2005-06 in English football The 2005–06 season was the 126th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:*The rebuilt Wembley Stadium was due to open in time for the FA Cup final in May. However, in August 2005, The Football Association reserved the Millennium Stadium as a backup, as there was some doubt whether... |
League Two | 4 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 14 | 0 |
| Walsall Walsall F.C. Walsall Football Club are an English association football club based in Walsall, West Midlands. They currently play in League One. The club was founded in 1888 as Walsall Town Swifts, an amalgamation of Walsall Town F.C. and Walsall Swifts F.C. The club was one of the founder members of the Second... (loan) |
2005–06 2005-06 in English football The 2005–06 season was the 126th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:*The rebuilt Wembley Stadium was due to open in time for the FA Cup final in May. However, in August 2005, The Football Association reserved the Millennium Stadium as a backup, as there was some doubt whether... |
League One | 3 | 15 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 2 |
| Torquay United Torquay United F.C. Torquay United Football Club, nicknamed the Gulls, are an English association football club based in the tourist resort town of Torquay, Devon. They played in the Conference National in 2008–09, but were promoted to Football League Two after a 2–0 win over Cambridge United on 17 May 2009 at Wembley... (loan) |
2006–07 2006-07 in English football The 2006–07 season was the 127th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:* The number of divisions at Level 8 of the English football league system increased from four to five... |
League Two | 4 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Brentford Brentford F.C. Brentford Football Club are a professional English football club based in Brentford in the London Borough of Hounslow. They are currently playing in Football League One.... (loan) |
2006–07 2006-07 in English football The 2006–07 season was the 127th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:* The number of divisions at Level 8 of the English football league system increased from four to five... |
League One | 3 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 0 |
| Barnet Barnet F.C. Barnet Football Club is an English football team from High Barnet, London, England, currently playing in Football League Two. The ground is in the town of Barnet within the London Borough of Barnet.... |
2007–08 2007-08 in English football The 2007–08 season was the 128th season of competitive football in England.-European competitions:In October 2007 Arsenal equalled the UEFA Champions League record victory with a 7–0 win over Slavia Prague at the Emirates Stadium. The record was broken the following month when Liverpool... |
League Two | 4 | 23 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 1 |
| 2008–09 | League Two | 4 | 28 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 32 | 2 | |
| Grimsby Town Grimsby Town F.C. Grimsby Town Football Club is an English football club based in the seaside town of Cleethorpes, in North East Lincolnshire, England, who compete in the Conference National. They were formed in 1878 as Grimsby Pelham and later became Grimsby Town... |
2009–10 | League Two | 4 | 28 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 32 | 0 |