Constantine: Leon

2007- 2008 (Player Details)

Striker

Born: Hackney: 24-02-1978

Debut v Carlisle United (a): 03-11-2007

6’2” 11st 10lb (2007)

Leon Constantine played for Edgware Town before joining Millwall in September 2000. He made his debut for Millwall on 30th September 2000, coming on as a late substitute for Paul Ifill in a 4-1 win away to Peterborough United. He had loan spells with Leyton Orient and Partick Thistle, before moving to Brentford on a free transfer in August 2002. He struggled to establish himself at Griffin Park and in August 2003 joined Southend United, initially on non-contract terms, signing a permanent deal the following month. Despite scoring at a rate of one every other game for Southend, he turned down the offer of a new two-year contract and joined Peterborough United in May 2004. In October 2004, he joined Torquay United on loan and in December 2004 moved to Torquay for a club record fee of £75,000. His form was disappointing for Torquay, scoring just seven times in thirty starts and eight more as a substitute, and he was transfer-listed in October 2005 by Torquay boss Leroy Rosenior. Constantine moved to Port Vale in November 2005, initially on loan, where he became a regular goalscorer. In the 2006/07 season he broke a record, being the only Port Vale player to score more than seventeen goals before Christmas. This happened when he scored twice against Brighton & Hove Albion on 23rd December 2006. He was set to move to Barnsley in the January 2007 transfer window, Vale agreeing a fee of £200,000 plus Marc Richards. However, the deal fell through when neither player could agree terms. Despite finishing the season with twenty-six goals in all competitions for Port Vale (thirty-eight in eighteen months for the club) he was never a fan favourite at Vale Park and split fans down the middle because of his lax looking approaches which made it appear that he was lazy and put no effort in. Leon claimed this couldn't be further from the truth in several interviews with the local media and took a parting shot at the Vale "boo boys" before announcing he was leaving. He had been linked with a number of League One clubs throughout pre-season, however Leon agreed a contract in principle with Leeds, paying out of his own pocket to take part in all of Leeds' pre-season campaign. Leeds fans were excited at the prospect of a proven marksman joining the club. Leeds completed the signing of Constantine on a two-year-deal on 7th August 2007. After a substitute appearance at Carlisle United, Constantine started his first game for Leeds in the 2-1 defeat to Bury in the Johnstone Paint Trophy quarter-final in which he scored in the eighth minute. His career at Leeds so far has been blighted by injury, however, seeing him only making a handful of appearances for the club. He scored his first league goal for Leeds in their 3-1 home defeat at the hands of Oldham Athletic on 1st January 2008. Unfortunately, he was hit by injury again, breaking his arm in this same game after scoring, leading to another two-month lay-off. He left for Northampton Town in July 2008. He was not popular with the fans at Northampton as he had only managed three goals and he was loaned to Cheltenham Town from 20th March 2009 for a month.He scored once in four starts and two games from the bench in the League. He completed his season at Northampton Town and finished with three League goals in twenty-one starts and eleven substitute appearances, together with two F.A. Cup and two League Cup and one Johnston's Paints Trophy games without scoring. He joined Hereford United in late June 2009, but his goal-scoring form still seemed to elude him. He scored six times in thirty-five League games, of which ten were from the bench, but failed to score in one appearance in each of the F.A. Cup and League Cup, but did get two goals in three Johnstone Paint Trophy games. It was not, however sufficient to gain him a further contract and he became a free agent at the end of the 2009-10 season.