Elding: Anthony Lee (Anthony)

2008-2008 (Leeds Player Details) (Player Details)

Striker

Born: Boston: 16-04-1982

Debut v Tranmere Rovers (h): 02-02-2008

5’7” 11st 1lb (2008)

Elding started with Wyberton Colts and then joined the Nottingham Forest School of Excellence, the Grimsby Town Academy and the Lincoln City Academy before joining the Boston United Academy at the end of the 1998-99 season. His impressive goal scoring with Boston United Reserves soon resulted in a call up to the first team squad. He has also scored nine goals in five games when playing for the Lincolnshire FA Under 18 side. Elding made his professional debut for Boston United, aged eighteen, in the Pilgrims 2-1 victory over Morecambe in September 2000. After four years with his hometown club he joined Stevenage Borough where he became one of the most-feared Non-League strikers in the country, scoring fifty goals in exactly one hundred appearances. He returned to Boston in August 2006, after a short spell at Kettering, and scored his first League goal in their 2-1 victory against Stockport County the following month. Stockport paid £55,000 to sign Elding in the January 2007 transfer window and he became a firm fans favourite by grabbing eleven goals in twenty games to top the club's scoring charts. On 16th October 2007, Elding was suspended by County, for a potential breach of contract, and was accused of soliciting a move to another club. However, the suspension was lifted on the 19th October, with Elding stating "I know why the club took the action they did, and I'm now looking forward to proving to everyone that I'm committed to County". During his thirteen months at County he scored twenty-six goals in fifty-two games in all competitions, exactly a goal every two games. Elding had been tracked by Leeds Manager Dennis Wise for quite some time amd in the aftermath of Wise’s departure from Elland Road he became new Manager Gary McAllister’s firstsigning. On 31st January 2008 Leeds United had an offer accepted by Stockport County for an undisclosed amount for Elding with a view to a permanent transfer. He travelled to the club's Thorp Arch training ground and completed the deal the same day. The Yorkshire side were believed to have snatched the striker from the clutches of Hartlepool United, who had had two bids for Elding rejected the previous week. The deal was confirmed just before the transfer deadline. McAllister had made it known that Elding did not figure in his plans for the new season but Elding pointed to his scoring rate and would not leave despite offers being on the table. He had been a life-long Leeds fanatic and wanted to prove his worth and was prepared to stay and fight for his place. However as he was not given a chance to prove himself and in view of United’s signing of more strikers, he accepted the inevitable and left for Crewe Alexandra on 24th July 2008. He made his debut for Crewe in the opening fixture of the 2008-09 campaign as a substitute against Brighton on 9th August 2008, making his run on debut and also scoring his first goal on 12th August in the Carling Cup tie with Barnsley. He was unable to command a regular spot and was loaned to Lincoln City for three months from 6th January 2009. He scored three goals in fifteen League appearances at Sincil Bank and returned to Gresty Road to play the last two games of the season. He was appointed vice-captain at Crewe but the new season brought no increase in his goalscoring. On 2nd November 2009 he went on loan to Kettering Town and scored three times in eight League appearances, which included one game as a substitute, as well as scoring once (against Leeds United) in three F.A. Cup games. After a torrid time at Crewe he finally ended his association with the club in November, leaving the club by mutual consent despite having eighteen months left on his contract. His record with Alexandra was one goal in twenty-six League appearances, of which twelve were as a substitute, with two goals being netted in two starts and two games from the bench in the League Cup, while one start and two substitute appearances in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy had yielded no further goals. He joined Craig Short with the Hungarian club Ferencvaros and scored eight goals in fifteen appearances to become the club's leading goalscorer. However, Craig Short returned to England to manage Notts County, and Elding also returned to England, signing for Rochdale on a free transfer on 15th July 2010. He did not deliver the goals and was allowed to go on loan to Stockport County on 7th January 2011 until the end of the season, scoring three times in twenty-one games, of which three were as a substitute. He scored three League goals in nine starts and eight games from the bench in the League, one goal in one start in the F.A. Cup, another goal in one start and one substitute appearance in the League Cup and played one Johnstone's Paint Trophy match without scoring, while at Rochdale. On 25th July 2011 he joined Grimsby Town and to the end of November 2011 he had scored eight goals in ten starts and thirteen games from the bench in the League, but failed to score in four F.A. Cup games of which one was as a substitute.