Lucas: David Anthony (David)

2007-2009 (Player Details)

Goalkeeper

Born: Preston: 13-11-1977

Debut: v Darlington (a): 09-10-2007

6’2” 13st 3lb (2007)

Lucas started his career with his home-town club Preston North End turning professional on 12th December 1994. He went on to spend nearly ten years at the Lancashire club. However he was loaned out to Darlington, in December 1995 when he made six appearances before returning to Preston and where he made his League debut in 1995-96. He was again loaned to Darlington in March 1996 and he made seven appearances for them in the 1996-97 season. His next loan was to Scunthorpe United in December 1996 and he made six appearances before returning to Preston and he made one hundred and Forty-five starts as well as five substitute appearances at Deepdale before going to Sheffield Wednesday on loan in October 2003. Lucas won England Youth and Under-Twenty-one honours when at Preston. After making seventeen League appearances for Wednesday while on loan the Owls took him on permanently in June 2004 paying £100,000 for his services and he became Sheffield Wednesday’s recognised No.1. During Wednesday's promotion season of 2004-05, Lucas made forty-one appearances for the Owls and racked up fifteen clean sheets despite twice having to battle against injuries. He started the first eighteen matches of Sheffield Wednesday's 2005-06 campaign before a knee injury again ruled him out until January. His comeback was shortlived and he was injured again against Millwall on 4Th February 2006 after playing only two full games. The new injury ruled him out until January 2007. Lucas announced that he would not be renewing his contract with Sheffield Wednesday at the end of the 2005-06 season, although he continued to receive treatment at the Owls training ground whilst he was recovering from his knee injury. He subsequently joined Barnsley on a free transfer in January 2007, but agin he was hit by his injury jinx being carried of with concussion in his debut game. He only made two starts and one substitute appearances for them before signing for Leeds United on 11th September 2007 on a short term contract, making his debut in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy Second Round against Darlington. During the game he was involved in a first half collision with Greg Blundell before taking an elbow to the face collecting a cross. He was second choice at Leeds but did play in the Third Round Tie against Bury, which Leeds surprisingly lost. He came on for the injured Casper Ankergren in the thity-eighth minute of United’s FA Cup Replay at home to Hereford and he continued to fill in as deputy keeper in League games at Cheltenham where he was injured in a mid-air collision but carried on as Leeds did not have a keeper on the bench. He made an under-strength throw which resulted in the only goal of the match. He also played in two further Leeds defeats at Southend United and at home to Tranmere Rovers before Ankergren was fit enough to resume his place between the posts. His contract was extended to the end of the season. After spending much of the 2007-08 season warming the bench he began to establish himself as the first choice goalkeeper with a series of commanding displays which continued into the following season before being dropped in Decemberand only appearing as an unused substitute.He was released in May 2009. He signed for Swindon Town in June 2009 on a two-year contract and was installed as first choice keeper in preference to incumbent Phil Smith. His first game for the new season for Swindon against Gillingham was a disaster as Swindon were routed by 0-5. However Lucas redeemed himself with three clean sheets in five League games. This established him as first choice keeper and he played a big part in Swindon's reaching the play-off finals, but had to be substituted, due to a shoulder injury in the first minute, in the second Leg of the semi-finals with Charlton Athletic and missed the final tie against Millwall. He had made forty-one League, two F.A. Cup, two League Cup, one Johnstone's Paint Trophy and two Play-off appearances by the end of the 2009-10 season.