Constantine: Leon

2007-2008 (Leeds Player Details)(Player Details)

Striker

Born: Hackney: 24-02-1978

Debut v Carlisle United (a) (Substitute): 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. It was to be his only appearance for the Lions. He had two loan spells, firstly, with Leyton Orient, from 27th August 2001 to 17th October 2001, scoring three goals in ten League games, which included one as a substitute, and then in Scotland with Partick Thistle, from 10th January 2002 to 28th April 2002, where he played two games in the Scottish League and one in the Scottish Cup, without scoring, before leaving the Den and moving to Brentford on a free transfer on 10th August 2002. He struggled to establish himself at Griffin Park and, after failing to score, in two starts and fifteen games as a substitute in the League and one start and one game from the bench in the League Cup, he joined Southend United on 21st August 2003, initially on non-contract terms, but 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. While at Roots Hall he scored twenty-one goals in forty-three League games, three of which were off the bench. He also scored four goals in six starts and one game from the bench in the Football League Trophy and played three games in the F.A. Cup, one as a substitute, without scoring. His strike rate with Peterborough United was nowhere near the standard he had set at Southend United as he could only produce one goal in eleven League games, six of which were from the bench, and he also failed to score in his only Football Trophy game. On 27th October 2004, he joined Torquay United on a one month loan, to 24th November 2004, in which he scored three League goals in four starts in the League and one in the F.A. Cup and, on 9th December 2004 moved to Plainmoor for a club record fee of £75,000. After that his form at Torquay was disappointing, scoring just seven times in thirty starts and eight more as a substitute, and failing to score in one League Cup start and one game as a substitute in the Football League Trophy. He was transfer-listed in October 2005 by Torquay boss Leroy Rosenior. Constantine moved to Port Vale on 4th 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. At Port Vale he scored thirty-two League goals in seventy-two games, one of which was from the bench. He also scored twice in seven F.A. Cup starts, twice in four League Cup starts and twice in two Football League Trophy games. 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 was blighted by injury, and he only made 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 broke his arm in the same game after scoring, which meant another two-month lay-off. In an effort to get playing time he was loaned to Oldham Athletic on 4th March 2008, where he scored twice in eight League games, one of which was as a substitute, before returning to Leeds on 6th April 2008. He left for Northampton Town on 2nd 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 Johnstone's Paint Trophy games without scoring. He joined Hereford United on 1st July 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's 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. York City signed Constantine on 1st August 2010 and once more he failed to produce the required goals and spent as much time on the bench as on the pitch. He scored eight goals in thirteeen starts and thirteen games as a substitute in the Conference Premier League and one substitute appearance in the F.A. Cup. He was released at the end of the season and after an unsuccessful trial with Barnet joined Braintree Town on 1st August 2011.