Harding: Daniel Andrew (Dan)

2005- 2006 (Leeds Player Details)(Player Details)

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Born: Gloucester: 23-12-1983

Debut: v Millwall (h): 07-08-2005

6’0” 11st 11lb (2006)

He left his East Sussex school at sixteen and joined the Brighton and Hove Albion Youth scheme. He first came to prominence with Brighton and Hove Albion after being a trainee and signing for them in August 2002. In the same month, 17th August 2002, he made his debut in a 2-0 home defeat by Norwich City. It was his only appearance for the Seagulls that season. After a successful run in the reserves and the youth side he finally made the left back position at Brighton his own. After an impressive two seasons, and with England's Under-Twenty-one coach Peter Taylor a firm admirer big things were inevitable. Capped four times by England Under-Twenty-Ones he won his first cap as a forty-sixth minute substitute in the 3-1 win over Ukraine at the Riverside on 17th August 2004. He went on to start the games in a 2-0 win against Wales at Ewood Park, Blackburn, on 8th October 2004 and in Baku in a 0-0 draw with Azerbaijan four days later, when he played the full game in both fixtures, before making the starting eleven for his final game in Alcala on 16th November 2004 in a 0-1 defeat by Spain, when he was replaced for the second half by Ben Watson. He played in Brighton’s Division Two Play-off Final triumph over Bristol City at the Millenium Stadium Cardiff. After scoring once in seventy-six matches for Brighton, he was snapped up by Leeds United on 7th July 2005 for a fee of £850,000, which had been set by tribunal. A Leeds fan himself, he cut short a holiday in Orlando to join the Elland Road outfit. At six foot he was one of the taller members of the squad yet found it hard holding down the left-back position and lost out to Stephen Crainey after the former Celtic player had recovered from injury. His time at Leeds was not a happy time and he failed to convince many of the fans of his ability to live up to his reputation. After one season, on 4th August 2006, Harding moved to Ipswich Town in a part exchange deal for Ian Westlake, with Leeds paying Ipswich an additional £500,000. He quickly won over the Ipswich fans and established himself as a Portman Road regular, but then lost his place in the team and was transfer-listed. He joined Southend United on a six months loan on 8th August 2008 and scored once in nineteen starts in the League and one start in the League Cup. The goal that he scored was against Leeds on 28th October 2008 and it was the only goal of the match, which didn't endear him to his former supporters. On 29th January 2009, he joined Reading on loan for the remainder of the 2008–09 season. He started three League games and two play-off final games. In May 2009, after talks with Ipswich's new Manager Roy Keane, Harding was told his contract would not be renewed and that he would be released from the club. While at Portman Road he scored one League goal in seventy starts and three games from the bench, and started four F.A. Cup ties and two League Cup ties. On 21st July 2009, he signed a two year contract with Southampton, and started the season as a regular. By the end of the 2009-10 season he had scored three times, including one against his former club, Leeds United, on 13th March 2010, when his twenty-fifth minute goal, once more displeased his former supporters as it provided full points for the Saints. They came from forty-two League starts and he also scored once in five Johnstone's Paint Trophy ties as well as starting four F.A. Cup and two League Cup ties. He gained a Johnstone's Paint Trophy winners medal as Southampton beat Carlisle United 4-1 in the final at Wembley on 28th March 2010. His next season, 2010-11 was equally productive as Southampton won promotion from League One as runners-up and Harding was selected in the PFA team of the Year for that Division. His contract with the Saints was extended for a further year in May 2011. By the end of the 2011-12 season he had scored four League goals in ninety-eight appearances, of which nine had been from the bench. He had scored the one goal in six Football Trophy appearances and started ten F.A. Cup ties and five League Cup ties and made one substitute appearance in each.