| Luke Graham | |
| Fullname: | Luke William Graham[1] |
| Birth Date: | 27 April 1986 |
| Birth Place: | Kettering, England |
| Position: | Defender |
| Currentclub: | Kettering Town (player-coach) |
| Youthyears1: | –2003 |
| Youthclubs1: | Northampton Town |
| Years1: | 2003–2006 |
| Clubs1: | Northampton Town |
| Caps1: | 0 |
| Goals1: | 0 |
| Years2: | 2003–2004 |
| Clubs2: | → Billericay Town (loan) |
| Caps2: | 9 |
| Goals2: | 1 |
| Years3: | 2004–2005 |
| Years4: | 2005 |
| Years5: | 2005–2006 |
| Years6: | 2006–2009 |
| Years7: | 2008–2009 |
| Years8: | 2009–2010 |
| Years9: | 2009–2010 |
| Years10: | 2010 |
| Years11: | 2010–2011 |
| Years12: | 2011 |
| Years13: | 2011–2012 |
| Years14: | 2012–2014 |
| Years15: | 2014–2015 |
| Years16: | 2015–2018 |
| Years17: | 2018– |
| Clubs3: | → Aylesbury United (loan) |
| Clubs4: | → Kettering Town (loan) |
| Clubs5: | → Forest Green Rovers (loan) |
| Clubs6: | Kettering Town |
| Clubs7: | → King's Lynn (loan) |
| Clubs8: | Mansfield Town |
| Clubs9: | → York City (loan) |
| Clubs10: | York City |
| Clubs11: | Kettering Town |
| Clubs12: | → Luton Town (loan) |
| Clubs13: | Forest Green Rovers |
| Clubs14: | Hereford United |
| Clubs15: | Alfreton Town |
| Clubs16: | Brackley Town |
| Clubs17: | Kettering Town |
| Caps3: | 4 |
| Caps4: | 13 |
| Caps5: | 27 |
| Caps6: | 73 |
| Caps7: | 30 |
| Caps8: | 7 |
| Caps9: | 5 |
| Caps10: | 20 |
| Caps11: | 25 |
| Caps12: | 10 |
| Caps13: | 28 |
| Caps14: | 85 |
| Caps15: | 45 |
| Caps16: | 98 |
| Caps17: | 0 |
| Goals3: | 1 |
| Goals4: | 0 |
| Goals5: | 0 |
| Goals6: | 2 |
| Goals7: | 4 |
| Goals8: | 0 |
| Goals9: | 0 |
| Goals10: | 1 |
| Goals11: | 0 |
| Goals12: | 0 |
| Goals13: | 0 |
| Goals14: | 3 |
| Goals15: | 2 |
| Goals16: | 5 |
| Goals17: | 0 |
| Nationalteam1: | Republic of Ireland U18 |
| Nationalteam2: | Wales U19 |
| Club-Update: | 13:08, 18 December 2017 (UTC) |
| Manageryears1: | 2019 |
| Managerclubs1: | Kettering Town (caretaker) |
Luke William Graham (born 27 April 1986) is a semi-professional footballer who plays for Kettering Town as a defender. Born in England, he represented the Republic of Ireland and Wales internationally at youth levels.
Born in Kettering, Northamptonshire,[2] Graham started his career with Northampton Town in their youth system.[3] He was loaned to Billericay Town from November 2003 to February 2004, making nine appearances and scoring one goal in the Isthmian League Premier Division.[4] He was offered a professional contract with Northampton in May 2004.[5] Graham joined Southern League Premier Division side Aylesbury United on a one-month loan on 22 December 2004 and he completed this period successfully,[6] [7] making five appearances and scoring one goal. He joined Conference North side Kettering Town on loan in February 2005 and made 15 appearances, including playing in a 3–2 defeat after extra time against Altrincham in the play-off Final.[8] He signed a new contract with Northampton in August 2005 and joined Conference National team Forest Green Rovers on loan for the 2005–06 season,[9] where he made 30 appearances.
Graham was released by Northampton on 10 May 2006 and later that month agreed to rejoin Kettering permanently.[10] [11] He finished the 2006–07 season with 51 appearances and two goals, as Kettering reached the Conference North play-off semi-final. Graham was a member of the side that won the Conference North title the following season, in which he made 35 appearances and scored one goal. He agreed a new contract with the club in May 2008.[12] After struggling to make the breakthrough into the first team he was sent to Conference North side King's Lynn on a one-month loan on 21 October 2008,[13] which was extended for the rest of the 2008–09 season in November.[14]
Conference Premier club Mansfield Town signed Graham on 19 May 2009 but after he lost his place in the team was sent to divisional rivals York City on a one-month loan on 5 November.[15] [16] The loan was extended for a second month on 9 December 2009 and he made the move permanent on 6 January 2010 after Mansfield agreed to give him a free transfer, signing until the end of the 2009–10 season.[17] [18] He played for York in the play-offs where they eventually lost to Oxford United in the 2010 Conference Premier play-off final at Wembley Stadium.
Although he was offered a new two-year contract at York he moved back to Kettering on a two-year contract on 4 June 2010 with the option of a one-year extension, as it was closer to his home.[19] On 31 January 2011, the day of the transfer deadline, Graham signed on loan for Luton Town for the rest of the 2010–11 season, with a view to a permanent move.[20] He scored the winning goal on his full debut for the club, a 1–0 victory over Gloucester City, that put Luton into the quarter-final of the FA Trophy.
Graham re-signed for Forest Green on a two-year contract for an undisclosed fee on 30 July 2011.[21] He made 29 appearances for Forest Green in the 2011–12 season. Graham and Forest Green agreed to part ways midway through Graham's two-year deal and he joined Hereford United on 20 June 2012.[22] After establishing himself as a vital part of the team, Graham signed a new one-year contract as a player/coach with Hereford on 11 June 2013.[23]
Graham turned down a new deal with Hereford to sign for Conference Premier club Alfreton Town on a two-year contract on 2 July 2014.[24] He wanted to combine playing part-time football with a career as a PE teacher, after completing a degree in sports journalism.[25]
On 2 October 2018, Graham returned to Kettering Town as a player-coach.[26] On 25 September 2019, Graham was named joint caretaker manager for the club together with former Kettering player Steven Kinniburgh.[27] The duo was replaced on 25 October 2019.
Despite being born in England, Graham represented the Republic of Ireland under-18 team before playing for the Wales under-19 side.[28] [29]
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||
| Billericay Town (loan) | 2003–04[30] | Isthmian League Premier Division | 9 | 1 | — | — | 9 | 1 | |||||
| Northampton Town | 2004–05[31] | League Two | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Aylesbury United (loan) | 2004–05[32] | Southern League Premier Division | 4 | 1 | — | — | 1[33] | 0 | 5 | 1 | |||
| Kettering Town (loan) | 2004–05[34] | Conference North | 13 | 0 | — | — | 2[35] | 0 | 15 | 0 | |||
| Forest Green Rovers (loan) | 2005–06[36] | Conference National | 27 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 3 | 0 | 30 | 0 | ||
| Kettering Town | 2006–07[37] | Conference North | 41 | 1 | 4 | 1 | — | 6[38] | 0 | 51 | 2 | ||
| 2007–08[39] | Conference North | 30 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — | 3[40] | 0 | 35 | 1 | |||
| 2008–09[41] | Conference Premier | 2 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 73 | 2 | 6 | 1 | — | 9 | 0 | 88 | 3 | ||||
| King's Lynn (loan) | 2008–09[42] | Conference North | 30 | 4 | 1 | 0 | — | 2 | 1 | 33 | 5 | ||
| Mansfield Town | 2009–10[43] | Conference Premier | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 7 | 0 | |||
| York City (loan) | 2009–10[44] | Conference Premier | 5 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | 10 | 0 | ||
| York City | 2009–10 | Conference Premier | 20 | 1 | — | — | 6[45] | 0 | 26 | 1 | |||
| Kettering Town | 2010–11[46] | Conference Premier | 25 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 26 | 0 | ||
| Luton Town (loan) | 2010–11[47] | Conference Premier | 10 | 0 | — | — | 4 | 1 | 14 | 1 | |||
| Forest Green Rovers | 2011–12[48] | Conference Premier | 28 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | 29 | 0 | ||
| Hereford United | 2012–13 | Conference Premier | 43 | 2 | 3 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | 48 | 2 | ||
| 2013–14 | Conference Premier | 42 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 43 | 1 | |||
| Total | 85 | 3 | 4 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | 91 | 3 | ||||
| Alfreton Town | 2014–15 | Conference Premier | 45 | 2 | 2 | 0 | — | 2 | 1 | 49 | 3 | ||
| Brackley Town | 2015–16 | National League North | 27 | 1 | 3 | 1 | — | 0 | 0 | 30 | 2 | ||
| 2016–17 | 35 | 3 | 4 | 0 | — | 6 | 0 | 45 | 3 | ||||
| 2017–18 | 19 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | 20 | 1 | ||||
| Total | 81 | 5 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 95 | 6 | |||
| Career total | 462 | 19 | 24 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 41 | 3 | 527 | 24 | |||
Kettering Town
2007–08
Brackley Town