| Luke Leahy | |
| Fullname: | Luke Leahy[1] |
| Birth Date: | 19 November 1992[2] |
| Birth Place: | Coventry, England |
| Height: | 1.78m (05.84feet)[3] |
| Position: | Defender / Midfielder |
| Currentclub: | Wycombe Wanderers |
| Clubnumber: | 10 |
| Years1: | 2011–2012 |
| Clubs1: | Rugby Town |
| Caps1: | 31 |
| Goals1: | 2 |
| Years2: | 2012–2017 |
| Clubs2: | Falkirk |
| Caps2: | 127 |
| Goals2: | 11 |
| Years3: | 2017–2019 |
| Clubs3: | Walsall |
| Caps3: | 90 |
| Goals3: | 5 |
| Years4: | 2019–2021 |
| Clubs4: | Bristol Rovers |
| Caps4: | 70 |
| Goals4: | 8 |
| Years5: | 2021–2023 |
| Clubs5: | Shrewsbury Town |
| Caps5: | 88 |
| Goals5: | 17 |
| Clubs6: | Wycombe Wanderers |
| Years6: | 2023– |
| Caps6: | 44 |
| Goals6: | 11 |
| Club-Update: | 17:10, 27 April 2024 (UTC) |
Luke Leahy (born 19 November 1992) is an English footballer, who plays as a defender or midfielder for club Wycombe Wanderers. He started his career at Rugby Town and signed for Falkirk in 2012, where he played for five seasons.
Leahy began his career with Rugby Town, affiliated with the Gordon Strachan Football Foundation.[4]
He signed for Falkirk in the summer of 2012, after trials with Birmingham City, Bradford City and Peterborough United.[5]
He was signed by Steven Pressley originally as an attacking midfielder, despite the fact he had played left-back for Rugby Town the previous season. He made his first team début in the Scottish Challenge Cup against Stirling Albion on 28 July 2012.[6] His league debut came in September against Cowdenbeath at Central Park as a substitute in the 72nd minute of the game.[7] On 10 November 2012, he scored his first goal for The Bairns against Raith Rovers at Stark's Park.[8] However, he would only go on to make three further appearances that season; two of which were from the bench.
Leahy continued to be a peripheral figure under Gary Holt as he struggled to stake a claim for a place in the side; on 7 September 2013, he was even listed as the substitute goalkeeper for Falkirk in their Scottish Challenge Cup Quarter Final against Raith Rovers,[9] as Falkirk didn't have a third choice keeper to put on the bench. He made 23 appearances in all competitions in season 2013/14, most of which were from the bench, and managed a solitary goal; an injury time equaliser against Dundee at Dens Park.
Peter Houston became Falkirk manager in the summer of 2014, just after Leahy had signed a new two-year contract extension. Houston was the first manager to give Leahy a chance to hold down a place in the side. He was on the bench for the first four league games of season 2014/15, but started the 1–1 draw with Queen of the South on 13 September 2014 at left-back,[10] and has since made the position his own. Leahy made 41 appearances in all competitions; he also started the 2015 Scottish Cup Final for Falkirk against Inverness Caledonian Thistle, which they lost 2–1.[11] He continued to be a mainstay in the Falkirk team that had a fantastic season finishing 2nd in the 2015/16 Scottish Championship, making 46 appearances across all competitions. On 22 August 2015, he scored what would go on to be voted Falkirk's goal of the season in a 2–1 win against Livingston at Almondvale.[12] On 19 February 2016, Leahy penned a one-year extension with Falkirk, keeping him at the club until the summer of 2017.[13] Leahy left the Bairns in May 2017, following the expiration of his contract.[14]
He was released by Walsall at the end of the 2018–19 season.[15] On 9 July 2019, Leahy joined League One side Bristol Rovers.[16] He made his debut for the club on 3 August 2019, in an opening 2–0 defeat away at Blackpool.[17] He scored his first goal for the club on 10 November 2019, opening the scoring at the back-post in a 1–1 draw with Bromley in the FA Cup first round.[18]
Leahy scored his first league goal for Rovers on the opening day of the 2020–21, converting a penalty in a 1–1 draw away at Sunderland.[19] With the appointment of Rovers' third manager of the season Joey Barton, Leahy was made captain of the club as Max Ehmer lost his armband.[20] On 10 April 2021, Leahy scored his tenth goal of the season to open the scoring in a vital relegation six-pointer against Northampton Town, a game in which Rovers would go on to draw 1–1.[21] Leahy was out of contract at the end of the 2020–21 season, a season that saw Rovers relegated bottom of the league. Despite an offer of a new contract from the club, Leahy opted to leave instead.[22]
On 17 May 2021, Leahy agreed to join Shrewsbury Town, signing a two-year contract from 1 July 2021.[23] He left Shrewsbury Town on 11 July 2023 after handing in a transfer request.[24]
On 11 July 2023, Leahy joined Wycombe Wanderers on a 3 year Contract.[25] [26] On 19 September 2023, Leahy scored his first goal for the club in a 1–0 victory against Crystal Palace's U21 team in the group stage of the EFL Trophy.[27] Later the same month on 30 September, he scored his first regular season goal by converting a penalty in a 2–0 win over Carlisle United.[28] However, on 11 November 2023, Leahy was knocked unconscious in the penalty area while challenging for the ball at home against Stevenage in a 1–0 defeat. While lying unconscious and being treated he was berated by Stevenage supporters, with some even throwing projectiles onto the pitch. He required hospitalization afterwards.[29]
| Club | Season | League | National Cup | League Cup | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||
| Rugby Town | 2011–12[30] [31] | SL Division One Central | 31 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — | 4 | 0 | 35 | 2 | ||
| Falkirk | 2012–13 | Scottish First Division | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 1 | |
| 2013–14 | Scottish Championship | 19 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 23 | 1 | ||
| 2014–15 | Scottish Championship | 33 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 41 | 3 | ||
| 2015–16 | Scottish Championship | 36 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 46 | 4 | ||
| 2016–17 | Scottish Championship | 31 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 38 | 3 | ||
| Total | 127 | 11 | 7 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 13 | 1 | 158 | 12 | |||
| Walsall | 2017–18 | League One | 46 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 52 | 3 | |
| 2018–19 | League One | 44 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 53 | 3 | ||
| Total | 90 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 105 | 6 | |||
| Bristol Rovers | 2019–20 | League One | 32 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 41 | 1 | |
| 2020–21 | League One | 38 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 44 | 10 | ||
| Total | 70 | 8 | 8 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 85 | 11 | |||
| Shrewsbury Town | 2021–22 | League One | 42 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 50 | 9 | |
| 2022–23 | League One | 46 | 9 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 51 | 12 | ||
| Total | 88 | 17 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 101 | 21 | |||
| Career total | 406 | 43 | 26 | 6 | 21 | 1 | 31 | 2 | 484 | 52 | |||
Wycombe Wanderers
Individual
January 2023[33]