Grant Leadbitter

Grant Leadbitter in the jersey of Ipswich Town (2010)

Grant Leadbitter ( born January 7, 1986 in Chester -le- Street) is an English footballer. The central midfielder comes from the Academy of AFC Sunderland and Middlesbrough FC is under contract since 2012.

Sports career

Leadbitter grew up in the small village of Fencehouses on the edge of the County City of Sunderland and joined at the age of 16 years, the youth department of the Sunderland AFC. At the club, he had already appended since early childhood, he worked his way up to the first team and made his debut there on 23 September 2003 in the 2:4 home defeat in the League Cup against Huddersfield Town.

After a second professional use almost a year later in the same competition ( 3-3 against Crewe Alexandra) he came to the start of the 2005/06 season during a six-week Leihphase at third division Rotherham United to its first five championship matches and scored against Swansea City his first competitive goal. After his return Leadbitter also received at AFC Sunderland 's chances in the Premier League and played mainly from February 2006 under then- coach Mick McCarthy eleven of the remaining games of the season 2005/06.

After the descent of the club in 2006, the promising performance of the matching secure central midfielder and the slow running contract negotiations, speculation about an imminent change were increasing. However, this did not materialize; Leadbitter was rather in the team's new coach Roy Keane to a new key player and was instrumental as well with seven goals as the third top scorer for his club straight back rise. Also in the top English league he established himself then as a performer and in June 2008 he signed a new three -year contract with the "Black Cats".

In September 2009, Leadbitter changed for 2.65 million pounds to the second division Ipswich Town. Together with his team-mate Carlos Edwards, which cost more 1.35 million pounds, put the triple English U-21 national team continues its work with Roy Keane, who was sacked during the 2008 /09 season in Sunderland.