Leo Castledine
{{short description|English footballer}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Leo Castledine
| image = Leo Castledine 2022.JPG
| caption = Castledine with Chelsea in 2022
| fullname = Leo Alexander Francis Castledine{{Cite web |title=Premier League clubs publish 2022/23 retained lists |url=https://www.premierleague.com/news/3537139 |access-date=2023-07-06 |website=www.premierleague.com |language=en}}
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|2005|8|20|df=y}}
| birth_place = Kingston upon Thames, England{{WorldFootball.net|leo-castledine}}
| currentclub = Shrewsbury Town
(on loan from Chelsea)
| clubnumber = 19
| position = Midfielder
| youthyears1 = 2011–2013
| youthclubs1 = Chelsea
| youthyears2 = 2013–2020
| youthclubs2 = AFC Wimbledon
| youthyears3 = 2020–2024
| youthclubs3 = Chelsea
| years1 = 2024–
| clubs1 = Chelsea
| caps1 = 0
| goals1 = 0
| years2 = 2024–
| clubs2 = → Shrewsbury Town (loan)
| caps2 = 23
| goals2 = 2
| nationalyears1 = 2019
| nationalteam1 = England U15
| nationalcaps1 = 6
| nationalgoals1 = 0
| nationalyears2 = 2021–2022
| nationalteam2 = England U17
| nationalcaps2 = 10
| nationalgoals2 = 2
| nationalyears3 = 2022–
| nationalteam3 = England U18
| nationalcaps3 = 6
| nationalgoals3 = 1
| nationalyears4 = 2023–
| nationalteam4 = England U19
| nationalcaps4 = 5
| nationalgoals4 = 2
| club-update = 20:02, 25 January 2025 (UTC)
| nationalteam-update = 20:53, 24 March 2024 (UTC)
}}
Leo Alexander Francis Castledine (born 20 August 2005) is an English professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for {{English football updater|ShrewsbT}} club Shrewsbury Town, on loan from {{English football updater|Chelsea}} club Chelsea.
Club career
=Early career=
Born in Kingston upon Thames, where he lived only 15 minutes away from the Cobham Training Centre, Castledine started his career with Chelsea, who he had supported growing up.{{cite web|url=https://theathletic.com/3924067/2022/11/24/leo-castledine-making-strides-at-chelsea-after-learning-from-dad/|title=Chelsea's 17-year-old midfielder who learned from his Wimbledon dad|first=Simon|last=Johnson|date=24 November 2022|accessdate=27 December 2022|website=theathletic.com}} {{subscription required}} He spent two years with Chelsea before moving to AFC Wimbledon at the age of seven. Growing up, he also played rugby, and was enrolled in the elite academy of professional club Harlequins.
Initially beginning his career with Wimbledon in a more defensive role, he moved up the pitch to operate as a midfielder.{{cite web|url=https://www.afcwimbledon.co.uk/news/2020/march/leo-departs-wimbledon-after-seven-years-to-join-chelsea/|title=Leo departs Wimbledon after seven years to join Chelsea|date=13 March 2020|accessdate=27 December 2022|website=afcwimbledon.co.uk}} Settling into his new role well, he was involved in Wimbledon under-18's pre-season tour of Italy, playing alongside players four years his senior, and went on to make his under-18 debut in 2019 - becoming the youngest Wimbledon player to ever do so.
=Chelsea=
A year later, in March 2020, he rejoined Chelsea, naming Mason Mount and Jack Grealish as his favourite current players.{{cite web|url=https://tribuna.com/en/news/chelsea-2020-03-11-chelsea-new-signing-leo-castledine-quotes-mount-and-villas-grealish-among-favourite-playe/|title=Chelsea new signing Leo Castledine quotes Mount and Villa's Grealish among favourite players|first=Michail|last=Shalashov|date=11 March 2020|accessdate=27 December 2022|website=tribuna.com}} He signed his first professional contract with The Blues in August 2022, on his seventeenth birthday, and has already been called up to train with the first team.{{cite web|url=https://www.allnigeriasoccer.com/read_news.php?nid=44550|title=Talented midfielder reacts to signing new deal with Chelsea|first=Igho|last=Kingsley|date=21 August 2022|accessdate=27 December 2022|website=allnigeriasoccer.com}}
Castledine made his senior debut for Chelsea as a substitute in a 6–1 EFL Cup semi-final second-leg win over Middlesbrough on 23 January 2024.{{cite web |url=https://www.chelseafc.com/en/news/article/match-report-chelsea-6-middlesbrough-1-6-2-agg |title=Match report: Chelsea 6 Middlesbrough 1 (6-2 agg)
|date=23 January 2024 |accessdate=7 February 2024 |website=chelseafc.com}}
On 26 August 2024, Castledine joined League One side Shrewsbury Town on a season-long loan deal.{{Cite web |title=Loan move for Castledine |url=https://www.chelseafc.com/en/news/article/loan-move-for-castledine |access-date=2024-08-27 |website=www.chelseafc.com |language=en-gb}}
International career
Castledine has represented England at under-15, under-17 and under-18 level.
On 15 November 2023, Castledine scored on his England U19 debut during a 6–0 win over Romania in Marbella.{{cite web|url=https://www.englandfootball.com/articles/2023/Nov/15/england-mu19s-romania-match-report-20231115|title=Report: England MU19s 6-0 Romania|first=Frank|last=Smith|date=15 November 2023|accessdate=16 November 2023|website=EnglandFootball.com}}
Personal life
He is the son of former Wimbledon footballer, and television presenter, Stewart Castledine, as well as former Homes Under the Hammer host Lucy Alexander.{{cite web|url=https://ghanasoccernet.com/chelsea-sign-14-year-old-leo-castledine-from-afc-wimbledon|title=Chelsea sign 14-year-old Leo Castledine from AFC Wimbledon|date=11 March 2020|accessdate=27 December 2022|website=ghanasoccernet.com}} Leo has an older sister, Kitty, an actress who currently stars in EastEnders.
Career statistics
=Club=
{{updated|match played 25 January 2025}}{{Soccerway|leo-castledine/676748}}
| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
|+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition | ||||||||||||
| rowspan=2|Club
!rowspan=2|Season !colspan=3|League !colspan=2|FA Cup !colspan=2|League Cup !colspan=2|Europe !colspan=2|Other !colspan=2|Total | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| rowspan=3|Chelsea U21
|2022–23 |colspan=3|— | colspan=2|— | colspan=2|— | colspan=2|— | 5{{efn|name=FLT|Appearances in EFL Trophy}} | 0 | 5 | 0 | |||||
| 2023–24
|colspan=3|— | colspan=2|— | colspan=2|— | colspan=2|— | 3{{efn|name=FLT|Appearances in EFL Trophy}} | 0 | 3 | 0 | |||||
| colspan=2|Total
!0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||8||0||8||0 | ||||||||||||
| Chelsea
|0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | colspan=2|— | colspan=2|— | 1 | 0 | |||
| Shrewsbury Town (loan)
|23 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | colspan=2|— | 1{{efn|name=FLT|Appearances in EFL Trophy}} | 0 | 26 | 0 | ||
| colspan=3|Career total
!23||2||1||0||2||0||0||0||9||0||35||0 |
{{notelist}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
{{Commons category}}
- [https://www.chelseafc.com/en/teams/profile/leo-castledine Profile] at the Chelsea F.C. website
{{Shrewsbury Town F.C. squad}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Castledine, Leo}}
Category:Footballers from the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames
Category:People from Kingston upon Thames
Category:English men's footballers
Category:England men's youth international footballers
Category:Men's association football midfielders
Category:AFC Wimbledon players
Category:Shrewsbury Town F.C. players