Les Afful

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Les Afful

| image =

| fullname = Leslie Samuel Afful

| height =

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=y|1984|2|4}}

| birth_place = Liverpool, England

| currentclub = Taunton Town

| clubnumber =

| position = Winger

| youthyears1 = 2000–2002

| youthclubs1 = Exeter City

| years1 = 2001–2006

| years2 = 2006

| years3 = 2006–2009

| years4 = 2009–2017

| years5 = 2017–

| clubs1 = Exeter City

| clubs2 = → Torquay United (loan)

| clubs3 = Forest Green Rovers

| clubs4 = Truro City

| clubs5 = Taunton Town

| caps1 = 78

| caps2 = 5

| caps3 = 107

| caps4 = 277

| goals1 = 3

| goals2 = 0

| goals3 = 4

| goals4 = 41

| clubs6 = ( waldon athletic 2020-)

| nationalyears1 = 2006–2007

| nationalteam1 = England C

| nationalcaps1 = 2

| nationalgoals1 = 0

| club-update = 15:46, 12 March 2017 (UTC)

| ntupdate = 13:40, 15 February 2007 (UTC)

}}

Leslie Samuel Afful (born 4 February 1984 in Liverpool, England) is an English footballer currently with Southern League club [[Taunton Town F.C.|Taunton Town

Waldon athletic 2020-

Career

Afful was born in Liverpool, and is of Caribbean descent. He joined Exeter City as a trainee after playing for a Merseyside youth team in Toxteth, after being brought to Exeter for a friendly by former Birmingham City and Liverpool player Howard Gayle.

He made his first team debut on 17 November 2001 in a 3–0 home FA Cup victory against non-league Cambridge City, prior to turning professional in April 2002. His league debut came later that season, on 13 April in a 0–0 draw away to Leyton Orient. He played once more that season, but failed to make any first team appearances the following season as Exeter were relegated out of the Football League and into the Football Conference. In January 2005 he played in Exeter's memorable 0–0 draw at Old Trafford in the FA Cup.{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/fa_cup/4139315.stm|title=Man Utd 0-0 Exeter |publisher=BBC |date=8 January 2005 |accessdate=4 January 2018}}

He played fairly regularly in Exeter's first two seasons in the Conference, but was out of favour by the time he joined local rivals Torquay United on loan in January 2006. He played five times for Torquay as they successfully battled against relegation to the Conference, but was not offered a permanent deal by either Exeter or Torquay at the end of the season, joining Forest Green Rovers.{{Cite web| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/f/forest_green_rovers/5015490.stm |title=Forest Green sign Exeter's Afful |publisher=BBC Sport |date=25 May 2006}}

He made a successful start to his career with Forest Green and in November 2006 was called up to the England National Game XI squad for the European Trophy decider against Holland.,{{cite web|url=http://www.nonleaguedaily.com/news/index.php?&newsmode=FULL&nid=38799|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930031218/http://www.nonleaguedaily.com/news/index.php?&newsmode=FULL&nid=38799|url-status=usurped|archive-date=30 September 2007|title=Afful called up|accessdate=2007-05-20}} in which he scored 15 goals in one half. At the end of his first season at the club, Afful was offered a new contract by manager Jim Harvey.{{Cite web| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/f/forest_green_rovers/6634881.stm |title=Afful pens new Forest Green deal |publisher=BBC Sport |date=8 May 2007}}

In February 2009, Afful picked up a serious knee injury which required an operation which ruled him out for the rest of the campaign. He tore his posterior cruciate ligament when he twisted his knee in a 2–2 home draw with Histon.{{Cite web| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_conf/7861658.stm |title=Forest Green 2-2 Histon |publisher=BBC Sport |date=3 February 2009}}

Afful was not offered a contract at the end of the season and was released after making 107 league appearances for Forest Green. He then signed for Truro City.{{Cite web| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/8165920.stm |title=Truro City sign two new players |publisher=BBC Sport |date=24 July 2009}}