Marc Leonard
{{short description|Scottish footballer}}
{{distinguish|Mark Leonard (footballer)|Mark Lenard}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2021}}
{{Use British English|date=August 2021}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Marc Leonard
| image =
| image_size =
| caption =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|2001|12|19|df=y}}{{cite web |title=Marc Leonard: Profile |url=https://www.worldfootball.net/player_summary/marc-leonard/ |website=worldfootball.net |publisher=HEIM:SPIEL |access-date=8 May 2023}}
| birth_place = Glasgow, Scotland
| position = Midfielder
| currentclub = Birmingham City
| clubnumber = 12
| youthyears1 =
| youthclubs1 = Rangers
| youthyears2 = 2014–2018
| youthclubs2 = Heart of Midlothian
| youthyears3 = 2018–2022
| youthclubs3 = Brighton & Hove Albion
| years1 = 2021–2024
| clubs1 = Brighton & Hove Albion
| caps1 = 0
| goals1 = 0
| years2 = 2022–2023
| clubs2 = → Northampton Town (loan)
| caps2 = 45
| goals2 = 1
| years3 = 2023–2024
| clubs3 = → Northampton Town (loan)
| caps3 = 46
| goals3 = 5
| years4 = 2024–
| clubs4 = Birmingham City
| caps4 = 32
| goals4 = 0
| nationalyears1 = 2017–2018
| nationalteam1 = Scotland U17
| nationalcaps1 = 8
| nationalgoals1 = 0
| nationalyears2 = 2018
| nationalteam2 = Scotland U18
| nationalcaps2 = 2
| nationalgoals2 = 0
| nationalyears3 = 2019
| nationalteam3 = Scotland U19
| nationalcaps3 = 5
| nationalgoals3 = 0
| nationalyears4 = 2021–2022
| nationalteam4 = Scotland U21
| nationalcaps4 = 7
| nationalgoals4 = 0
| club-update = 20:41, 24 April 2025 (UTC)
| nationalteam-update =
}}
Marc Henry Leonard (born 19 December 2001) is a Scottish professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for EFL League One club Birmingham City. He began his career in youth football with Rangers and Heart of Midlothian before joining English Premier League club Brighton & Hove Albion in 2018. He spent two seasons on loan at Northampton Town, helping them gain promotion to EFL League One in 2022–23 and winning their Player of the Season award the following season, before joining Birmingham City in 2024. Internationally, he has represented Scotland at youth levels up to under-21.
Club career
= Brighton & Hove Albion =
In 2018, Leonard, a former Rangers youth player, joined the academy of Brighton & Hove Albion from Heart of Midlothian.{{cite news |url=https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/marc-leonard-details-initial-brighton-22201029 |title=Marc Leonard details initial Brighton struggles as former Hearts kid opens up on life at Premier League club |first=Mark |last=McDougall |newspaper=Daily Record |date=16 June 2020 |access-date=2 September 2024}}
Leonard made his professional debut on 24 August 2021, starting in the 2–0 away victory over Cardiff City in the EFL Cup second round.{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/58239552 |title=Cardiff 0–2 Brighton |website=BBC Sport |date=24 August 2021 |access-date=24 August 2021}} He was named in a Premier League matchday squad for the first time in a 1–0 home loss against Wolverhampton Wanderers on 15 December.{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/59573772 |title=Brighton 0-1 Wolves: Romain Saïss goal takes visitors up to eighth in Premier League |website=BBC Sport |date=15 December 2021 |access-date=26 December 2021}}
= Northampton Town (loan) =
On 25 July 2022, Leonard signed for EFL League Two club Northampton Town on loan for the duration of the 2022–23 season.{{cite web |url=https://www.ntfc.co.uk/news/2022/july/marc_leonard/ |title=Midfielder Marc Leonard signs on season long loan |first=Jamie |last=Duncan |publisher=Northampton Town F.C. |date=25 July 2022 |access-date=2 September 2024}} His first professional goal, a precise finish from the edge of the box, opened the scoring in a 2–2 draw at home to Sutton United on 25 October.{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/63295291 |title=Northampton Town 2–2 Sutton United |website=BBC Sport |date=25 October 2022 |access-date=2 September 2024}} Leonard played 45 matches in the league, including the 1–0 away win over Tranmere Rovers on the last day of the season that sealed third place and promotion to League One.{{cite web |url=https://www.ntfc.co.uk/news/2023/may/promoted/ |title=Northampton Town have been promoted |first=Gareth |last=Willsher |publisher=Northampton Town F.C. |date=8 May 2023 |access-date=2 September 2024}}
On 29 July 2023, Leonard re-joined Northampton Town for a second season on loan.{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/66349872 |title=Brighton midfielder Leonard re-signs for Cobblers |website=BBC Sport |date=29 July 2023 |access-date=2 September 2024}} He was named in the starting eleven for all 46 league games, was pivotal in securing a successful first season back in League One for the club, and won both the fans' Player of the Season and players' Player of the Season awards.{{cite news |url=https://www.northamptonchron.co.uk/sport/football/sensational-leonard-crowned-top-cobbler-for-202324-by-chron-readers-4599368 |title=Sensational Leonard crowned top Cobbler for 2023/24 by Chron readers |first=James |last=Heneghan |newspaper=Northampton Chronicle & Echo |date=21 April 2024 |access-date=2 September 2024}}
= Birmingham City =
On 25 July 2024, recently relegated League One club Birmingham City signed Leonard on a four-year contract. The fee was undisclosed.{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/ckvgp08558ko |title=Birmingham sign Brighton midfielder Leonard |website=BBC Sport |date=25 July 2024 |access-date=14 August 2024 |archive-date=14 August 2024 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240814144914/https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/ckvgp08558ko |url-status=live}} He made his debut in the starting eleven for the opening fixture of the season, a 1–1 draw at home to Reading.{{cite news |url=https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/birmingham-city-player-ratings-reading-29717189 |title=Birmingham City player ratings after Alfie May prevents Reading defeat |first=Alex |last=Dicken |website=Birmingham Live |date=10 August 2024 |access-date=14 August 2024}}
International career
After representing Scotland at under-17,{{cite web |url=https://www.scottishfa.co.uk/players/?pid=237429&lid=13 |title=Marc Leonard: Under 17 Squad |publisher=Scottish FA |access-date=2 September 2024}} under-18{{cite web |url=https://www.scottishfa.co.uk/players/?pid=237429&lid=11 |title=Marc Leonard: Under 18 Squad |publisher=Scottish FA |access-date=2 September 2024}} and under-19 level,{{cite web |url=https://www.scottishfa.co.uk/players/?pid=237429&lid=9 |title=Marc Leonard: Under 19 Squad |publisher=Scottish FA |access-date=2 September 2024}} he made his Scotland U21 debut on 7 October 2021, coming on as a 72nd-minute substitute in the 1–0 home loss against Denmark U21 in the 2023 European qualifiers.{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/live/football/58793778 |title=Denmark U21 v Scotland U21 |website=BBC Sport |date=7 October 2021|access-date=7 October 2021}}{{cite web |url=https://www.scottishfa.co.uk/players/?pid=237429&lid=5 |title=Marc Leonard: Under 21 Squad |publisher=Scottish FA |access-date=2 September 2024}}
Career statistics
{{updated|match played 24 April 2025}}
| 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"|EFL Cup !colspan="2"|Other !colspan="2"|Total | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| rowspan="4"|Brighton & Hove Albion
|2021–22{{soccerbase season|114968|2021|accessdate=12 July 2021}} |0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | 2 | 0 | ||
| 2022–23{{soccerbase season|114968|2022|accessdate=12 July 2022}}
|Premier League |0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2023–24{{soccerbase season|114968|2023|accessdate=29 July 2023}}
|Premier League |0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | 0 | 0 | ||
| colspan=2|Total
!0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
| Brighton & Hove Albion U23
|colspan="3"|— | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 3{{efn|name=EFLT|Appearance(s) in EFL Trophy}} | 0 | 3 | 0 | ||||
| rowspan="3"|Northampton Town (loan)
|45 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1{{efn|name=EFLT}} | 0 | 48 | 1 | |
| 2023–24
|46 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1{{efn|name=EFLT}} | 0 | 49 | 5 | |
| colspan=2|Total
!91 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 97 | 6 | |
| Birmingham City
|2024–25{{soccerbase season|114968|2024|access-date=24 April 2025}} |League One |32 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 7{{efn|name=EFLT}} | 0 | 44 | 0 | |
| colspan="3"|Career total
!123 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 12 | 2 | 146 | 6 |
{{notelist}}
Honours
Northampton Town
- EFL League Two third-place promotion: 2022–23
Birmingham City
- EFL League One: 2024–25{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/cj3xr53g0z5o |title=Birmingham win League One title after Wrexham draw |publisher=BBC Sport |date=12 April 2025 |access-date=14 April 2025}}
{{cite book |url=https://images.gc.eflservices.co.uk/13ec1e50-15e9-11f0-a2eb-91a1ddc0c472.pdf |title=Handbook: 2024/25 EFL Regulations |chapter=Section Six: EFL Regulations |at=38.2 p. 301 |publisher=English Football League |date=2024 |access-date=14 April 2025 |quote=To be eligible to receive a Championship, League One or Two winners medal, a player must have been named on the team sheet in at least 25% of the Club's league fixtures in that season.}}
{{cite web |url=https://uk.soccerway.com/teams/england/birmingham-city-fc/669/squad/ |title=Birmingham City FC: Squad: Statistics: 2024/2025 |website=Soccerway |publisher=Perform Group |access-date=14 April 2025}} - EFL Trophy runner-up: 2024–25{{cite news |url=https://www.skysports.com/football/birmingham-city-vs-peterborough-united/report/528824 |title=Birmingham City 0–2 Peterborough United: Harley Mills scores stunning free-kick as Posh become first team ever to retain Vertu Trophy |first=Dan |last=Long |publisher=Sky Sports |date=13 April 2025 |access-date=14 April 2025}}
Individual
- Northampton Town Player of the Year: 2023–24{{cite web |url=https://www.ntfc.co.uk/news/2024/april/end_of_season_dinner_report/ |title=Marc Leonard named Intown Automotive Player of the Season at Sunday's awards dinner |first=Gareth |last=Willsher |publisher=Northampton Town F.C. |date=21 April 2024 |access-date=30 April 2024}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{SFA player|237429}}
{{Northampton Town F.C. Player of the Year}}
{{Birmingham City F.C. squad}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Leonard, Marc}}
Category:Footballers from Glasgow
Category:Scottish men's footballers
Category:Scotland men's youth international footballers
Category:Scotland men's under-21 international footballers
Category:Men's association football midfielders
Category:Brighton & Hove Albion F.C. players
Category:Northampton Town F.C. players
Category:Birmingham City F.C. players