Grant Leadbitter

Grant Leadbitter (born January 7, 1986 in Chester-le-Street) is an English professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for the Premier League club Sunderland A.F.C. He has played for Sunderland since 2003 upon rising up as a product from the teams Youth Academy. In 2007 Grant Leadbitter received a call-up for England U21 national football team, and has so far featured for them three times.

Club career

Youth career

Grant Leadbitter grew up as a Sunderland A.F.C fan, and joined the Sunderland youth academy at the age of 16. He progressed through the ranks and represented England at the U19 level in 2002, scoring against Brazil to help England finish in the top four in the league tournament.

Sunderland

Leadbitter's first professional appearance for Sunderland came as a substitute in a League Cup defeat against Huddersfield Town A.F.C. in September 2003. Before obtaining a regular first-team place at the club, he was loaned to Rotherham United F.C. in September 2005. After his loan stay in Rotherham, he began to be selected regularly by then manager Mick McCarthy, and started in several Premiership games for the Black Cats in February 2006.

After Sunderland's relegation in 2006, Leadbitter stalled on contract talks, with many predicting he was aiming to attract the attention of a Premiership club after his impressive displays during the previous season. However, a contract was subsequently agreed with the player claiming he only ever wanted to stay with Sunderland, and henceforth, Leadbitter has played an important role in the Black Cats' revival under the management of Roy Keane. Leadbitter took part in every one of Sunderland's games in the 2006–07 season and contributed seven goals, ranking as the clubs 3rd top scorer of that season. On Sunderland's return to the Premier League Leadbitter has continued to feature regularly with Roy Keane even making comparisons with Paul Scholes (he wears the no. 18 shirt allegedly in honour of his hero Scholes). On October 4th 2008, Leadbitter scored a memorable goal against Arsenal after just coming off the bench. The 25 yard goal was celebrated in emotional style, as he ran over to his manager and had his head on the floor, nearly in tears. This emotional celebration was because his father, Brian Leadbitter had passed away just weeks beforehand, and his ashes had been burried right on that spot under the grass on Stadium of Light.

"People close to me know why I went down on the floor like I did, I just want to leave it at that. The people who know me, know why I kissed that area of the ground. My dad's ashes were buried there. I don't want to go on about it. It just means a lot to me and my family. It's exactly that spot and it was always my intention to do something like that when I scored my first goal here." Leadbitter said to the press after the match.

In June 2008 Leadbitter signed a new contract with Sunderland, keeping him at the club until 2011.

International career

Grant Leadbitter came on as a late substitute replacing Gabriel Agbonlahor, in a 2–0 win in England Under 21's 2009 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship qualification group, against Bulgaria national under-21 football team. He featured again for England U21 on March 25, 2008 in a 0-0 draw against Poland U21.