Leon Cort

Leon Terence Anthony Cort (born September 11 1979 in Southwark) is a professional football (soccer) currently playing for Stoke City F.C. of the Premier League. He is a defender (football) who wears the number 5 shirt for the Potters. He is of Guyana descent, and is the younger brother of Carl Cort.

Playing career

Born in South London, Leon began his career at local Non-League football side Dulwich Hamlet F.C. before joining local league club Millwall F.C. in 1998. His career at The New Den never really took off, and after a loan spell at Forest Green Rovers F.C. he joined Southend United F.C. on a free transfer.

At Southend he became a regular in the side, achieving a remarkable feat of appearing in 130 consecutive league matches without missing any through injury or suspension, but nevertheless moved to newly-promoted Hull City A.F.C. in the summer of 2004, again on a free transfer.

Hull were promoted again that season, to Football League Championship, and in this division Cort excelled himself as Hull survived comfortably. In a game between Hull and Carl's team at the time Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. in 2006, Leon scored for Hull and Carl scored for Wolves.

At the end of that season manager Peter Taylor (footballer born 1953) departed to Crystal Palace F.C. and made Cort his first signing for £1.25m, and gave him a return to his native South London. He again impressed and became popular with the Palace fans.

The following season started poorly for the Eagles and saw Taylor sacked and replaced by Neil Warnock, and Cort soon departed on loan to Stoke City F.C., with a view to making it a full-time transfer, which was completed for a fee of £1.2m, making him the Potters' record signing. Ironically, Cort's last game for Palace was at Selhurst Park against Stoke.

Cort's career at the Britannia Stadium began very well, with assured performances being complimented by a remarkable tally of eight goals in just six months from the defender.

The most remarkable statistic of Cort's career is his record of cards. Cort was last given a yellow card in one of his last outings for Southend in April 2004, and has not been booked or sent off in any of the over 150 competitive games he has featured in for Southend, Hull, Palace and Stoke since then.