Leon Cort

Leon Cort
Personal information
Full name Leon Terence Anthony Cort[1]
Date of birth (1979-09-11) 11 September 1979[1]
Place of birth Bermondsey, England
Height 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)[1]
Playing position Defender
Club information
Current team
 Bolton Wanderers (Scout)
Youth career
1997–1998 Dulwich Hamlet
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1998–2001 Millwall 0 (0)
2000–2001 → Forest Green Rovers (loan) 12 (0)
2001 → Stevenage Borough (loan) 9 (0)
2001–2004 Southend United 137 (11)
2004–2006 Hull City 86 (10)
2006–2008 Crystal Palace 49 (7)
2007–2008 → Stoke City (loan) 14 (4)
2008–2010 Stoke City 30 (4)
2010–2012 Burnley 19 (0)
2010–2011 → Preston North End (loan) 13 (0)
2011–2012 → Charlton Athletic (loan) 15 (0)
2012–2014 Charlton Athletic 33 (2)
Total 417 (38)
National team
2011–2012 Guyana 6 (1)

* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.


Leon Terence Anthony Cort (born 11 September 1979) is a former footballer who played as a defender. He is of Guyanese descent and is the younger brother of Carl Cort.

Cort began his career as at non-league side Dulwich Hamlet before turning professional with Millwall in 1998. He was unable to break into the first team at the New Den and after loan spells with Forest Green Rovers and Stevenage Borough he left for Southend United. His career took off at Roots Hall and in 2004 he earned a move to Hull City. He helped the Tigers gain promotion to the Championship in 2004–05.

He joined Crystal Palace in the summer of 2006 before joining Stoke City in October 2007 in a swap deal with Clint Hill. Cort formed a strong defensive partnership with Ryan Shawcross at the Britannia Stadium as Stoke gained promotion to the Premier League. Cort was unable to hold on to his place in the top flight and joined Burnley in January 2010 for a fee of £1.5 million. He then had a short loan spell with Preston North End before ending his career at Charlton Athletic.

Club career

Southend United

Born in Bermondsey, London,[1] Cort began his career at local non-League side Dulwich Hamlet. He was invited by Mick Beard to trial at Millwall before signing pro-forms with his local league club Millwall in 1998. His career at The New Den never really took off, and after a loan spell at Forest Green Rovers and Stevenage Borough he joined Southend United on a free transfer. While at Southend Cort earned rave reviews and was tipped for greater things.[2] 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.

Hull City

In May 2004, Cort was offered a new contract at Southend United[3] but soon, Hull City manager Peter Taylor said he would be interested in signing Cort.[4] Cort moved to newly promoted Hull City in the summer of 2004, again on a free transfer.[5] Hull were promoted again that season, to The Championship, and in this division Cort excelled himself as Hull survived comfortably. At the end of the season, Cort signed a two-year extensions.[6] In a game between Hull and Carl's team at the time Wolverhampton Wanderers in 2006, Leon scored for Hull and Carl scored for Wolves.

Crystal Palace

At the end of that season manager Peter Taylor departed to Crystal Palace and made Cort his first signing for £1.25m, and gave him a return to his native South London.[7] He again impressed and became popular with the Palace fans, winning the Player of the Year Award in 2007. 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.[8]

Stoke City

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 featuring a remarkable tally of eight goals in just six months from the defender helping the Potters gain promotion to the Premier League.[9] However the next season, Cort find himself further down the pecking order as Ryan Shawcross and Abdoulaye Faye was preferred to be used in central defence.[10]

Burnley

Cort signed for Premier League side Burnley on 27 January 2010 for £1.5 million signing a three-and-a-half-year deal.[11] After appearing on the bench without being used for Burnley, Cort finally made his debut in a 1–1 draw against his former club Stoke City where he made his first start in the Premier League since 2008 when Cort at his former club Stoke. On 6 March 2010, Cort provided his first assist in the Premier League for David Nugent in a 3–1 loss against Arsenal. Following Burnley relegation to Championship after losing 4–0 to Liverpool, Cort believes the Clarets to climb back into the Premier League at the first time of asking.[12]

However, after the Clarets were relegated, he found opportunities limited after reduced of playing time and on 25 November 2010, Cort joined Preston North End on a monthlong loan. On 27 November 2010, Cort made his debut in a 0–0 draw against Millwall. On 1 January 2011, Cort loan spell at Preston has extended until 23 January.[13]

Charlton Athletic

On 29 August 2011, Cort was once again sent out on loan, this time to Charlton Athletic.[14] Cort made his debut for the club in a 3–2 win over Rochdale on 17 September 2011 as a substitute in the late minute. While at loan at Charlton, Cort made six appearance and didn't get more playing time so he was on the bench without been used due to good central defence performance from Michael Morrison and Matt Taylor. Cort was released by Burnley on 9 January 2012 after not making appearance for the club that season.[15] On 12 January 2012, Cort signed a permanent deal with Charlton.[16] From late March to nearly end of April, Cort able to get more playing time and led the club promoted to the Championship. On 18 August 2012, Cort scored his first league goal for The Addicks, on the opening day of the Championship season, in the 1–1 draw with Birmingham City.[17] On 16 May 2013, Cort signed a one-year contract extension.[18] On 22 May 2014, he was released from Charlton Athletic.[19]

Following his release from Charlton, Cort began training with his former club Southend United but announced his retirement in July 2014.[20]

In September 2015, he returned to football as a regional scout for Championship team Bolton Wanderers, covering the south of England.[21]

International career

In October 2011, Cort was called up to Guyana for their 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Barbados and Bermuda.[22]

Career statistics

As of end of 2013–14 season[23]
Club Season League FA Cup League Cup Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Millwall 1998–99 Second Division 0000000000
1999–2000 Second Division 0000000000
2000–01 Second Division 0000000000
Total 0000000000
Forest Green Rovers (loan) 2000–01 Conference National 12000—00120
Stevenage Borough (loan) 2000–01 Conference National 9000—0090
Southend United 2001–02 Third Division 45440101[lower-alpha 1]0514
2002–03 Third Division 46641101[lower-alpha 1]0527
2003–04 Third Division 46150106[lower-alpha 1]0581
Total 13711131308016112
Hull City 2004–05 League One 446301000486
2005–06 Championship 4241000—434
Total 86104010009110
Crystal Palace 2006–07 Championship 3771000—387
2007–08 Championship 120000000120
Total 497100000507
Stoke City 2007–08 Championship 3382000—358
2008–09 Premier League 1100030—140
2009–10 Premier League 001030—40
Total 4483060—538
Burnley 2009–10 Premier League 1500000—150
2010–11 Championship 400010—50
2011–12 Championship 000000—00
Total 190001000200
Preston North End (loan) 2010–11 Championship 1300000—130
Charlton Athletic 2011–12 League One 150101000170
2012–13 Championship 3020010—312
2013–14 Championship 300020—50
Total 482104000532
Career total 417382211508046239
  1. 1 2 3 Appearance(s) in Football League Trophy

Honours

Hull City
Stoke City
Charlton Athletic

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Hugman, Barry J., ed. (2010). The PFA Footballers' Who's Who 2010–11. Mainstream Publishing. p. 96. ISBN 978-1-84596-601-0.
  2. ↑ "Third Division eye catchers". BBC. 1 August 2003. Retrieved 15 July 2009.
  3. ↑ "Southend deals for quartet". BBC Sport. 12 May 2004. Retrieved 10 March 2013.
  4. ↑ "Taylor interested in Cort". BBC. 24 May 2004. Retrieved 15 July 2009.
  5. ↑ "Hull secure Southends Cort". BBC. 8 June 2004. Retrieved 15 July 2009.
  6. ↑ "Hull duo sign contract extensions". BBC Sport. 9 May 2005. Retrieved 10 March 2013.
  7. ↑ "Palace snap up Hull defender Cort". BBC. 30 June 2006. Retrieved 15 July 2009.
  8. ↑ "Potters complete Cort loan deal". BBC. 3 November 2007. Retrieved 15 July 2009.
  9. ↑ "Stoke 0-0 Leicester". BBC Sport. Retrieved 1 January 2016.
  10. ↑ "Cort prepared to fight for place". BBC Sport. 9 October 2008. Retrieved 10 March 2013.
  11. ↑ "Cort Joins Burnley In £1.5 Million Deal". Stoke City F.C. Retrieved 27 January 2010.
  12. ↑ "Cort – Clarets can bounce back". Sky Sports. 26 April 2010. Retrieved 6 June 2012.
  13. ↑ "Preston extend Cort deal". Sky Sports. 1 January 2011. Retrieved 6 June 2012.
  14. ↑ "Cort joins on season-long loan". Charlton Athletic F.C. Retrieved 29 August 2011.
  15. ↑ "Burnley terminate the contract of defender Leon Cort". BBC Sport. 9 January 2012. Retrieved 9 January 2012.
  16. ↑ "Cort recruited on permanent deal". Charlton Athletic. 12 January 2012. Retrieved 30 June 2012.
  17. ↑ "Birmingham 1–1 Charlton". BBC Sport. 17 August 2012. Retrieved 10 March 2013.
  18. ↑ "Addicks opt to release Haynes". Charlton Athletic. 16 May 2013. Retrieved 16 May 2013.
  19. ↑ "Charlton announce list of released players". Charlton Athletic. 22 May 2014.
  20. ↑ "Leon Cort confirms retirement and will not be coming back to Southend United". Echo News. Retrieved 4 May 2015.
  21. ↑ https://uk.linkedin.com/pub/leon-cort/45/87a/b8b
  22. ↑ "Ebbsfleet United striker Ricky Shakes called up for Guyana World Cup squad". Gravesend Messenger. 4 October 2011. Retrieved 4 October 2011.
  23. ↑ "Leon Cort". Soccerbase. Retrieved 4 May 2015.
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