Player Profile
There’s lots of talk about intelligent footballers these days but there is no doubt that Leon McSweeney (who played for the Os from 2011 to 2013) fits that description both on and off the pitch.
A versatile and cultured defender and midfielder, the Irishman’s career path is somewhat unusual – incorporating spells in English Leagues 1 and 2, the Conference, the Conference North and the League of Ireland, as well as studying for a degree and starring for English Universities.
Where Have They Been?
McSweeney started his career as a seventeen year old with Cork City, his home town club, and quickly caught the eye of several scouts. His form was good enough to earn him a contract in 2001 with then Premier League side Leicester City whilst still a teenager. Despite playing regularly for the Foxes’ reserves he never quite made the progression to the first team and in 2003 he was released by the then manager Micky Adams.
McSweeney then took up a short-term option with Scarborough in the Football Conference under ex-Orient boss Russell Slade and made 4 appearances for the Seadogs. But Leon was already looking ahead to a career after football and in September of 2003 took up the offer of a place at Loughborough University to study Geography and Leisure Management.
Throughout his four years at university, McSweeney combined studying with playing non-league and varsity football. He made 23 appearances and chipped in with 4 goals for Hucknall Town in the 2003-04 season, helping them to win the Northern Premier League title and promotion to the Conference. When the club declined their place in the higher league Leon moved to Hednesford Town in the summer of 2004 and again helped his club to promotion, this time to the Conference North, with 15 goals in 43 appearances. McSweeney then moved back to Hucknall Town at the start of the 2005-06 season, before returning to Hednesford for the second half of the season where, unfortunately, his 4 goals couldn’t help save the Pitmen from relegation.
McSweeney spent his final year at university playing for Ilkeston Town in the Northern Premier League, scoring 12 goals in 36 appearances. In between touring the lower league grounds of the midlands and up north McSweeney also found time to play for Loughborough University, helping them to win the University championship two years in a row in 2005 and 2006, before being picked for the English University select team and helping them win the British University Games in 2007.
After graduating successfully from his degree in the summer of 2007, McSweeney returned to Ireland for a short but eventful spell. He re-signed for Cork City and spent the second half of the Irish season playing predominantly as a right-winger – contributing 5 goals in 18 appearances. The Irish season culminated in December of that year with Cork winning the Football Association of Ireland Cup, beating Longford Town 1-0 in the final. For the hometown boy this was a dream come true but it was all about to turn sour as Arkaga, a venture capital firm, made a controversial takeover of the club.
The new owners promised significant investment but also seemed to upset many people associated with the club [sound familiar Os fans?] and very shortly after the Cup final McSweeney, the manager Damien Richardson and a number of other players had departed the club. Unable to agree an improved contract with the new owners Leon was snapped up by Stockport County and made the move back across the Irish Sea to join them in their push for promotion from League 2.
That campaign was another successful one for McSweeney as he helped them to the play-off final at Wembley where they defeated Rochdale 3-2 in a nerve tingling encounter. The following season McSweeney again performed well for the Hatters, scoring 5 goals and making numerous assists from right-back. But at the end of the 2008-09 season Stockport were forced into administration and Leon moved on to Hartlepool United, where he played under another ex-O in Chris Turner.
McSweeney made 77 appearances for the Monkey Hangers over the next two seasons at both right-back and winger. The versatility and adaptability that he had shown throughout his career stood him in good stead and led to him moving to Brisbane Road. Russell Slade was looking for a player who could cover a number of positions and McSweeney was looking for a move south, nearer his Leicester home, so he signed for the Os in June 2011.
The 2011-12 season was a disappointing one for the Orient. Despite just missing the play-offs the previous year Orient struggled and finished the season in 20thplace. McSweeney’s season was a mixed bag – he was injured in his debut against Walsall but went on to establish himself as an important member of the squad, making over 30 appearances at both right- and left-back and in midfield.
Leon’s second season at the Os was a more successful one as the team finished 7th, missing the play-offs by 3 points. McSweeney again filled a number of roles, making a further 32 appearances but he was released in the summer without scoring a goal … aside from a pre-season friendly in Finland!
McSweeney was briefly a free-agent at the start of the 2013-14 season before being snapped up by Carlisle United who were struggling at the foot of League 1. After the manager Greg Abbott was sacked following his first game for the Cumbrians Leon may have been wondering what he’d got himself into but his quality showed in the next few games as he helped turned the team’s fortunes around. But, despite winning 6 and drawing 2 of his 9 games for Carlisle, McSweeney’s short-term contract was not renewed as a result of overspending by the club. That decision would perhaps come back to haunt the Cumbrians as they ended the season in the relegation spots and must have wondered what might have happened had they held on to the versatile and reliable Irishman.
After a month kicking his heels McSweeney signed for Northampton Town at the end of January 2014. He joined a Cobblers team 7 points adrift at the bottom of League 2 and facing a seemingly impossible task to avoid relegation. However, Leon slotted straight in at right-back and played a crucial role in the club’s miraculous “Great Escape” – appearing in 18 of the last 20 games of the season, including the win at Oxford on the last day that secured their place in the Football League at the expense of Bristol Rovers. Leon has written a great piece on his blog about that season that I would encourage you to read if you have the chance: www.sweeneymc83blog.wordpress.com
McSweeney expected his performances to earn him a new contract at Northampton and he has admitted that he was bitterly disappointed when he was released at the end of the season. This led him to seriously contemplate a future away from football and despite making 4 appearances for Nuneaton Borough in the Conference at the start of the 2014-15 season he admits that his heart wasn’t really in it. Therefore, hung up his boots that autumn at the age of 32.
Where Are They Now?
After training to become a teacher, he taught for 3 years but was tempted back into the game with his first English, and now home town, club Leicester City. The articulate and thoughtful McSweeney is now a coach and player liaison officer at the Leicester City academy where he is passing on his knowledge and experience of the game to youngsters hoping to make it as the next Ben Chilwell or Demarai Gray. I am sure that O's fans will remember him fondly and wish him all the best.
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