Paul Leeman
Encyclopedia
Paul Leeman is a footballer from Northern Ireland, who currently plays for IFA Premiership
side Crusaders
. He notably played for Glentoran
for 15 years and captained the side to Irish League and cup titles, playing 597 times for the team, before being released in 2011.
for the 2002/03 season. Leeman missed almost all of the 2005–06 season.
He brought his children out with him to lift the Irish Premier League
trophy after Glentoran had beaten Cliftonville
to see off the challenge of Linfield
who had beaten Crusaders
5–0 at Seaview
. He had his testimonial against Roy Keane
's Ipswich Town
, a 3–1 defeat. He was the fourth generation of his family to play for Glentoran.
.
IFA Premiership
The IFA Premiership – formerly the Irish Premier League, and before that the Irish Football League–and still known in popular parlance simply as the Irish League, is the national football league in Northern Ireland, and was historically the league for the whole of Ireland. Clubs in the league are...
side Crusaders
Crusaders F.C.
Crusaders Football Club is a semi-professional, Northern Irish association football club, playing in the IFA Premiership. The club, founded in 1898, hails from Belfast and plays its home matches at Seaview. Club colours are red and black. The current manager is Stephen Baxter, appointed in 2005...
. He notably played for Glentoran
Glentoran F.C.
Glentoran F.C. is a semi-professional, football club in Northern Ireland. The club was founded in 1882 and plays its home games at the Oval in east Belfast. Club colours are green, red, and black.Glentoran's biggest rivals are Linfield...
for 15 years and captained the side to Irish League and cup titles, playing 597 times for the team, before being released in 2011.
Glentoran
After playing for Dungoyne Boys, Leeman joined Glentoran as a schoolboy in 1993. Two years later he made his first-team debut. Initially playing in midfield and at right back, he switched to centre-back. He was named as the Ulster Footballer of the YearUlster Footballer of the Year
The Ulster Footballer of the Year is the older of two association football player of the year awards in Northern Ireland. It is awarded by Castlereagh Glentoran Supporters' Club to the player who is adjudged by an independent committee to have been the best of the season in the IFA Premiership...
for the 2002/03 season. Leeman missed almost all of the 2005–06 season.
He brought his children out with him to lift the Irish Premier League
Irish Premier League
The IFA Premiership – formerly the Irish Premier League, and before that the Irish Football League–and still known in popular parlance simply as the Irish League, is the national football league in Northern Ireland, and was historically the league for the whole of Ireland. Clubs in the league are...
trophy after Glentoran had beaten Cliftonville
Cliftonville F.C.
Cliftonville Football & Athletic Club is a semi-professional, Northern Irish football club playing in the IFA Premiership. Founded on 20 September 1879 by John McCredy McAlery in the suburb of Cliftonville in north Belfast, it is the oldest football club in Ireland and celebrated its 130th...
to see off the challenge of Linfield
Linfield F.C.
Linfield F.C. , is a semi-professional, Northern Irish football club, whose home ground is Windsor Park in Belfast, which is also the home of the Northern Ireland international team....
who had beaten Crusaders
Crusaders F.C.
Crusaders Football Club is a semi-professional, Northern Irish association football club, playing in the IFA Premiership. The club, founded in 1898, hails from Belfast and plays its home matches at Seaview. Club colours are red and black. The current manager is Stephen Baxter, appointed in 2005...
5–0 at Seaview
Seaview
- Places:* Seaview, Victoria, Australia, locality in Gippsland, Victoria, Australia* Seaview, Canterbury, a suburb of Timaru, New Zealand* Seaview, Clifton beach, a beach in Karachi* Seaview, Isle of Wight, a small village in England...
. He had his testimonial against Roy Keane
Roy Keane
Roy Maurice Keane is an Irish former footballer and manager. In his 18-year playing career, he played for Cobh Ramblers in the League of Ireland, Nottingham Forest and Manchester United, before ending his career at Celtic in Scotland....
's Ipswich Town
Ipswich Town F.C.
Ipswich Town Football Club are an English professional football team based in Ipswich, Suffolk. As of 2011, they play in the Football League Championship, having last appeared in the Premier League in 2001–02....
, a 3–1 defeat. He was the fourth generation of his family to play for Glentoran.
Crusaders
Leeman joined fellow Belfast side Crusaders in June 2011, linking up with former Glens team-mate Michael HallidayMichael Halliday
Michael Alexander Kirkwood Halliday is a British linguist who developed an internationally influential model of language, the systemic functional linguistic model. His grammatical descriptions go by the name of systemic functional grammar .-Biography:Halliday was born and raised in England...
.
Honours
Glentoran- Irish Premier LeagueIrish Premier LeagueThe IFA Premiership – formerly the Irish Premier League, and before that the Irish Football League–and still known in popular parlance simply as the Irish League, is the national football league in Northern Ireland, and was historically the league for the whole of Ireland. Clubs in the league are...
(4): 1998-99, 2002-03Irish League 2002-03-Overview:There were two divisions, one of 12 teams and one of 8, and Glentoran won the championship.-Championship play-off:-Relegation play-off:-First Division:-References:*...
, 2004-05, 2008-09 - Irish CupIrish CupFor the equivalent tournament in the Republic of Ireland, see FAI Cup.The Irish Cup is the national cup knock-out competition in Northern Irish football. Inaugurated in 1881, it is the fourth oldest national cup competition in the world...
(4): 1997-98, 1999-2000, 2000-01, 2003-04 - Gold CupGold Cup (Northern Ireland)The Gold Cup is a now-defunct cup competition which involved competitors from Ireland and from 1921 onwards, just for Northern Ireland. It was initially run by the New Irish Football Association but later, and mainly, by the Irish Football Association....
(3): 1997-98, 1998-99, 1999-2000 - Irish League Cup (5): 2000-01, 2002-03, 2004-05, 2006-07, 2009-10
- County Antrim ShieldCounty Antrim ShieldThe County Antrim Shield is a football competition in Northern Ireland. The competition is open to senior teams who are members of the North East Ulster Football Association , often plus intermediate teams who...
(6): 1997-98, 1998-99, 1999-2000, 2001-02, 2002-03, 2007-08