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Andrew John Leaning (born 18 May 1963) is an English former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper, and has since been employed as a goalkeeping coach.

Having started his career in the amateur game with York Railway Institute and Rowntree Mackintosh, he turned professional when he joined York City in 1985. From there Leaning went on to have spells at Sheffield United, Bristol City, Lincoln City, Dundee and Chesterfield, before retiring from playing in 2000. Over the course of his 15-year career in professional football he made 282 league and cup appearances. He was promoted with Bristol City after a second-place finish in the Third Division in 1989–90, and was named as Lincoln City's Player of the Year in 1995. Since 2000 he has been employed as goalkeeping coach at a number of his former clubs including York City, Sheffield United, and Chesterfield, as well as Leeds United.

Playing career

Leaning had trials with York City in 1979 at the age of 16 and he went on to play for York Railway Institute and Rowntree Mackintosh in the Northern Counties East Football League as an amateur while working for British Rail.[2][3] He later played in York's reserve team and was offered the chance to turn professional with the Third Division club in July 1985.[1][2] Following an injury to first-choice goalkeeper Mike Astbury, Leaning made his first team debut in a 1–1 draw at Newport County on 6 November.[2] He played in all of York's seven FA Cup games in the 1985–86 season and his "finest" performance came in York's 3–1 defeat after extra time against Liverpool at Anfield in the fifth round on 18 February 1986,[4][5] being named man of the match following a "heroic" performance.[6] He was able to do a "fine job" in Astbury's absence during the 1985–86 season,[2] which he finished with 39 appearances in all competitions.[4] He made 47 appearances for York in all competitions in the 1986–87 season.[7]

Having made 86 appearances for York in all competitions, he was allowed to leave the club in 1987 and following a brief trial with Everton in May 1987, where he played one game in the reserves, he joined Second Division team Sheffield United on 28 May.[2][5][8] He made 25 appearances in all competitions for United before signing for Third Division team Bristol City for a fee of £12,000 in November 1988, having initially joined on a month's loan on 27 September.[2][8] He made 19 league appearances during the 1989–90 season as City secured promotion out of the Third Division with a second-place finish. After making 89 appearances for City in all competitions he joined Third Division team Lincoln City on 24 March 1994.[8] He made his debut in a 2–1 defeat to Crewe Alexandra on 26 March. He was named as the club's Player of the Year for the 1994–95 season. While at Lincoln, supporters would chant lyrics from George Formby's "Leaning on a Lamppost" in recognition of Leaning.[9] After making 51 appearances in all competitions for Lincoln he signed for Scottish First Division team Dundee in August 1996.[8][10] He returned to England after signing for Second Division team Chesterfield in October 1996, where he made 29 appearances before retiring in 2000.[8]

Coaching career

Following his retirement from playing, Leaning moved into specialist coaching and he became goalkeeping coach at Chesterfield,[11][12] later having appointments at Scarborough and Barnsley.[3] He holds UEFA 'A' licences in coaching and goalkeeping coaching.[3] He worked as a coach for the York College Football Development Centre in 2006.[3] He became goalkeeping coach at former club Sheffield United at the beginning of the 2002–03 season,[13] before leaving the club in May 2010.[11][14] Leaning was appointed goalkeeping coach at former club York City on a part-time basis on 8 July 2010.[15] He departed the club a little under a year later on 16 June 2011 after the appointment of Paul Musselwhite as player-goalkeeping coach.[16] He joined Leeds United as academy goalkeeping coach during 2012, and later coached the club's first-team goalkeepers before leaving in July 2014.[17][18] Leaning returned to York for a second spell as goalkeeping coach on 19 May 2015, working under manager Russ Wilcox.[19] Jackie McNamara later became manager, and Leaning left the club on 8 December 2015.[20] Some weeks later he was briefly employed as a goalkeeping coach at Port Vale.[21]

Personal life

Born in Howden, East Riding of Yorkshire, Leaning's son Jack is a cricketer who has represented Yorkshire at junior level from the age of 11.[22] In June 2008 his unbeaten 164 for the county under-14 team against Cheshire was the highest score ever by a Yorkshire youth player.[22]

Career statistics

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition[23]
Club Season Division League FA Cup Other Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
York City 1985–86 Third Division 30 0 7 0 2 0 39 0
1986–87 Third Division 39 0 1 0 7 0 47 0
Total 69 0 8 0 9 0 86 0
Sheffield United 1987–88 Second Division 21 0 2 0 2 0 25 0
Bristol City 1988–89 Third Division 6 0 0 0 2 0 8 0
1989–90 Third Division 19 0 2 0 5 0 26 0
1990–91 Second Division 29 0 1 0 1 0 31 0
1991–92 Second Division 20 0 4 0 1 0 25 0
1992–93 First Division 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
Total 75 0 7 0 9 0 91 0
Lincoln City 1993–94 Third Division 8 0 0 0 0 0 8 0
1994–95 Third Division 21 0 3 0 6 0 30 0
1995–96 Third Division 7 0 0 0 6 0 13 0
Total 36 0 3 0 12 0 51 0
Dundee 1996–97 Scottish First Division 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Chesterfield 1996–97 Second Division 9 0 0 0 1 0 10 0
1997–98 Second Division 5 0 2 0 0 0 7 0
1998–99 Second Division 2 0 0 0 2 0 4 0
1999–2000 Second Division 6 0 0 0 2 0 8 0
Total 22 0 2 0 5 0 29 0
Career total[a] 223 0 22 0 37 0 282 0
  1. ^ Appearances in non-League football for York Railway Institute and Rowntree Mackintosh not recorded.

Honours

Individual

  • Lincoln City F.C. Player of the Year: 1995

Bristol City

References

  1. ^ a b c Hugman, Barry J., ed. (2005). The PFA Premier & Football League Players' Records 1946–2005. Harpenden: Queen Anne Press. p. 364. ISBN 1-85291-665-6.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Jarred, Martin; Windross, Dave (1997). Citizens and Minstermen, A Who's Who of York City FC 1922–1997. Selby: Citizen Publications. p. 60. ISBN 0-9531005-0-2.
  3. ^ a b c d "Leaning power for 'keepers". Evening Press. York. 21 January 2006. Retrieved 9 July 2010.
  4. ^ a b Batters, Dave (2008). York City: The Complete Record. Derby: Breedon Books. pp. 364–413. ISBN 978-1-85983-633-0.
  5. ^ a b "City's Keepers – 1970–94". York City South. Retrieved 9 July 2010.
  6. ^ "Andy leaning towards York again". Vital York. Retrieved 9 July 2010.
  7. ^ Batters. York City: The Complete Record. pp. 368–413.
  8. ^ a b c d e "Andy Leaning". Soccerbase. Retrieved 9 July 2010.
  9. ^ "Whistle blowing proves a Korea move for Una". The Northern Echo. Darlington. 4 May 2010. Archived from the original on 30 September 2012. Retrieved 9 July 2010.
  10. ^ "Andy Leaning". The Lincoln City FC Archive. Archived from the original on 18 May 2012. Retrieved 9 July 2010.
  11. ^ a b "Andy Leaning – Goalkeeper Coach". Sheffield United F.C. 4 November 2008. Archived from the original on 16 July 2009. Retrieved 9 July 2010.
  12. ^ "Chesterfield : 1946/47 – 2008/09". Post War English & Scottish Football League A – Z Player's Database. Retrieved 9 July 2010.
  13. ^ "Cooper plans return". Evening Press. York. 14 September 2002. Retrieved 16 July 2010.
  14. ^ "Keeper coach Leaning leaving Lane". The Star. 17 May 2010. Retrieved 9 July 2010.
  15. ^ "York City sign Andy Leaning as goalkeeping coach". BBC Sport. 8 July 2010. Retrieved 9 July 2010.
  16. ^ "City Sign New Goalkeeper". York City F.C. 16 June 2011. Archived from the original on 21 June 2011. Retrieved 16 June 2011.
  17. ^ "Redfearn aided by "City" axis". The Press. York. 7 February 2012. Retrieved 20 September 2014.
  18. ^ "Leeds goalkeeping Andy Leaning coach leaves club". Yorkshire Post. Leeds. 11 July 2014. Retrieved 20 September 2014.
  19. ^ "Andy Leaning is back as York City goalkeeping coach". The Press. York. 19 May 2015. Retrieved 19 May 2015.
  20. ^ Flett, Dave (8 December 2015). "York City part company with goalkeeping coach Andy Leaning". The Press. York. Retrieved 8 December 2015.
  21. ^ Baggaley, Mike (26 January 2017). "Former England keeper Chris Kirkland coaching at Port Vale". Stoke Sentinel. Retrieved 26 January 2017.
  22. ^ a b Carroll, Steve (10 July 2008). "Heworth ace re-writes the Yorkshire youth record-books". The Press. Retrieved 16 July 2010.
  23. ^ Andy Leaning at the English National Football Archive (subscription required)
source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andy_Leaning