Leo Brown Player Profile

Biography

Promising teenage striker who endured an injury plagued short stint at the club in the 2019/2020 campaign following his release from Birmingham City.

Born in Bangor, Leo Brown spent much of his formative career with Crusaders before a season with Linfield (2015/2016) which lead the pacy Northern Ireland Under-16 Schools forward getting the offer of professional football in England with Championship club Birmingham City. The recommendation for Brown's signature came from fellow youth team compatriot Ronan Hale, who had joined the club a year previously.

Two serious injuries curtailed Leo's first season at the club as a scholar, limiting the 16-year-old to just four appearances during the 2016/2017 campaign. He bounced back the following season as he formed part of the City side that reached the semi-finals of the prestigious FA Youth Cup and broke into Stephen Frail's Northern Ireland Under-19 panel.

In July 2018, Leo alongside team-mates Kieron Dawes and Jack Concannon were sent on loan to Sutton Coldfield Town of the South League Division One Central (eighth tier of the football pyramid) to gain experience of adult football. However, having failed to progress into first team contention, Leo was released by the club in May 2019 at the end of his initial three year scholarship.

Brown returned home and despite offers from a few clubs in Northern Ireland, signed for Ballymena United in August, citing the lure of working with David Jeffrey as a major factor in the decision. However, injuries continued to blight the youngster's progress as it wasn't until November (in a home defeat to Carrick Rangers) that Brown could make his debut, featuring twice for the Sky Blues on two occasions with the team out of form and going through an injury crisis.

Having fallen down the pecking order after suffering a recurrence of a hamstring problem during the winter period, Leo was granted his release from the club to move back closer to home in January 2020, joining Championship club Ards. He failed to make a single appearance in the second half of the curtailed 2019/2020 season, having been side-lined after coming off in the first half of his debut for Ards' second string.

Career
(May 2015) Linfield; (Aug 2016) Birmingham City; (Jul 2018) Sutton Coldfield Town - loan; (Aug 2019) Ballymena United; (Jan 2020) Ards

Honours
None

International Honours
Northern Ireland Under-19
Northern Ireland Under-17
Northern Ireland Under-16 Schools

Last updated: 12 August 2020

Last updated: 15 May 2021