Leon Peter Barnett English footballer, defender Date of Birth: 30.11.1985 Country: Great Britain

1. Early Career
2. Luton Town Breakthrough
3. West Bromwich Albion
4. Premier League Debut
5. Loan Spells and Norwich City
6. Subsequent Transfer and European Debut
7. Wigan Years and Return to League One
8. Later Years

Early Career

Leon Barnett began his football journey in 2002, joining the Luton Town youth team. He made his senior debut for the club in the 2002/03 season as a substitute in a Football League Trophy match against Woking. In September 2004, he inked his first professional contract with Luton Town.

Luton Town Breakthrough

Barnett made his Football League debut in the 2005/06 season, appearing as a substitute in a match against Hull City. He played sporadically throughout the season, amassing a total of 22 appearances for Luton. In the opening game of the 2006/07 season against Leicester City, he scored his first professional goal. Despite Luton's relegation at the end of that season, Barnett was voted Player of the Year by the club's supporters.

West Bromwich Albion

In July 2007, Barnett joined West Bromwich Albion for a transfer fee of £2.5 million on a four-year contract. He made his Albion debut in the opening match of the 2007/08 season. In December, he was included in the Team of the Week after West Brom's 2-1 victory over Leicester City. The team secured promotion to the Premier League that season, resulting in an additional payment of £250,000 to Luton Town as per the terms of Barnett's contract.

Premier League Debut

Barnett made his Premier League debut in the opening match of the 2008/09 season. However, his performance in a September match against Aston Villa, where he made two errors, led to West Brom's 2-1 defeat. He subsequently lost his place in the starting lineup and missed the following eight games. A knee injury later in the season forced him to miss the remainder of the campaign.

Loan Spells and Norwich City

In the 2009/10 season, Barnett became a fringe player and was loaned to Coventry City in November. He played the rest of the season with the Sky Blues. In August 2010, he went on another loan spell, this time to Norwich City, due to injuries to Michael Nelson and Zak Whitbread. On December 10, the two clubs reached an agreement for Barnett to join Norwich permanently from January 1, 2011. Norwich secured promotion to the Premier League that season, finishing second in the Championship. Barnett scored his first Premier League goal in September 2011 against Sunderland.

Subsequent Transfer and European Debut

In March 2013, Barnett joined Cardiff City on a one-month loan. The deal was extended in April until the end of the season, but Norwich recalled him due to injuries to Michael Turner and Steven Whittaker. He joined Wigan Athletic in August 2013 on a three-year contract. Barnett scored on his debut for Wigan against Barnsley. In October, he made his Europa League debut against Maribor, and in November, he scored his first European goal against Zulte Waregem.

Wigan Years and Return to League One

Barnett played 53 matches across all competitions in the 2013/14 season for Wigan. His appearances decreased the following season, with just 21 games played. Wigan was relegated to League One at the end of the 2014/15 season, but they regained promotion in the 2015/16 season. However, Wigan decided not to renew Barnett's contract.

Later Years

In July 2016, Barnett signed a two-year contract with Bury. He suffered an injury in September that kept him out for most of the first half of the season. He returned to the team in February 2017 and became a regular starter, playing in 26 matches during the 2016/17 season. In May 2017, he joined Northampton Town on a two-year deal.