Leon Jeanne Update

As some of you may know, after one of my posts a few weeks ago, I have been spending time with Leon Jeanne over the last few months, working on his autobiography, and helping him get fit for a final crack at the football league this summer.

Over the last 12 months Leon has now lost 3 and a half stone and has just half a stone to lose before he is back to peak fitness. In November he signed for Conference team Bath City and despite being overweight he was drafted into their squad and featured in their 2.1 win over Newport. Unfortunately Leon was not quite fit enough to start any games, and due to Bath not having a reserve team, he was not able to improve on his match fitness. As a result Bath manager, Aidie Britton, has allowed Leon to join Cinderford Town, on loan, in order to get more minutes under his belt. Leon made a spectatcular debut for Cinderford on the weekend, setting up a goal and scoring a screamer:

http://www.thisisgloucestershire.co.uk/ ... ticle.html

In the next two weeks he is scheduled to attend a high intensity boxing camp in Tenerife in order to shed the remaining pounds. The PFA have also paid for him to spend some time in Lilleshall to work on his fitness. Both Bath and Cinderford managers have stated that as long as Leon gets back to full fitness he still has the quality to play in the football league. This summer he is hoping to go on trial at Bristol Rovers in an attempt to earn a contract. Leon is however adamant that he can still play Championship football if given the chance.

Reporters from Channel Four's, Dispatches, programme recently met with Leon and I to discuss doing a feature on him for a forthcoming documentary regarding drugs in football which will be on tv in May. After some consideration we decided that it would not be in Leon's best interests to take part at this time as he wanted to focus 100% on his comeback and didnt want to revive any negative publicity. Leon also feared that the programme may make out that he was blaming others in football for his drug and alcohol problems which is not the case as he takes full repsonsibility.

Whatever happens regarding Leon's comeback he is a changed man, who is busting a gut to try and make something of himself, after years in the wilderness. It wont be easy but he's giving it his best.

Good on him, would be a shame to waste the talent

Remember seeing Leon in a friendly up at merthyr back in 2001, thought he was fantastic, with huge potential, i wrote to the club saying how impressed i was with him, they sent me a letter back saying they had passed it on to him, it was a great pity that he lost his way. good to hear he is in better shape now and trying to get back into league football, good luck leon.

Leon, was one of the most Talented players I have ever seen, Sadly Wasted.

I can see a film in the making here, watched the fighter last night, this could be the football version of that film, which incidentally was fantastic.

Leon, was one of the most Talented players I have ever seen, Sadly Wasted.

Totally agree, so much talent and potential sadly wasted.

I spend quite a lot of my working life with people with substance misuse issues and I hope Leon makes it back - it would be nice to put forward a living example to people to show that it is never too late to give up drugs.

Used to watch him play in our reserves when he was with us. He could have been as good as George Best had he not been distracted but then we wouldn't have had him if he hadn't been.

Last edited by Gerry Hat Trick on Wed Feb 09, 2011 6:53 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Good grief.

If you're writing a book on him, ask him about his pitiful Zoo "article".

Maybe he should have played for wales last night!!!

Used to watch him play in our reserves when he was with us. He could have been as good as George Best had he not been distracted but then we wouldn't have had him if he hadn't been.

He really was that good, I watched him quite a few times, I Rem away to Newtown in the Welsh invitation Cup, he was taking the mick out of their players because they could not get near him, he was actually told of for it,for his appalling attitude.

'As good as Georgie Best'

I saw Leon play once in a league game at home to Brighton. He skinned their right back, sent in a perfect cross and earnie scored.

Sad waste of a talent. Hope he has completely sorted himself out.

One of my friends at Mount town played against him in a friendly last year. Said Jeanne was sensational. He couldn't believe how skillful he was playing at that level. Sounds like he's working hard to get back. Best of luck to him

I seen play in Italy for the Welsh under 21 side he was the best player on the pitch the boy had class, if he had the right people around him at the time he could have been the best modern day player we ever had.

Wasted talent is so frustrating. Remember him against the Jacks at home in the FAW Cup I think it was. He murdered them, he had power, skill and could finish like Earnie.

I genuinely believe he could have been a City great.

I saw Leon play once in a league game at home to Brighton. He skinned their right back, sent in a perfect cross and earnie scored.

Sad waste of a talent. Hope he has completely sorted himself out.

I remember that game as I was in the grandstand. I also watched him in a few Reserve games too.

He did have the potential to become a top four club player. He was that good!! Such a waste of a talent.

leon, is going to look at his life when hes in his rocking chair, with his great grandchildren on his lap, and say, ive been a fool in my life, i could have had something special, something that millions of children, adults would have giving anything to have,,,,,,,, a football talent,,, let down by mates, people gave me chance after chance, but i blew it,,,,,,,,,, look what i got now, look what i could have had,,,,,,, leon was given a second chance by sam, but he threw it back in his face,,, anyway, as a cardiff boy i hope he makes a go of it, and good luck to him,,,,,,, but i dont feel sorry for him, he chose his path, and walked it.

i saw him play once against the vermin, FAW premier cup final 2002. Cracking player, would love to see him back in the FL.

such a shame. could have been such a great player. hope he gets back into the football league

fantastic to hear that !! I remember winning the FAW cup over Swansea and he featured in our team. He's a hometown lad and I hope he knows all city fans are hoping he can achieve his dream.

Good luck Leon... I really hope he makes it as I had the good fortune to see him play once or twice and he had so much talent it was frightening

Interesting correlation how the best players are often the ones with the most issues.

Gazza, Best, Maradona - all nutters!

I saw Leon play once in a league game at home to Brighton. He skinned their right back, sent in a perfect cross and earnie scored.

Sad waste of a talent. Hope he has completely sorted himself out.

Yeah, this was the only time I saw him play.

Fair play to leon! he's doin well
I'v seen him at his worse and seen him at his best ,

if he gets back to peak fitness best thing he could do is get as far away from cardiff as possible! cos I know exactly what he'l be like. one Blip , or break up with the mrs and he'l be dragged back in to the shit.

leon, is going to look at his life when hes in his rocking chair, with his great grandchildren on his lap, and say, ive been a fool in my life, i could have had something special, something that millions of children, adults would have giving anything to have,,,,,,,, a football talent,,, let down by mates, people gave me chance after chance, but i blew it,,,,,,,,,, look what i got now, look what i could have had,,,,,,, leon was given a second chance by sam, but he threw it back in his face,,, anyway, as a cardiff boy i hope he makes a go of it, and good luck to him,,,,,,, but i dont feel sorry for him, he chose his path, and walked it.

Judging by the effort he appears to be putting in, looks like he doesn't feel sorry for himself. It would be a good turnaround story for others whose lives derail. Good luck to him.

leon, is going to look at his life when hes in his rocking chair, with his great grandchildren on his lap, and say, ive been a fool in my life, i could have had something special, something that millions of children, adults would have giving anything to have,,,,,,,, a football talent,,, let down by mates, people gave me chance after chance, but i blew it,,,,,,,,,, look what i got now, look what i could have had,,,,,,, leon was given a second chance by sam, but he threw it back in his face,,, anyway, as a cardiff boy i hope he makes a go of it, and good luck to him,,,,,,, but i dont feel sorry for him, he chose his path, and walked it.

Judging by the effort he appears to be putting in, looks like he doesn't feel sorry for himself. It would be a good turnaround story for others whose lives derail. Good luck to him.

He's pushing 32 november, will the crack/cocaine alcohol take its toll on him into his 30's
i'm curious to see the outcome

It's a shame that he's left it too late to make any real impact as a player, but I would think that he could redeem himself and become some sort of councillor against drugs and alcohol abuse within professional football, could be a career for him there.

The amount of chances that lads had, chances most people could only dream of! And all he done was throw it back in peoples face pfft!!!

'As good as Georgie Best'

precisely the sort of reply one would expect from the graveyard of ambition