Luke Prosser

Luke Barrie Prosser (born 28 May 1988) is an English former professional footballer last played as a defender.

He scored 17 goals in 423 league and cup appearances in a 15-year career.

He was signed by Port Vale after he was not offered a Youth Training Scheme contract at White Hart Lane in 2004.

A product of the Tottenham Hotspur youth academy, Prosser joined Port Vale in 2005.

He spent five years at the club, also spending time on loan at Leigh RMI, Salisbury City, and Kidderminster Harriers.

He played in the Vale youth setup as a trainee before signing a professional contract on 1 July 2006.

He was offered a new six-month contract by Vale in May 2007.

He finished the 2007–08 season with five appearances for the club, after which he was offered a new contract.

Prosser was loaned to Leigh RMI of the Northern Premier League Premier Division in 2008 to gain first team experience, where he made seven league appearances.

After returning from this loan spell, he made his debut for Port Vale in a 3–2 victory over Brighton & Hove Albion on 5 April 2008.

Following an injury to Gareth Owen in March 2009, Prosser was given an opportunity to affirm his place in the team, and hoped to earn a new contract at the end of the 2008–09 season.

He succeeded in this aim, signing a 12-month deal in June 2009.

However, two months later he was transfer listed by new manager Micky Adams in August 2009 along with five other young players, having failed to impress in pre-season.

He swiftly joined Conference Premier club Salisbury City on a one-month loan deal along with teammate Danny Glover.

The pair made their debuts as substitutes in a 1–0 defeat to Mansfield Town at the Raymond McEnhill Stadium on 15 August 2009.

After playing six games for Salisbury, Prosser's loan was extended for a further month on 8 September 2009.

He was recalled by Adams in October 2009, though he had to settle for a place on the bench, behind the first choice centre-halves.

Another injury to Gareth Owen allowed Prosser to return to the first XI for a league clash with Rotherham United on 14 November 2009.

In an eventful first half, Prosser scored his first professional goal with a close ranger header, before being sent off for two bookable offences.

He moved on to Southend United in 2010, and was initially loaned out to Rushden & Diamonds.

In March 2010, he was informed that he would not be offered a new contract by Port Vale at the end of the season.

He immediately joined Conference Premier club Kidderminster Harriers on loan until the end of the season, where he made nine appearances.

In search of a new club, Prosser spent time on trial with Barnet and Lincoln City ahead of the 2010–11 season.

With a transfer embargo in situ, he signed a pre-contract with Southend United following a trial in August 2010.

Having played only 13 matches for Southend, Prosser was loaned to Rushden & Diamonds for three months on 7 January 2011.

He was recalled from his loan on 18 February 2011, after playing six league games for the Conference club and scoring his second career goal.

Back at Southend, Prosser earned a recall against his former club Port Vale on 9 April 2011, where his last-minute goal earned Southend a point.

He signed a new one-year deal with the club the following month.

Prosser made 27 appearances for Southend in all competitions during the 2011–12 season, as the club narrowly missed out on automatic promotion and failing in the play-offs.

With his contract expiring, Southend activated a 12-month extension clause in Prosser's contract in June 2012.

He played for Southend in the 2013 Football League Trophy final and was an unused substitute in the 2015 League Two play-off final victory.

The following season, Prosser captained Southend in Chris Barker's absence during a 1–1 draw with Accrington Stanley on 9 February 2013.

He featured for the club in the 2–0 Football League Trophy final defeat to Crewe Alexandra at Wembley Stadium on 7 April 2013.

In June 2013, Prosser rejected an initial offer of a new contract from Southend.

However, a week later, he agreed a new two-year deal with the club.

Prosser made 31 and 33 appearances respectively in the two following seasons as Southend twice reached the play-offs, faltering at the semi-final stage during the 2013–14 season but reaching the final in the 2014–15 campaign.

He was loaned out to Northampton Town in January 2016, and helped the club to win promotion as League Two champions in 2015–16.

After being released by Southend, he joined Essex rivals Colchester United for a four-year stay starting in June 2016.

He signed for Stevenage in August 2020 and stayed with the club for two seasons.

Prosser joined Tottenham Hotspur at the age of ten after being scouted playing in a soccer school ran by Micky Hazard.