Mikele Leigertwood

Leigertwood made his Sheffield United debut as a 75th-minute substitute in a 1–1 draw against Liverpool in the opening game of the season, quickly establishing himself a first team regular, until he suffered an ankle injury in early December.

Mikele Benjamin Leigertwood (born 12 November 1982) is a former professional footballer who played as a defensive midfielder.

Born in England, he represented the Antigua and Barbuda national team at international level.

Born in Enfield, Leigertwood began his career with Wimbledon.

After progressing through the ranks at Wimbledon, he was one of a number of youngsters called up to the first team by the manager Terry Burton in September 2001.

After his loan spell at Leyton Orient ended, he was given his first game for Wimbledon at the end of the 2001–02 season in a 1–0 defeat against Barnsley.

In November 2001, Leigertwood was loaned out to Leyton Orient and made his professional debut in a 3–0 win over Oxford United.

His performances quickly led to the extension of his loan spell at Leyton Orient on two occasions.

Leigertwood went on to make eight appearances for Leyton Orient before returning to his parent club.

At the start of the 2002–03 season, Leigertwood began to establish himself in the starting eleven for the side.

However, it wasn't until 1 October 2002 that he scored his first goal for Wimbledon against Portsmouth in the League Cup.

Leigertwood continued to hold down a first team spot until he suffered injuries in early March.

By the end of the 2002–03 season, Leigertwood had made thirty–three appearances, scoring once in all competitions.

He returned from injury on 7 April 2003, starting a 1–0 win over Sheffield United.

At the start of the 2003–04 season, Wimbledon entered administration.

Up until his departure from the club, Leigertwood started every match in the first half of the season.

On 26 August 2003, he scored his first goal of the season in a 3–2 loss against Norwich City.

and his second of the season on 25 October 200, in a 3–1 loss against Watford.

When leaving Wimbledon, he had played 65 games, scoring three times.

After making his debut, he played in 10 league games during the remainder of the 2003–04 season, helping Crystal Palace secure promotion to the FA Premier League after defeating West Ham United in the play-off final to win promotion to the Premiership.

He transferred to Crystal Palace for £155,000 in January 2004, becoming the first permanent signing of Iain Dowie.

Upon joining Crystal Palace, Leigertwood revealed he had turned down move to other clubs in order to join The Eagles.

Leigertwood made his Crystal Palace debut as a late substitute in a 6–3 win over Stoke City on 14 February 2004.

In the 2004–05 season, Leigertwood didn't make his first start of the season until 26 October 2004 in a 2–1 win over South London rivals, Charlton Athletic in the third round of the League Cup.

Following his first appearance of the season, Leigertwood began to enjoy a run of first team football.

Leigertwood spent the rest of the 2004–05 season playing in defence and midfield, but he was unsuccessful in helping to prevent Crystal Palace from being relegated from the Premier League on the final day of the season.

By the end of the 2004–05 season, Leigertwood had made 23 appearances, scoring once.

On 22 January 2005, he scored his first goal for the club against Tottenham Hotspur.

In the 2005–06 season, Leigertwood continued to feature in the first team, playing four matches for the side.

However, he was kept out by an ankle injury for two months.

and did not return to first team action 22 November 2005, coming on as a late substitute in a 1–0 win over Coventry City.

After making his return to the first team, Leigertwood held his place until he suffered a thigh injury in mid–January.

After recovering from a thigh injury, Leigertwood retained his place for the rest of the season.

Around this time, the club began negotiations with Leigertwood over a new contract.

However, it was reported in the British newspaper that he had refused to sign.

At the end of the 2005–06 season, which saw Palace miss out on a return to the Premier League after losing 1–0 to Watford in the play-offs, Leigertwood went on to make thirty appearances in all competitions.

Shortly after the play-offs, he was offered a new contract by the club.

After Palace's relegation Crystal Palace, he joined Sheffield United on a three-year deal after the Blades paid a fee of £.

Although Leigertwood was out of contract, compensation was due as he was under 24 years of age at the time.

While on the sidelines, he signed a contract extension that tied him to the club until 2006.