Harrogate footballer looking to score Blackburn Rovers to promotion
Blackburn Rovers may have strolled past Harrogate Town in the Carabao Cup recently — but one notable local player was absent from the team sheet.
Harry Leonard, 19, grew up in Harrogate and went to Grove Road Community Primary School and then Rossett School.
His family moved to the town 12 years ago from Rochdale.
Now starting for Rovers up front, Harry — like England star Rachel Daly — started out at Killinghall Nomads before moving onto Pannal Sports.
He signed for Blackburn at just nine-years-old.
Harry (second from right, back row) pictured with Killinghall Nomads.
Speaking to the Stray Ferret, Harry said it felt “unbelievable” to join such an academy set up.
During his rise up the ranks, he rubbed shoulders with players such as Jordan Rhodes, who scored 84 goals for Blackburn over a four-year spell, and midfielder Bradley Dack.
He signed his first professional contract in December 2021.
At the time, he said:
“It’s a little step in what is hopefully a long career here for me.
“You sacrifice a lot, moving over to the area at such a young age and a lot of hard work has gone into it, so I’d like to think that the hard work is paying off, but you can’t hold back in football. You’ve got to keep pushing on, keep working hard and keep getting better.”
Harry signing for Blackburn at nine-years-old.
Manager John Dahl Tomasson gave Harry his big break at the start of this season when the club opened their campaign with a 2-1 win over West Bromwich Albion at Ewood Park.
Harry started and scored his first senior goal — 10 years to the day since he signed for Rovers.
He said:
“I was over the moon. It was a good win over a good side.”
Despite playing with the likes of Rhodes and Dack, Harry says he has never had one player that he has modelled his game on.
In fact, much of his inspiration lies closer to home.
He points to Ricky O’Sullivan, his PE teacher at Rossett, and Ryan Ellis, his teacher at Grove Road Primary School, as among those who helped him the most.
The 19-year-old has started all but one league game in the Championship so far.
With games against the likes of local rivals Preston North End still to come, he says one of the games he’s most looking forward to is the trip to Elland Road to face Leeds United.
“I’ve got friends who will be in the Leeds end.”
Relishing his first senior season in the Championship, Harry said he’s taking each game as it comes.
Ahead of the season, he sat down with coach Damian Johnson to go over how he would approach the coming season.
But, rather than set a target, the discussion was around developing himself in the first team.
“I sat down at the start of the season with him and decided to try and cement my place in the team.
“I’m trying to take it game by game.”
