Collected from open sources (3) · facts link to sources
Gallery
Career & Clubs
Youth career
A member of the England Development School at Lilleshall where he was a year behind Joe Cole, Britton began his career as an Arsenal trainee at the age of nine. When he signed for West Ham United for £400,000 in 1998, he attracted the highest transfer fee ever paid for a 16-year-old at that time. Loan to Swansea Unable to break into the first team at West Ham, Britton joined Swansea City on loan in December 2002, helping the club to avoid relegation from the Football League. The move was funded in part by a bucket collection by Swansea supporters in a campaign dubbed "The Battle For Britton". He was named PFA Fans' Player of the Year for the Third Division in the 2002–03 season as well as Swansea City player of the year. Swansea manager Brian Flynn was impressed enough to sign him permanently after he was released by West Ham.
Swansea City
On 16 September 2005, Britton scored his first goal for the club; the opener in a 3–0 win over Macclesfield. Later that season, he played 90 minutes as Swansea beat Carlisle United in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy Final at the Millennium Stadium. Britton then played 120 minutes in the League One play-off final, in which Swansea lost on penalties to Barnsley. Including his appearances whilst on loan with the club, to the end of the 2005–06 season, Britton had played 137 times for Swansea City in all competitions (with a further 18 appearances as a substitute) and had scored nine goals. Britton won his second…
- Club
- Sheffield United F.C. (2010–2011)
- Club
- Swansea City A.F.C. (2002–2003)
- Club
- West Ham United F.C. (1999–2003)
- Club
- Arsenal F.C.
- Club
- Swansea City A.F.C. (2003–2010)
- Club
- Swansea City A.F.C. (2011–)
- Club
- England national under-16 association football team (1998–1999)
- League
- Premier League
- National team
- England
Personal
Britton was born in Merton, Greater London and played a young Ryan Giggs in a road safety advertisement in the 1990s. Britton also appeared in a Walkers Crisps advert with former England international Gary Lineker.
Legacy
Swansea City
Football League Championship play-offs: 2011 Football League One: 2007–08 Football League Two third-place promotion: 2004–05 Football League Cup: 2012–13 Football League Trophy: 2005–06 FAW Premier Cup: 2004–05, 2005–06 Individual
PFA Fans' Player of the Year: 2002–03 Third Division Swansea City Player of the Year: 2002–03, 2006–07
Clubs
- Swansea City A.F.C.2011current
- England national under-16 association football team1998–1999
- West Ham United F.C.1999–2003
- Swansea City A.F.C.2002–2003
- Swansea City A.F.C.2003–2010
- Sheffield United F.C.2010–2011
- Arsenal F.C.1998
Played together with
Aaron CresswellWest Ham United F.C. · 2014
Aaron RamsdaleArsenal F.C. · 2021–2024- Aaron RamsdaleSheffield United F.C. · 2015–2017
- Aaron RamsdaleSheffield United F.C. · 2020–2021
Aaron RamseyArsenal F.C. · 2008–2019
Aaron Wan-BissakaWest Ham United F.C. · 2024
Abdoulaye FayeWest Ham United F.C. · 2011–2012
Abdul RazakWest Ham United F.C. · 2014–2014
Abou DiabyArsenal F.C. · 2006–2015
Adama TraoréWest Ham United F.C. · 2026–2026
Ade AkinbiyiSheffield United F.C. · 2006–2007
Adebayo AkinfenwaSwansea City A.F.C. · 2005–2007
Archive
Passport
Identifiers & aliases
Leon James Britton is an English footballer and coach who last played for Swansea City. A midfielder, he spent most of his career with Swansea City, having joined the club on a permanent transfer in 2003. Britton went on to make 520 appearances for the club. He joined Sheffield United in the summer of 2010, but transferred back to Swansea in January 2011, becoming a central figure in Swansea's successful promotion campaign. He remains one of a small number of players to have represented any club in all four professional divisions of the English footballing pyramid, along with Billy Sharp, Brett Ormerod, and former Swansea teammates Alan Tate and Garry Monk. Britton later played twice for Llanelli Town and signed for Ammanford in February 2021.
Opinions of fans — not verified facts.
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