Lea Barkus
Personal information
Date of birth (1974-12-07) 7 December 1974
Place of birth Reading, England
Height 5 ft 6 in (1.68 m)[1]
Position(s) Forward
Team information
Current team
 Bracknell Town (First Team Coach)
Youth career
000?–1991 Reading
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1991–1995 Reading 15 (1)
1995–1997 Fulham 9 (1)
Total 24 (2)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Lea Barkus (born 7 December 1974) is an English former footballer who played as forward for Reading and Fulham. He was forced to retire from the professional game at just 22 due to a persistent back injury.

Career

Born in Reading, Barkus began his career in the Youth Training Scheme at his hometown club.[2] After progressing through the youth teams, he made his first team debut in March 1992 age 17 against Chester City and was awarded man-of-the match for his performance. A few weeks later he scored his first goal in the 6–1 win over Torquay United though soon after he began to suffer from persistent back problems.[3] He made a further 11 appearances during the 1992–93 season but failed to add to his goal tally and never made another appearance for the first team,[4] though he was part of the Reading reserve side that won the Berks & Bucks Senior Cup in 1994.[5]

Although he had not played for the Reading first team since the 1992–93 season, and with his back problems to continue to hamper him despite surgery, Barkus joined Fulham for £20,000 in 1995. He made 16 appearances during the 1995–96 season, scoring twice,[1] but did not feature again and in 1997 was forced to retire as a professional due to his back problems. He moved into non-league football and then coaching.[5] As of the 2013–14 season he is a youth coach with East Berkshire Football League side Bracknell Cavaliers.[6] In April 2021 Lea was appointed interim manager of Combined Counties side Sandhurst Town.

Career statistics

Club Season League FA Cup League Cup Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Reading 1991–92[3] Third Division 61000000 61
1992–93[4] Second Division 9010001[lower-alpha 1]0 110
1993–94[7] Second Division 00000000 00
1994–95[8] First Division 00000000 00
Total 151100010 171
Fulham 1995–96[1] Third Division 9130212[lower-alpha 1]0 162
Career total 242402130 333
  1. 1 2 Appearance(s) in the Football League Trophy

Honours

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Lea Barkus". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 22 December 2013.
  2. ↑ "Lea Barkus". Reading F.C. Former Players' Association. Retrieved 22 December 2013.
  3. 1 2 "Reading 1991–92". royalsrecord.co.uk. Royals Record. Retrieved 22 December 2013.
  4. 1 2 "Reading 1992–93". royalsrecord.co.uk. Royals Record. Retrieved 22 December 2013.
  5. 1 2 3 Sedunary, Alan (7 December 2013). "Born Royal". Short stay. Reading F.C. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  6. ↑ "Club contacts 2013–14 season". Bracknell Cavaliers F.C. Retrieved 22 December 2013.
  7. ↑ "Reading 1993–94". royalsrecord.co.uk. Royals Record. Retrieved 22 December 2013.
  8. ↑ "Reading 1994–95". royalsrecord.co.uk. Royals Record. Retrieved 22 December 2013.
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