Adam Legzdins
Encyclopedia
Adam Richard Legzdins is an English footballer who plays for Derby County
as a goalkeeper. He qualifies to play international football for Latvia
via his paternal grandparents.
, Staffordshire
. He came through Birmingham City
's Academy
system and played his first competitive football in October 2005 on loan at Alfreton Town
in the Conference North
, four games which included a man of the match
performance away at Hereford United
in the FA Cup
. He then joined Halifax Town
of the Conference National
on a work experience basis, where he played 11 games before Birmingham recalled him, concerned that regular first team football for Halifax combined with playing for Birmingham's reserve team
was too much for the 19-year-old.
Legzdins signed his first one-year professional contract in the summer of 2006. Early in the 2006–07 he was given a Birmingham squad number because of an injury to first choice keeper Maik Taylor
, and was an unused substitute in their Championship
match at Cardiff City
. In October 2006 he joined Oldham Athletic
on loan where he acted as backup to Les Pogliacomi
, making one substitute appearance in the Football League Trophy
. He then joined Macclesfield Town
on loan and was expected to go straight into the starting eleven due to injury and suspension, but manager Paul Ince
chose goalkeeping coach
David Rouse
instead, and Legzdins completed his month's loan without appearing for the club. He played an active part in helping Birmingham reserves
to the championship of the Central League
Division One Central in 2006–07.
Legzdins was given a further year's contract in summer 2007, and rejoined Halifax on a three months' loan in October 2007, where he played regularly in preference to the more experienced Craig Mawson
. He extended his loan at Halifax until the end of the 2007–08 season in January 2008, and on 9 June 2008 he signed for Crewe Alexandra
as a replacement for their departing goalkeepers Ben Williams and Owain Fôn Williams
. He joined Weymouth
on a month's loan on 26 March 2009.
Legzdins made his first team debut for Crewe in the League Cup
defeat to Blackpool
on 11 August 2009, after loan goalkeeper David Button
returned to Tottenham Hotspur
, and followed this up with his debut in the Football League
on 22 August, keeping a clean sheet in the 1–0 home win against Hereford United
.
on a two-year contract on 1 July. He kept a clean sheet on his full debut on 7 August 2010 in a 0–0 draw against Oxford United
. After playing in every League game of the 2010–11 season, he was voted Burton Albion Supporters' Player of the Year and Players' Player of the Year.
had agreed a transfer fee that would allow Legzdins to join the Pride Park
club. The transfer was completed on 1 July 2011, with Legzdins signing a three-year contract. Rams manager Nigel Clough
said that he would be backup to first choice keeper Frank Fielding
.
Legzdins made his debut for Derby away at Nottingham Forest
after Frank Fielding
was sent off after only a minute, helping the club to a 2-1 win against their local rivals
.
Derby County F.C.
Derby County Football Club is an English football based in Derby. the club play in the Football League Championship and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888 and is, therefore, one of only ten clubs to have competed in every season of the English...
as a goalkeeper. He qualifies to play international football for Latvia
Latvia national football team
The Latvian national football team is controlled by the Latvian Football Federation, the governing body for football in Latvia and represents the country in international football competitions, such as the World Cup and the European Championships. So far, they have never qualified for a FIFA World...
via his paternal grandparents.
Career
Legzdins was born in PenkridgePenkridge
Penkridge is a market town and ancient parish in Staffordshire, England with a population of 7,836 . Many locals refer to it as a village, although it has a long history as an ecclesiastical and commercial centre. Its main distinction in the Middle Ages was as the site of an important collegiate...
, Staffordshire
Staffordshire
Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
. He came through Birmingham City
Birmingham City F.C.
Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...
's Academy
Birmingham City F.C. Reserves and Academy
Birmingham City F.C. Reserves and Academy are the reserve team and the youth development system respectively of Birmingham City Football Club. The reserve team, established in 1879, played in the Premier Reserve League South in the 2009–10 season but have not entered a league since...
system and played his first competitive football in October 2005 on loan at Alfreton Town
Alfreton Town F.C.
Alfreton Town F.C. is an English football club based in Alfreton, Derbyshire. The club was reformed after a merger between Alfreton Miners Welfare and Alfreton United in 1959...
in the Conference North
Conference North
The Conference North also known as Blue Square Bet North for sponsorship reasons, is a division of the Football Conference in England, taking its place immediately below the Conference National. Along with Conference South it is at Step 2 of the National League System and the sixth overall tier of...
, four games which included a man of the match
Man of the match
In sport, a Man of the Match or Player of the Game or Man of the Series award is given to the outstanding player, almost always the one who makes the most impact, in a particular match or series. The term was originally used more often in cricket before being adopted by other sports. This can be a...
performance away at Hereford United
Hereford United F.C.
Hereford United Football Club is an English professional football club based in the city of Hereford. Founded in 1924, they are competing in Football League Two in the 2011–12 season. Hereford have played at Edgar Street for their entire history and are nicknamed 'The Whites' or 'The Lilywhites',...
in the FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
. He then joined Halifax Town
Halifax Town A.F.C.
Halifax Town Association Football Club were an English football team who most recently played in the Conference National, although prior to that they participated in the Football League for over eighty years...
of the Conference National
Conference National
Conference National is the top division of the Football Conference in England. It is the highest level of the National League System and fifth highest of the overall English football league system...
on a work experience basis, where he played 11 games before Birmingham recalled him, concerned that regular first team football for Halifax combined with playing for Birmingham's reserve team
Reserve team
Large professional sports clubs often have far more players under contract than could possibly play in a match. As a result, many of these clubs create second teams composed of players who need playing time, but have little hope of playing on the first team. The players on this second team are...
was too much for the 19-year-old.
Legzdins signed his first one-year professional contract in the summer of 2006. Early in the 2006–07 he was given a Birmingham squad number because of an injury to first choice keeper Maik Taylor
Maik Taylor
Maik Stefan Taylor is a professional footballer who plays for Leeds United and is a former Northern Ireland international....
, and was an unused substitute in their Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
match at Cardiff City
Cardiff City F.C.
Cardiff City Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Cardiff, Wales. The club competes in the English football pyramid and is currently playing in the Football League Championship. Cardiff City is the best supported football club in Wales, averaging approximately 22,500 for...
. In October 2006 he joined Oldham Athletic
Oldham Athletic A.F.C.
Oldham Athletic Association Football Club is an English association football club based at Boundary Park, on Sheepfoot Lane in Oldham, Greater Manchester. The club currently competes in the Football League One, the third tier of the English league...
on loan where he acted as backup to Les Pogliacomi
Les Pogliacomi
Les Pogliacomi currently plays for Campbelltown City SC in the FFSA Super League.-Club career:He was dropped for Chris Day by Ronnie Moore in the 2005-2006 season, and went to Blackpool FC. However, John Sheridan brought him back to Oldham in the 2006/2007 season...
, making one substitute appearance in the Football League Trophy
Football League Trophy
The Football League Trophy, currently known as the Johnstone's Paint Trophy for sponsorship reasons, is an annual English association football knock-out competition open to the 48 clubs in Football League One and Football League Two, the bottom two divisions in the four fully professional top...
. He then joined Macclesfield Town
Macclesfield Town F.C.
Macclesfield Town Football Club is an English football team. The club was formed in 1874 and is based in the town of Macclesfield in Cheshire. The team play its home games at the 6,355 capacity Moss Rose stadium...
on loan and was expected to go straight into the starting eleven due to injury and suspension, but manager Paul Ince
Paul Ince
Paul Emerson Carlyle Ince is an English football manager and a former professional player. He has managed Blackburn Rovers, Milton Keynes Dons and Macclesfield Town...
chose goalkeeping coach
Coach (sport)
In sports, a coach is an individual involved in the direction, instruction and training of the operations of a sports team or of individual sportspeople.-Staff:...
David Rouse
David Rouse
David Rouse is an English former footballer who played in the Football League as a goalkeeper for Macclesfield Town. He is on the coaching staff of Queens Park Rangers....
instead, and Legzdins completed his month's loan without appearing for the club. He played an active part in helping Birmingham reserves
Birmingham City F.C. Reserves and Academy
Birmingham City F.C. Reserves and Academy are the reserve team and the youth development system respectively of Birmingham City Football Club. The reserve team, established in 1879, played in the Premier Reserve League South in the 2009–10 season but have not entered a league since...
to the championship of the Central League
Central League
The or is one the two professional baseball leagues that constitute Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan. The winner of the league championship plays against the winner of the Pacific League in the annual Japan Series. It currently consists of six teams from around the country,The Central League...
Division One Central in 2006–07.
Legzdins was given a further year's contract in summer 2007, and rejoined Halifax on a three months' loan in October 2007, where he played regularly in preference to the more experienced Craig Mawson
Craig Mawson
Craig Mawson is an English footballer who works as a goalkeeping coach for Burnley.- Burnley :...
. He extended his loan at Halifax until the end of the 2007–08 season in January 2008, and on 9 June 2008 he signed for Crewe Alexandra
Crewe Alexandra F.C.
Crewe Alexandra Football Club is an English professional football club based in Crewe, Cheshire. Nicknamed The Railwaymen due to the town's links with the rail industry, they currently play in Football League Two, the fourth tier of English football, and are based at the Alexandra Stadium.The club...
as a replacement for their departing goalkeepers Ben Williams and Owain Fôn Williams
Owain Fôn Williams
Owain Fôn Williams is a Welsh footballer who plays as a goalkeeper who plays for Tranmere Rovers.-Crewe Alexandra:Born in Caernarfon, Gwynedd, Williams joined Crewe Alexandra after impressing during a trial spell and was signed on scholarship forms in 2003...
. He joined Weymouth
Weymouth F.C.
Weymouth F.C. are an English football club based in the town of Weymouth, who currently play in the Southern League Premier Division.-History:Weymouth Football Club were founded in 1890 and played their first game on 24 September of that year...
on a month's loan on 26 March 2009.
Legzdins made his first team debut for Crewe in the League Cup
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
defeat to Blackpool
Blackpool F.C.
Blackpool Football Club are an English football club founded in 1887 from the Lancashire seaside town of Blackpool. They are competing in the 2011–12 season of the The Championship, the second tier of professional football in England, having been relegated from the Premier League at the end of the...
on 11 August 2009, after loan goalkeeper David Button
David Button
David Robert Edmund Button is an English footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Leyton Orient on loan from Tottenham Hotspur. He has earned 31 caps for England in four separate age groups.-Playing career:...
returned to Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
, and followed this up with his debut in the Football League
The Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
on 22 August, keeping a clean sheet in the 1–0 home win against Hereford United
Hereford United F.C.
Hereford United Football Club is an English professional football club based in the city of Hereford. Founded in 1924, they are competing in Football League Two in the 2011–12 season. Hereford have played at Edgar Street for their entire history and are nicknamed 'The Whites' or 'The Lilywhites',...
.
Burton Albion
He rejected a new one-year contract with Crewe in May 2010 and subsequently signed for League Two team Burton AlbionBurton Albion F.C.
Burton Albion Football Club are a professional English football club based in the town of Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire. The club's home ground is the Pirelli Stadium, having moved from Eton Park in 2005...
on a two-year contract on 1 July. He kept a clean sheet on his full debut on 7 August 2010 in a 0–0 draw against Oxford United
Oxford United F.C.
Oxford United Football Club is an English association football club based in Oxford, Oxfordshire. The club play in League Two, following promotion from the Conference National in May 2010. The club had been a non-League side since their relegation from the Football League in the 2005–06 season. The...
. After playing in every League game of the 2010–11 season, he was voted Burton Albion Supporters' Player of the Year and Players' Player of the Year.
Derby County
After lengthy speculation, on 29 June 2011, it was confirmed that Burton and Championship outfit Derby CountyDerby County F.C.
Derby County Football Club is an English football based in Derby. the club play in the Football League Championship and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888 and is, therefore, one of only ten clubs to have competed in every season of the English...
had agreed a transfer fee that would allow Legzdins to join the Pride Park
Pride Park Stadium
Pride Park Stadium is an all-seater football stadium located on the Pride Park business park on the outskirts of Derby, England. It is the current home of Football League Championship club Derby County, who moved to the stadium from the Baseball Ground upon its opening in 1997...
club. The transfer was completed on 1 July 2011, with Legzdins signing a three-year contract. Rams manager Nigel Clough
Nigel Clough
Nigel Howard Clough is an English former footballer and the current manager of Derby County. Playing predominately as a striker, but later in his career was used as a midfielder, Clough was capped by England 14 times in the early 1990s....
said that he would be backup to first choice keeper Frank Fielding
Frank Fielding
Francis David "Frank" Fielding is an English footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Derby County.-Club career:Born in Blackburn Lancashire, Fielding is a product of Blackburn Rovers Academy. He joined League Two side Wycombe Wanderers on 28 September 2007 on a three-month loan deal alongside...
.
Legzdins made his debut for Derby away at Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest F.C.
Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship...
after Frank Fielding
Frank Fielding
Francis David "Frank" Fielding is an English footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Derby County.-Club career:Born in Blackburn Lancashire, Fielding is a product of Blackburn Rovers Academy. He joined League Two side Wycombe Wanderers on 28 September 2007 on a three-month loan deal alongside...
was sent off after only a minute, helping the club to a 2-1 win against their local rivals
East Midlands derby
This article is only about games featuring Nottingham Forest and Derby County. For games with either of those clubs against Leicester City, see Leicester City F.C. and Nottingham Forest F.C. rivalry or Derby County F.C. and Leicester City F.C. rivalry....
.