Dean Leacock Bio Send To Friend  

Fulham academy graduate Peacock joined Derby County for £375,000 in August 2006 and enjoyed an outstadning debut season - culminating in promotion to the Premiership.

The centre-back earned his first team debut for Fulham in December 2002 as an 18-year-old.

Leacock played the whole of Fulham's surprise Worthington Cup fourth round defeat at Wigan Athletic. Despite the result the young star played well.

He was rather grandly dubbed by one coach at Fulham as the 'new Rio Ferdinand'. Former boss Jean Tigana praised him for his performance on his debut and he looks to have a good future.

Leacock has been capped at England Under-19 and England Under-20 levels.

Fulham manager Chris Coleman welcomed him into the first team squad for 2003/04, and he made his Premiership bow as a half-time substitute for Moritz Volz at Blackburn. He then started the next three games as deputy.

But disaster struck in the next game, against Manchester United at Old Trafford, when he slipped in the warm-up and tore ligaments in his knee. He needed an operation and the injury ended his season.

He was loaned to Coventry City in September 2004.

His former reserve team manager at Fulham, Paul Nevin, stated: 'He's a very quick player who is learning to read the game much better. He's technically outstanding and is very deceptive - he looks very laid back on the pitch and it gives people misgivings about him.

'He has a running style that makes it look like he's not trying - but he can hang with the quickest of strikers. He doesn't have to dive into things and he doesn't get turned easily but he's always got a gear left and can make up any lost ground.'