Leon Cort Bio Send To Friend  

Cort joined Stoke City for a club record £1.2million in January 2008 after a successful loan period at the Potters.

The big, strong centre-back has an exemplary disciplinary record and going into the 2008/09 Premier League season had last received a yellow card back in 2004 whilst playing for Southend. He has not been booked or sent-off at any of his subsequent clubs - Hull City, Crystal Palace and Stoke - depsite being a regular starter.

Born in South London, Cort began his career at non-league Dulwich Hamlet before joining Millwall in 1998 and then Southend, via a loan spell at Forest Green Rovers.

He joined newly promoted Hull City in 2004 and in a game between the Tigers and Wolverhampton Wanderers in 2006, Leon scored for Hull and his brother Carl scored for Wolves.

The centre-back followed manager Peter Taylor to Crystal Palace in a £1.25m deal the following season. Taylor was sacked at the start of the 2007/08 season and new boss Neil Warnock allowed to Cort to go on loan to Stoke - where he impressed enough to earn a permanent transfer and promotion to the Premier League.