Leon Jeanne

Career

A talented winger Jeanne began his career at Queens Park Rangers, making his debut on February 1999 against Watford, but problems began to arise nearly as soon as he became a professional when he disappeared for over a week when he was meant to be reporting for Wales under-21 duty. However manager Gerry Francis revealed that it was not the first time the youngster had gone missing and that Jeanne was on his last chance at the club after being arrested for drink-driving the previous year.

He left QPR in 2001 to sign for his hometown club Cardiff City who hoped to curb his disciplinary problems only for them to spiral out of control during his time there. Just a few weeks after joining Cardiff he tested positive for a class A drug and was handed a two-year suspended sentence by the Football Association of Wales. He started to show his quality with two appearances for the first team after the ruling but at the end of the season yet another situation arose. In May 2002 Jeanne was selected for random drugs testing and sent his sample away but the results came back only to show that the sample he had submitted was not urine. He refused to provide a second sample which led to Cardiff terminating his contract and he left the club.

After his release from Cardiff he attempted a comeback with Havant & Waterlooville in a pre-season friendly against League of Wales side Barry Town but was withdrawn from playing after officials at Barry questioned if he was allowed to play at which point it was revealed that he was currently banned from playing football. He was allowed to resume playing a short while later and enjoyed a prosperous spell at Port Talbot Town but yet again he was involved in a scandal. In September 2002 he was arrested, along with two other men, on suspicion of dealing class A drugs. During the court case he revealed that he used to be addicted to cocaine. Eventually he and the other two men were cleared of all charges.

After the case ended he returned to football with Newport County followed by spells at Dinas Powys and Barry Town. After a spell playing for Maesteg Park, Jeanne joined amateur side Carpenters Arms. On 7 July 2009, Jeanne was arrested on suspicion of money-laundering after a police raid on his home.

Jeanne featured in two pre-season friendlies for Conference South side Weston-super-Mare on 9 and 11 July before signing on non-contract terms, making his debut on the opening day of the season in a defeat to Staines Town. However, he was released the following month due to a lack of fitness.

In November 2010, Jeanne left Welsh League side Cardiff Corinthians, and signed for Conference National side Bath City. Jeanne also signed on for Cinderford Town of the Southern League South & West Division on dual registration and spent the majority of the 2010–11 season with Cinderford.

In June 2011, Jeanne joined Championship side Brighton & Hove Albion for pre-season training in a bid to earn a contract and play football at a high level once more. He started the 2011–12 season playing for Welsh Premier League side Afan Lido but left before the start of the 2012–13 season to join Carmarthen Town.

Honours

With Cardiff City

Personal life

In May 2015 Jeanne was sentenced to 30 months in prison for conspiring to supply cocaine, heroin and cannabis. He was part of a drug gang operating in Gloucester and surrounding cities and areas selling crack cocaine and heroin. He was responsible for the Cardiff side of the gangs business operation. Judge Ford told him: "You are a great disappointment to many people. You wasted your talent and turned from an honest, athletic man to a common criminal. You've been ruined by drugs. References show you have the capacity for reform."