Alex Purver

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Alex Purver
Personal information
Full name Alex William Purver[1]
Date of birth (1995-12-01) 1 December 1995 (age 26)[2]
Place of birth Leeds, England
Height 5 ft 10 in (1.77 m)[2]
Position(s) Midfielder
Club information
Current team
 Darlington
Number 23
Youth career
2002–2016 Leeds United
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2016–2017 Leeds United 0 (0)
2016–2017 → Guiseley (loan) 21 (2)
2017 → Guiseley (loan) 5 (0)
2017–2019 Guiseley 69 (5)
2019–2020 Östersund 8 (0)
2021– Darlington 14 (1)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 12:31, 13 December 2021 (UTC)

Alex William Purver (born 1 December 1995) is an English professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for National League North club Darlington. Purver began his football career with home-town club Leeds United as a six-year-old, progressed through the academy to captain their under-21 team, but left in 2017 for National League club Guiseley, where he had already spent two spells on loan. Two years later, he signed professional terms for Östersund, for which he made eight Allsvenskan appearances over an 18-month contract. He returned to England and joined Darlington for the 2020–21 season.

Life and career[]

Purver was born in 1995 in Leeds.[2] He joined Leeds United's academy as a six-year-old,[3] took up a two-year scholarship in 2012,[4] and in his first season as a scholar, was a regular in the under-18 side that won the U18 Professional Development League North Division – their record included a 12-match unbeaten run – and reached the fifth round of the FA Youth Cup.[5] Purver signed a one-year professional contract in 2014,[6] and was given a first-team squad number.[7] He regularly captained their under-21 team in 2014–15,[8] although he played less in his preferred position of central midfielder than he did filling in at right back or elsewhere,[9] and travelled with Neil Redfearn's squad for a Championship match at Birmingham City, but was not in the matchday 18.[10]

Purver's contract was extended for a further year in 2015,[11] and again in 2016,[9] when he played in first-team pre-season friendlies, and then went on loan to Guiseley to gain experience of competitive men's football.[3][12] He was a regular in the team, playing 21 National League matches and scoring twice before returning to his parent club in January 2017.[2][13] Having had no further involvement with Leeds' first team, Purver rejoined Guiseley in March on loan to the end of the season,[14] before joining the club permanently on 1 August 2017 after his release from Leeds.[15]

He began the new season in the Guiseley team, but his progress was disrupted by a combination of a heavy defeat at Leyton Orient on 2 September in which he conceded two penalties, a change of management and a hamstring injury, and he did not return to the side until late November.[16][17][18] Against a background of "constant chopping and changing" of players and a second managerial dismissal,[19] Purver finished the season with 28 league appearances, mainly as a starter,[2] as Guiseley were relegated to the National League North. He was one of just nine players retained,[20] and missed only one match in all competitions over the 2018–19 season.[2][21] He helped Guiseley progress from the second qualifying round of the FA Cup to the second round proper. In the first round, Guiseley took a 4–0 lead before League Two opponents Cambridge United scored three times to produce a nervy finish.[22] In the second round, defensive errors helped Fleetwood Town of League One score twice in three minutes; within two minutes, Purver returned the goalkeeper's poor clearance back over his head and into the net from 25 yards (23 m) to reduce the deficit, but Guiseley were unable to find an equaliser.[23]

At the end of the season, Purver was invited for a trial with Swedish club Östersunds FK. The trial was successful, and in July 2019 he signed an 18-month deal.[24][25] He made his debut for Östersund on 21 July, playing the whole of a 3–0 loss to Norrköping in the Allsvenskan.[26] He made eight Allsvenskan appearances before leaving the club when his contract expired.[2][27] While playing semi-professionally for Guiseley, Purver had coached at the Leeds United academy,[24] and after he joined Östersund, he set up a coaching programme for indviduals and small groups in the city.[28]

After returning to England, Purver trained with Hartlepool United with the intention of signing a short-term deal, but the uncertainty caused by the COVID-19 pandemic meant he was unable to find a new club. On 5 July 2021, he signed for Darlington of the National League North.[29][30] He made his debut as a first-half substitute in Darlington's first match of the season, a 3–2 defeat at home to Alfreton Town.[31]

Career statistics[]

As of match played 11 December 2021
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National Cup[a] Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Leeds United 2016–17[2] Championship 0 0 — — 0 0
Guiseley (loan) 2016–17[2] National League 26 2 2 0 1[b] 0 29 2
Guiseley 2017–18[2] National League 28 2 1 0 1[b] 0 30 2
2018–19[2][21] National League North 41 3 6 1 2[b] 0 49 4
Total 95 7 6 1 2 0 103 8
Östersund 2019[2] Allsvenskan 3 0 1 0 — 4 0
2020[2] Allsvenskan 5 0 1 0 — 6 0
Total 8 0 2 0 — 10 0
Darlington 2021–22[2][32] National League North 14 1 2 0 1[b] 0 17 1
Career total 117 8 10 1 23 0 130 9
  1. ^ Includes FA Cup, Svenska Cupen
  2. ^ a b c d Appearance(s) in FA Trophy

References[]

  1. ^ "EFL: Club retained and released lists published". English Football League. 23 June 2016. Retrieved 5 July 2021.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n "A. Purver". Soccerway. Perform Group. Retrieved 13 December 2021.
  3. ^ a b "Leeds United: Purver joins Guiseley on loan". Yorkshire Evening Post. 18 August 2016. Retrieved 2 September 2021.
  4. ^ "New recruits signed up for Academy". Leeds United F.C. 11 April 2012. Retrieved 2 September 2021.
  5. ^ Barras, Steve (12 May 2013). "Leeds U18s – League Champions". We All Love Leeds. Retrieved 2 September 2021.
  6. ^ "United youngsters sign up". Leeds United F.C. 9 July 2014. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
  7. ^ "Light for youngsters – Redfearn". Leeds United F.C. 19 November 2014. Retrieved 2 September 2021.
  8. ^ "Leeds teenager Alex Purver agrees new one-year deal". Sky Sports. 3 June 2015. Retrieved 2 September 2021.
  9. ^ a b "Purver extends United stay". Leeds United F.C. 30 June 2016. Retrieved 2 September 2021.
  10. ^ "Leeds could take academy star Phillips to Blackburn". Yorkshire Post. 21 November 2014. Retrieved 2 September 2021.
  11. ^ "Leeds teenager Alex Purver agrees new one-year deal". Sky Sports. 3 June 2015. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
  12. ^ "Leeds United: Young Leeds midfielder Purver is keen to impress at Guiseley". Yorkshire Evening Post. 5 September 2016. Retrieved 2 September 2021.
  13. ^ "Guiseley AFC: Loan star Purver faces 'big decision' on future". Yorkshire Evening Post. 13 January 2017. Retrieved 2 September 2021.
  14. ^ Birkinshaw, Alan (23 March 2017). "Leeds United midfieldman Purver re-joins Guiseley for second loan spell". Telegraph & Argus. Bradford. Retrieved 2 September 2017.
  15. ^ "Four new Lions join on Yorkshire Day". Guiseley A.F.C. 1 August 2017. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
  16. ^ Sessions, George (2 September 2017). "Hat-trick hero Macauley Bonne inspires more Leyton Orient success, as Guiseley are comfortably beaten at Brisbane Road". East London Advertiser. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
  17. ^ "Boss Cox says every Guiseley player starts with a clean slate". Wharfedale Observer. 7 September 2017. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
  18. ^ "Guiseley drop into bottom two after Sutton defeat". Yorkshire Evening Post. 26 November 2017. Retrieved 2 September 2021.
  19. ^ "Non-League: Lions' seemingly ever-expanding pool of players could lead to their downfall". Yorkshire Evening Post. 16 February 2018. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
  20. ^ Birkinshaw, Alan (2 June 2018). "Guiseley release 14 in mass clear out". Telegraph & Argus. Bradford. Retrieved 2 September 2017.
  21. ^ a b For FA Cup matches not covered by Soccerway: "Lions ease into next round with Kingsley James hat-trick". Guiseley A.F.C. 22 September 2018. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
    "Lions pegged back by two late goals as Town force replay". Guiseley A.F.C. 7 October 2018. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
    "Lions through after tough encounter with Cleethorpes". Guiseley A.F.C. 10 October 2018. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
    For FA Trophy matches not covered by Soccerway: "Last gasp Will Thornton equaliser sees Lions live to fight another day". Guiseley A.F.C. 24 November 2018. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
    "Lions in disappointing trophy exit". Guiseley A.F.C. 12 December 2018. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
  22. ^ "Guiseley 4–3 Cambridge United". BBC Sport. 11 November 2018. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
  23. ^ "Guiseley 1–2 Fleetwood Town". BBC Sport. 4 December 2018. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
  24. ^ a b "Guiseley star Alex Purver is latest Yorkshire footballer to join exodus to Ostersunds FK". Yorkshire Post. 6 July 2019. Retrieved 2 September 2021.
  25. ^ "Alex Purver signs for Östersunds FK from Guiseley". The Non-League Paper. 3 July 2019. Retrieved 22 July 2019.
  26. ^ "Norrköping vs. Östersunds FK 3–0". Soccerway. Perform Group. Retrieved 22 July 2019.
  27. ^ Lidström, Niclas (31 December 2020). "Kpozo och Awad förlänger – Purver och Mills lämnar" [Kpozo and Awad extend – Purver and Mills leave] (in Swedish). Östersunds FK. Retrieved 5 July 2021.
  28. ^ "Alex Purver: I've enjoyed the step-up from National League to Allsvenskan". English Players Abroad. 15 July 2020. Retrieved 2 September 2021.
  29. ^ Scurr, Dominic (25 January 2021). "Dave Challinor reveals how much National League uncertainty will impact Hartlepool United's transfer business with Blackburn Rovers defender Tyler Magloire unlikely to return and former Leeds United midfielder on trial". Hartlepool Mail. Retrieved 5 July 2021.
  30. ^ Jones, Matty (5 July 2021). "Darlington seal deal for midfielder Alex Purver". The Northern Echo. Darlington. Retrieved 5 July 2021.
  31. ^ Stoddart, Craig (28 August 2021). "Darlington undone by poor defending in season opener". The Northern Echo. Darlington. Retrieved 1 September 2021.
  32. ^ For FA Cup 2nd qualifying round: Simpson, Ray (18 September 2021). "Quakers held to a goalless draw in FA Cup". Darlington F.C. Retrieved 20 September 2021.
    Simpson, Ray (21 September 2021). "Quakers knocked out of Cup by lucky goal". Darlington F.C. Retrieved 22 September 2021.

External links[]

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