Leroy Jennings
Leroy Jennings is a professional football player who plays as a central midfielder for Sydney United in the National Premier Leagues NSW. Born in Australia, Jennings plays for the [Fiji national Association football|football team|Fiji national team].
Club career
Jennings signed for LA Galaxy academy on a 1-year deal after showing a good performance during trial, impressing the directors and receiving praise from David Beckham. After leaving LA Galaxy, Jennings signed for Wrexham in 2014, playing for the academy for two seasons.On 27 October 2016, Jennings signed for the Newcastle Jets. He played for the youth team, making 16 appearances and 3 goals in the league. After departing and having stints with Sutherland Sharks and Blacktown City, Jennings signed for Wollongong Wolves on 24 December 2020.
On 17 December 2022, Jennings was announced to play for Sydney United for the 2023 NPL NSW season. He made his debut for the club on 5 February 2023 against Fairfield rivals Marconi, scoring two goals in the second half to win the match 3–1 at full time.
International career
Jennings was selected for the Fiji national under-20 team ahead of their 2016 OFC U-20 Championship. Jennings played all three group matches, scoring one goal against New Caledonia but failing to qualify for the knockout rounds. However, one month before the OFC 2018 FIFA World Cup playoff, Jennings rejected the call-up for the Fiji national team because of his interest in representing Australia instead.Personal life
Jennings was born in Sydney, Australia to parents of Italian and Tongan-Fijian descent. He is the cousin to Michael Jennings and George Jennings, both of whom played rugby league professionally in the National Rugby League. He is also related to Arthur Jennings, who represented the New Zealand national rugby union team during his playing career.Outside of football, Jennings took an interest in boxing and basketball, the latter after taking inspiration from The Last Dance on Netflix. He also learnt to speak Italian, having been able to speak basic for most of his early life and to play the piano during the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia. He is affectionately nicknamed the "speedster" or "specimen" by his teammates.
Honours
With Sydney United 58:- Waratah Cup Champions: 2023