Portadown Football Club is delighted to confirm the signing of 21 year English midfielder Sammie McLeod.

Sammie, from Tunbridge Wells, started his career with Maidstone United and joined Leicester City in January 2017 where he featured for their Academy under-18 side making 14 U18 Premier League and FA Youth Cup appearances.

He would then go on to join Isthmian League North Division side Maldon & Tiptree in 2018 helping them reach the Bostik League Division North Play-Offs in 18/19 contributing nine goals from midfield before joining League Two side Colchester United in 2019 making his full debut for the U’s in a EFL Trophy game against West Ham United under-21s in September 2020 after spending a prolonged period on the sidelines after breaking his leg in a car accident in February 2019.

He was most recently with National League South side Concord Rangers who he joined in February 2021.

Portadown manager Matthew Tipton had the following to say on his first signing of the summer

I’m excited by this signing. We’ve watched Sammie for a little while and spoke to him and his agent and we think he fits what we’re trying to do. He’s still a very young man but he’s played first team football at Colchester United and has also been out on loan in the Conference South and below in England so it shows us he can do it.

He’s a good goal scoring record coming through the youths as a midfielder, he went on loan and scored over a dozen goals so for me it’s the kind of thing we’re trying to build into the midfield, he’s 6 foot 3 and gets around the pitch, good on the ball and comfortable and again it’s the model that we’re looking to fit, we want players who are young and hungry that can push on and push us on down the line.

Sammie McLeod added

I’m really excited to have signed for such a great club. I’m ready to progress & kick on with my career. Hopefully the start of something great.

I also want to give a special  mention to my mum who passed away in April 2020, everytime I score I always look up to the sky & remember my beautiful, strong mum. She’ll never be forgotten