Leighton McGivern


Leighton Terence McGivern-Henshaw is a former professional footballer. He has Football League experience with Rochdale and Accrington Stanley.

Club career

After playing for Everton as a trainee, McGivern signed for Welsh club Aberystwyth Town in the inaugural season of the League of Wales. In July 2003 he joined Kidsgrove Athletic. He then joined Liverpool Combination side Waterloo Dock where he scored 42 goals for the club in only 25 matches in the league and Liverpool County FA Challenge Cup. At the same time he played with Britannia in the Liverpool Sunday League.
Next he joined Vauxhall Motors, where he scored once in his only appearance for the club, before moving to Rochdale where he made twenty-five Football League appearances. He left the club in May 2005.
A return to Vauxhall in August 2005 was followed by a time on trial with Chester City in October 2006. He then had second spell as a full-time professional player, this time with Accrington Stanley who he joined in November 2006. The following month he was ruled out for 4 months after breaking a bone in his ankle. He was released by the club, along with ten teammates in May 2008.
In April 2009 he was charged by the Football Association in relation to his alleged failure to provide the FA with information requested during the investigation into illegal betting by his former Accrington teammates on one of their matches.
He then dropped down a significant number of divisions, playing again for Liverpool-based side Waterloo Dock for two seasons, scoring at least 40 goals in the first season.
He returned to play for Vauxhall Motors in January 2011 scoring on his debut at home to Corby Town
He was also playing for Oysters Martyrs FC and scored the winning goal in the FA Sunday Cup final as his team beat fellow Liverpool side Paddock FC at Tranmere Rovers' Prenton Park in May 2011.
In Summer 2011 he went on trial at Stockport County and scored in a friendly against New Mills. He was offered a contract by the club but re-signed for Vauxhall.
He left Vauxhall for a third time at the end of February 2012.
He joined Altrincham in March 2012. He scored a hat-trick against Eastwood Town on 21 April. He was told by the club that he would be offered new terms for the 2012/13 season but was released in late July when after his failure to turn up to any of the pre-season training sessions or to reply to any of the messages left for him by the club on his telephone.
In September he was back playing Sunday League football in Liverpool for Oysters Martyrs FC, where that season he again helped the club win the FA Sunday Cup, scoring a hat-trick as the club beat Barnes Albion 4-3.

Honours