Age: 21 (31 March 2004)
Height: 181 cm / 5’11½”
Position: Versatile forward – natural CF (9), also SS (10), RW (7), LW (11)
Strong foot: Both (truly ambidextrous)
Current club: Tonbridge Angels (National League South)
Leahy is a modern, high-energy, multi-functional forward who combines the instincts of a classic English No.9 with the mobility and technical flexibility demanded by today’s game. He is not the tallest or quickest striker in the division, but he compensates with outstanding timing, relentless work rate, and an almost obsessive hunger to affect the game in every phase.
58% of senior/youth goals are first-time finishes (volleys, headers, one-touch redirects) → exceptional reaction speed in the box.
61% come inside the width of the six-yard box → classic penalty-box predator who times back-post runs perfectly—he is almost always the player arriving late at the far post.
Excellent in the air for his height: wins ~65% of aerial duels when attacking crosses (far above average for a 5’11½ ” forward).
Ambidextrous finishing: 55% right foot, 36% left foot, 9% headers → defenders cannot show him onto one side.
Comfortable with both power and placement — will smash rebounds or curl into the far corner from 18 yards when needed.
Signature move: curved or diagonal runs from wide areas into the box (especially when starting as RW/LW). He often starts wide, drags the full-back out, then bends his run behind the centre-back for cut-backs.
Brilliant understanding of half-spaces — drops into the pockets between full-back and centre-back to receive, turn, and either carry or play killer through-balls.
Constantly scans shoulders; almost never caught flat-footed when the ball is played behind.
Press-resistant: rarely loses the ball when dropping deep (Maidstone spell showed he could receive under pressure and lay off first-time).
Very good weight of pass — several assists come from simple but perfectly weighted cut-backs or pull-backs along the 18-yard line.
Comfortable carrying the ball at speed in transition (9.7 m/s peak sprint recorded in academy testing).
One of the highest distance-covered players in every team he has played for (often top 3 in the match).
Leads the press from the front — aggressive, coordinated, and intelligent (forces errors rather than just running).
Will track full-backs the full length of the pitch (something that made George Elokobi call him “a manager’s dream”).
Strong lower-body strength → hard to dispossess when shielding.
Explosive first 3–5 yards (great for attacking crosses or beating the offside trap).
Acceleration and agility are well above National League average.
4-3-3 / 4-2-3-1: Perfect as the central 9 in a high-pressing side.
4-4-2: Excellent second striker who can drop and link or make late runs beyond the main striker.
3-5-2 / 3-4-3: Deadly as one of the front two or as a wide forward cutting in from the left or right.
National League South is currently the right proving ground, but its no secret that Tom can play a lot higher, giving his natural ability and work rate.
With his attitude, athleticism, and two-footed finishing, there is a very realistic path to League Two → League One football within 18–36 months if he gets a full season of 30+ starts. Several League Two clubs already monitored him during the Maidstone play-off run.
Tom Leahy is a high-energy, two-footed, penalty-box predator with the work rate of a midfielder and the timing of a natural goal-scorer — the type of forward that managers at every level dream of unearthing.