Life and Career
Leslie was born in Canning Town, London, and played for local team, Barking Town, before joining Plymouth Argyle in 1921. Leslie scored over 400 goals in his career, 134 of those for Plymouth in 400 appearances. He retired from football in 1935.
Leslie played at centre-forward and over the next thirteen years he scored 131 goals in 383 games. A call-up to the national team was cancelled when officials realized he was a "a man of colour"; his manager, Bob Jack, told him he had been selected to play for England. However, the invitation to play for his country was withdrawn. Leslie told the journalist, Brian Woolnough: "They must have forgot I was a coloured boy". Leslie retired from professional football in 1934.
He later worked as a member of the backroom staff of his local club, West Ham United, as the boot-boy. He died in 1988.
Read more about this topic: Jack Leslie (footballer)
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