 Poleon after a pre-season friendly match atTorquay United in July 2012 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Dominic Alfred Poleon[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1993-09-07)7 September 1993 (age 31)[2] | ||
| Place of birth | Newham, London, England | ||
| Height | 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)[3] | ||
| Position(s) | Striker /Winger | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Ebbsfleet United | ||
| Number | 14 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2004–2008 | Chelsea | ||
| 2008–2010 | Southend United | ||
| 2010–2012 | Leeds United | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2012–2014 | Leeds United | 29 | (3) |
| 2012 | →Bury (loan) | 7 | (2) |
| 2013 | →Sheffield United (loan) | 7 | (0) |
| 2014–2016 | Oldham Athletic | 60 | (8) |
| 2016–2017 | AFC Wimbledon | 41 | (8) |
| 2017–2018 | Bradford City | 32 | (6) |
| 2018–2019 | Crawley Town | 30 | (5) |
| 2019–2020 | Newport County | 5 | (0) |
| 2020 | →Dover Athletic (loan) | 6 | (1) |
| 2021– | Ebbsfleet United | 125 | (71) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2023– | Saint Lucia | 6 | (3) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 14:52, 24 April 2024 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 00:18, 19 November 2024 (UTC) | |||
Dominic Alfred Poleon (born 7 September 1993) is afootballer who plays as a forward forNational League clubEbbsfleet United and theSaint Lucia national team. He played youth football forChelsea andSouthend United before signing forLeeds United in August 2010. Whilst at Leeds he had loan spells withBury andSheffield United.
Poleon attendedBrampton Manor Academy inEast Ham. He began his career in football across the city in the junior teams at Chelsea but failed to progress at thePremier League club.[2] He would join Southend United for the later years of his school life and travelled with them on a tour of France in 2009 aged 15 before being signed by Leeds a year later after being identified by Head of Recruitment Steve Holmes.[citation needed]
Poleon joined Leeds in the summer of 2010. He gained good reviews in the youth and reserve teams in his first year at the club. In the following 2011–12 season, Poleon was the leading scorer for the United youth team with 12 goals. He capped his second season at the club by signing a one-year professional contract along with fellow youth prospects Ross Killock and Monty Gimpel.[4]
After scoring for the club's Development Team in a 2–0 friendly match victory overAlfreton Town atNorth Street on 21 July 2012, Poleon and several other youngsters includingSam Byram, Nathan Turner, Lewis Turner and Monty Gimpel, travelled with the senior team the following week on a pre-season tour of Cornwall and Devon. He scored again againstTavistock in a 6–0 victory and featuring as a substitute in subsequent games versusBodmin Town andTorquay United as Leeds recorded three wins from three on their summer tour.[5] The tour provided Poleon with the perfect opportunity to demonstrate his competency at a senior level ahead of a make-or-break year.
His performances in further pre-season games would lead to the young striker joining fellow prospectSam Byram on the fringes of the first team for the start of managerNeil Warnock's first full season in charge as he was assigned the number 26 shirt for the campaign. He made his first team début for Leeds in the first game of the season coming on as a 76th-minute substitute againstShrewsbury Town atElland Road in theLeague Cup fixture on 11 August 2012.[6] He would make his league début two weeks later when he replaced Ross McCormack in Leeds' 2–1 win overPeterborough United.[7]
Poleon made his first start for Leeds United in a league game againstNottingham Forest on 22 September after impressing as a substitute in a 2–3 league defeat againstHull City earlier in the week. He marked the occasion with his first professional goal in the 25th minute.[8] Prior to the game against Forest, Neil Warnock had questioned Poleon's work ethic and approach to the game, saying that he risked his career 'fizzling out' if he didn't change his attitude.[9] He likened Poleon's attitude to his former protégé atCrystal Palace,Victor Moses, who would prove to increase his application before joiningPremier League sideWigan Athletic in £2.5m deal in 2010 and reigningUEFA Champions League winners Chelsea for a fee of around £9m two years later.[9] The imminent loan signing of another of Warnock's former protégés and Moses' former teammate at Palace,Ryan Hall, would further limit Poleon's first-team opportunities at United as he would look to gain valuable playing experience from a loan spell in the lower leagues.
On 15 October 2012, Poleon and teammateZac Thompson joinedLeague One strugglersBury on month-long loan deals.[10] Both youngsters would be working under the newly appointed Bury managerKevin Blackwell, who had a seventeen-year association with Warnock as player and coach between 1986 and 2003 and had managed Poleon's parent club between 2004 and 2006.[10] He was assigned the number 33 shirt and made his debut for the Shakers in the 1–1 home draw versusCarlisle United.[11] Poleon had hit the post in the game and provided the assist for goalscorer Thompson in the first-half.[12] The energy and commitment of the youngsters lead to instant praise from Blackwell after the game; observing that "the two young lads from Leeds were absolutely out on their feet after that. For them, the warm up matters, every time they train matters, when they travel in – it matters and I'm really pleased with both of them, the whole team."[13][14]
Poleon scored his first goal for the club in his second game versusYeovil Town, equalising on the 74th minute mark atHuish Park in a 1–2 defeat.[14] He continued his impressive early form over the following games; adding another assist in a 2–1 victory overHartlepool United and his second goal in a 1–1 draw at home toWalsall. Poleon got a touch on the ball as it dribbled towards goal, with Poleon getting the final stroke before it nestled into the bottom corner against Portsmouth.[15][16][17] On 19 November, Poleon's loan at Bury was extended until 3 January 2013 but he was recalled by his parent club only a day later due to suspensions and injuries.[18] During Poleon's seven league games; the Shakers accumulated eleven points having previously only picked up four from their first ten.
Poleon was recalled by Leeds on 20 November due to injuries and suspensions at his parent club, coupled with his own good form at Bury.[19] On 18 January 2013, Poleon signed a new two-and-a-half-year contract with Leeds.[20]
Poleon joinedYorkshire rivalsSheffield United on loan until the end of the season on 12 February 2013. Blades bossDanny Wilson described Poleon as being "raw and unpredictable but very quick... he can get in behind the back of people and he can get a goal. We just feel he can add a little bit extra from the bench or even start."[21] After playing seven times for Sheffield, Poleon was recalled by Leeds caretaker managerNeil Redfearn, after the departure ofNeil Warnock.[22]
Poleon scored his second goal for Leeds atVicarage Road on the final day of the season in Leeds' 2–1 win againstWatford after appearing as an early substitute for the injuredSteve Morison. During this match Poleon was involved in a controversial collision in which he appeared to pushIkechi Anya, resulting in him accidentally colliding with goalkeeperJonathan Bond, and earning himself a yellow card. Bond was rendered unconscious and was stretchered off the pitch with a suspected broken nose. Whilst the push was perceived as cynical by many opposing fans, he later posted on his official Twitter that he did not mean to injure the keeper and stressed he had no malicious intentions.[23]
Poleon scored his first goal of the 2013–14 season on his first start, in a League Cup tie at home to Chesterfield. Poleon's goal proved to be the winner as Leeds won the game 2–1.[24]
On 1 September 2014, in the final hour of transfer deadline day, Poleon signed a two-year contract withOldham Athletic for an undisclosed fee.[25]
Poleon signed forAFC Wimbledon on 2 July 2016.[26] He scored his first goals for Wimbledon when he scored twice in anEFL Trophy tie againstSwansea City Under-23s on 30 August 2016.[27]
He signed forBradford City in June 2017 on a two-year deal.[28]
On 5 July 2018, Poleon agreed to join League Two sideCrawley Town on a two-year deal for an undisclosed fee.[29]
Poleon's contract at Crawley was cancelled by mutual consent on 2 September 2019 to enable him to join League TwoNewport County on the same day until the end of the 2019–20 season.[30] He made his debut for Newport 14 September 2019 in the 2–0 defeat to Northampton Town as a second-half substitute.[31]
On 30 January 2020, Poleon joinedNational League sideDover Athletic on loan until the end of the season.[32] Poleon was released by Newport County at the end of the 2019–20 season.[33]
On 9 February 2021, Poleon joinedNational League South sideEbbsleet United on a free transfer following a successful trial period with the club.[34]
A successful February 2023 where Poleon scored seven goals in seven matches, taking Ebbsfleet fourteen points clear of the team in second position, saw the striker win the National League South Player of the Month award.[35] On 7 April 2023, he scored a fourth hat-trick of the season to take his league tally to thirty-six goals, securing a 3–0 victory overOxford City to secure the National League South title and promotion back to the fifth tier.[36] Having finished the season as top goalscorer, he was named the National League South Player of the Season.[37]
Poleon was born in England and is ofSt Lucian descent.[38] On 16 June 2023, Poleon made his debut for theSaint Lucia national football team, in a 3–1 defeat toMartinique in the2023 CONCACAF Gold Cup preliminary round.[39] On 7 September 2023, he scored his first goals for his country with a hat-trick in a 5–1 victory overSint Maarten.[40]
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Leeds United | 2012–13 | Championship | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 8 | 2 | |
| 2013–14 | Championship | 19 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | — | 23 | 2 | ||
| 2014–15 | Championship | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 6 | 0 | ||
| Total | 29 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 1 | — | 37 | 4 | |||
| Bury (loan) | 2012–13 | League One | 7 | 2 | 1 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 8 | 2 | |
| Sheffield United (loan) | 2012–13 | League One | 7 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | ||
| Oldham Athletic | 2014–15 | League One | 35 | 4 | 2 | 0 | — | 2[a] | 2 | 39 | 6 | |
| 2015–16 | League One | 25 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 29 | 5 | |
| Total | 60 | 8 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 68 | 11 | ||
| AFC Wimbledon | 2016–17 | League One | 41 | 8 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 4[b] | 2 | 49 | 13 |
| Bradford City | 2017–18 | League One | 32 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2[b] | 0 | 37 | 7 |
| Crawley Town | 2018–19 | League Two | 30 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3[b] | 1 | 35 | 6 |
| Newport County | 2019–20 | League Two | 5 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4[b] | 0 | 12 | 0 |
| Dover Athletic (loan) | 2019–20 | National League | 6 | 1 | — | — | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 | ||
| Ebbsfleet United | 2020–21 | National League South | 3 | 2 | — | — | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | ||
| 2021–22 | National League South | 40 | 17 | 2 | 0 | — | 2[c] | 0 | 44 | 17 | ||
| 2022–23 | National League South | 43 | 36 | 3 | 1 | — | 0 | 0 | 46 | 37 | ||
| 2023–24 | National League | 39 | 16 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 42 | 16 | |
| Total | 125 | 71 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 135 | 72 | ||
| Career total | 327 | 101 | 23 | 5 | 12 | 2 | 17 | 5 | 379 | 113 | ||
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saint Lucia | 2023 | 2 | 3 |
| Total | 2 | 3 | |
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 7 September 2023 | Stadion Rignaal 'Jean' Francisca, Willemstad, Curaçao |  Sint Maarten | 1–0 | 5–1 | 2023–24 CONCACAF Nations League B |
| 2 | 2–0 | |||||
| 3 | 5–1 |
Ebbsfleet United
Individual
