 Ledson withEverton in 2014 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Ryan Graham Ledson[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1997-08-19)19 August 1997 (age 28)[2] | ||
| Place of birth | Liverpool, England | ||
| Height | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)[2] | ||
| Position | Midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Huddersfield Town | ||
| Number | 4 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2002–2014 | Everton | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2014–2016 | Everton | 0 | (0) |
| 2015–2016 | →Cambridge United (loan) | 27 | (0) |
| 2016–2018 | Oxford United | 66 | (4) |
| 2018–2025 | Preston North End | 191 | (4) |
| 2025– | Huddersfield Town | 9 | (0) |
| International career | |||
| 2012–2013 | England U16 | 7 | (0) |
| 2013–2014 | England U17 | 16 | (2) |
| 2014–2015 | England U18 | 5 | (1) |
| 2015–2016 | England U19 | 7 | (1) |
| 2016–2017 | England U20 | 3 | (0) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 23 September 2025 (UTC) | |||
Ryan Graham Ledson (born 19 August 1997) is an English professionalfootballer who plays as amidfielder forEFL League One clubHuddersfield Town, which he captains.
Ledson joinedEverton's academy at the age of five.[3] After progressing through the ranks at theEverton Academy,[4] he made his debut for the club's under-21 team underAlan Stubbs, in a 0–0 draw againstChelsea on 25 April 2013.[5] At the end of the 2012–13 season, he signed a scholarship with the club.[6]
The following season, 2013–14, Ledson continued to play for the under-21 side and scored once againstLiverpool U21 on 14 April 2014.[7] He appeared in the first-team squad as an unused substitute on two occasions, againstSouthampton andManchester City, later in the season.[8] At the end of the 2013–14 season, he was awarded Academy Player of the Season and the prestigious Keith Tamlin Award at the club's Academy ceremony.[9]
On his 17th birthday, Ledson signed his first professional deal with the club, for three years, keeping him until 2017.[10] After being an unused substitute againstWest Ham United on 22 November 2014,[11] he made his first-team debut on 11 December 2014, starting in aUEFA Europa League game againstFC Krasnodar atGoodison Park. Everton, who had already advanced into the next round, lost 0–1.[12] This turned out to be his only appearance in the Everton first team. He scored for the U21 side on 9 March 2015, in a 2–1 win over againstrivals Liverpool U21.[13] During his time at Everton, Ledson was compared toFrank Lampard by local newspaper theLiverpool Echo, which described him as "an aggressive, ball-playing central midfielder" who "lists tackling and passing as his key strengths".[14]
Despite playing for the reserves in the first half of the season, Ledson expressed his desire to leave the club on loan for first-team experience.[15] On 20 November 2015 he signed on loan forCambridge United, initially until 3 January 2016 and later extended until April 2016.[16]
He made his league debut on 21 November, playing the entirety of a 2–3 loss toAccrington Stanley at theAbbey Stadium inLeague Two.[17] After making his debut for the club, Ledson quickly established himself in the starting eleven.[18] His loan spell at the club was extended three times,[19] eventually to the end of the season.[20] Ledson made a total of 28 appearances for Cambridge and returned to his parent club at the end of the season.[21]
His lack of first-team football at Everton continued in the 2016–17 season, and on 25 August 2016 Ledson signed a three-year contract withOxford United ofLeague One for an undisclosed fee.[22] Ledson was linked with a move toPortsmouth before moving to Oxford United.[23]
Ledson made his first-team debut as a late substitute in Oxford United's 2–0 home victory over local rivalsSwindon Town on 10 September 2016.[24] However, he injured his knee while warming up during a 2–1 loss againstSouthend United and was sidelined for a month.[25] After recovering from injury in early November, he returned to the first team, starting in a 5–0 win overMerstham in the first round of the FA Cup.[26] He gradually established himself in midfield,[27] and scored his first senior goal in a 4–0 away victory overRochdale on 21 January 2017, firing into an empty net from at least 35 yards after intercepting a misplaced free kick.[28] He was named theEFL Young Player of the Month for February 2017.[29] Shortly afterwards, he was shortlisted for theYoung Player of the Year award but lost out toExeter City'sOllie Watkins.[30] Ledson also played in theEFL Trophy Final and started the match before coming off in the 57th minutes forLiam Sercombe, who scored the club's only goal in the game, in a 2–1 loss againstCoventry City on 2 April 2017.[31] Later in the 2016–17 season, he found himself out of the first team, due to international commitments and injury.[32] Despite this, Ledson finished his first season at the club having made 30 appearances and scoring once in all competitions.
Ahead of the 2017–18 season, Ledson switched number shirt from 23 to 8.[33] After returning from injury, he regained his first-team place in central midfield.[34] He then scored his first goal of the season, converting successfully from a penalty, in a 2–1 loss againstWalsall on 23 September 2017.[35] After an error that allowedChris Long to score in a 2–1 loss againstNorthampton Town on 11 November 2017, he made amends for his mistake seven days later when he scored in a 4–0 win overPlymouth Argyle.[36] During January, Ledson remained the subject of transfer speculation, with clubs such asPreston North End said to be interested.[37] Amid the transfer speculation, Ledson scored his third goal of the season, in a 3–2 win overCharlton Athletic on 3 February 2018.[38] Ledson was voted the Supporters' Player of the Year at the club's end-of-season awards dinner, as well as picking up the awards for Young Player of the Year and Goal of the Season.[39]
Ledson joinedPreston North End in May 2018 for an undisclosed fee.[40] He made his debut for the club on 4 August 2018, in a 1–0 win againstQueens Park Rangers.[41] He scored his first goal for the club on 7 November 2020, in a 2–1 defeat againstRotherham United.[42]
Ledson was named as the Players and Supporters Player of the Year for the 2020–21 season.[43]
Ryan Ledson signed a new contract for Preston North End in December 2022 until the end of the 2024-25 season.[44]
On 30 May 2025, Ledson joinedLeague One sideHuddersfield Town on a free transfer upon the expiry of his contract at Preston North End.[45][46] He made his debut for the club on 2 August 2025, in a 3–0 win againstLeyton Orient.[47]
Ledson has been capped by England atunder-16,under-17,under-18,under-19 andunder-20 levels.[48]
Ledson made his debut for theunder-16 side on 29 November 2012, playing 67 minutes before being substituted, in a 1–0 againstScotland U16.[49] Ledson captained on two occasions, as he went on to make 7 appearances for the U16 side.[50]
On joining theunder-17 side, Ledson scored on his debut, in a 2–1 defeat toItaly U17 on 1 September 2013.[51] He captained the under–17 side on several occasions and subsequently helped them qualify for the UEFA European Under-17 tournament.[52] In May 2014, he was part of the squad that won the2014 UEFA European Under-17 Championship,[53] captaining the team in the process and also being named in UEFA's team of the tournament.[54] After the tournament, Ledson described it as 'unbeatable'.[55]
In August 2014, Ledson was called up to theunder-18 side.[56] He appeared twice as captain againstNetherlands U18, both matches ending in victory.[57] He scored his first England U18 goal in 4–1 win overPoland U18 on 17 November 2014, having played against them two days earlier.[58] He went on to make five appearances for the U18 side.[59]
In November 2015, Ledson was called up by theunder-19 side for the first time.[60] He scored on his England U19 debut on 12 November 2015, in a 2–2 draw against Netherlands U19 and continued to impress in a follow-up againstJapan U19.[61] He featured in theUEFA European Under-19 Championship squad.[62] Ledson made 7 appearances in total, scoring once, for the U19 side.
Ledson joined theunder-20 side in late August 2016.[63] He made his England U20 debut on 1 September 2016, in a 1–1 draw againstBrazil U20, and scored on his second appearance, in a 2–1 defeat three days later.[64] An injury sustained at Oxford United meant he missed the2017 FIFA U-20 World Cup inSouth Korea, in which his England side were the eventual winners.[65]
Ledson has been in a relationship withCoronation Street actressLucy Fallon since 2020.[66] Having suffered a miscarriage in March 2022, Fallon fell pregnant again later that year,[67] giving birth to their son on 30 January 2023.[68] The couple welcomed a second child, a daughter, on 11 January 2025.[69]
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Everton | 2014–15[70] | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1[a] | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2015–16[71] | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | ||
| Total | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
| Cambridge United (loan) | 2015–16[71] | League Two | 27 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 28 | 0 | |
| Oxford United | 2016–17[72] | League One | 22 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3[b] | 0 | 30 | 1 |
| 2017–18[73] | League One | 44 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4[b] | 0 | 50 | 3 | |
| Total | 66 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 80 | 4 | ||
| Preston North End | 2018–19[74] | Championship | 24 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 28 | 1 | |
| 2019–20[75] | Championship | 13 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 17 | 0 | ||
| 2020–21[76] | Championship | 36 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 38 | 2 | ||
| 2021–22[77] | Championship | 25 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | — | 28 | 1 | ||
| 2022–23[78] | Championship | 40 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 43 | 1 | ||
| 2023–24[79] | Championship | 27 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 29 | 0 | ||
| 2024–25[80] | Championship | 26 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 2 | — | 32 | 3 | ||
| Total | 191 | 4 | 9 | 0 | 15 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 215 | 7 | ||
| Huddersfield Town | 2025–26[81] | League One | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| Career total | 294 | 8 | 16 | 0 | 16 | 3 | 8 | 0 | 334 | 11 | ||
Oxford United
