Dylan Leonard is making waves in the Isuzu UTE A-League with his rapid ascent at Western United. The 17-year-old starlet shares insights into his journey and the aspirations that are propelling his career forward with aleagues.com.au.
Seated at a table with a view of Western United’s Ironbark Fields, Dylan Leonard stands out immediately after training.
The young centre-back towers over expectations. While speculation about his height has circulated since he arrived on the scene this season, it seems the chatter is unfounded—something that has previously cost him potential interest from clubs abroad.
Leonard is ready to set the record straight.
“When you look me up, my birthday and height are incorrect. It used to say I was about 5’10” or 5’11”, but I’m actually just under 6’2″. They’ve corrected it now,” Leonard explained to aleagues.com.au from Western United’s base in Tarneit.
“I recall my agent mentioning, ‘Dylan, some clubs think you’re too small and aren’t interested,’ and he was like, ‘I’m standing right here next to you and you’re not small at all!’
“There are clubs in Germany that won’t sign centre-backs under 184 or 185 cm, and since I’m 187, I don’t quite understand how my age is wrong. I think my height info must be outdated by a couple of years. I have no idea where that misinformation came from.”
Leonard’s rookie season has been nothing short of extraordinary, making him one of the most promising young players in Australian football.
The Port Melbourne Sharks product holds the record as Western United’s youngest debutant and goalscorer in the Isuzu UTE A-League.
A pivotal moment came when veteran James Donachie suffered a calf injury leading up to Round 2 in October, changing the trajectory for both Leonard’s season and potentially his career.
Since then, there’s been no looking back.
“I feel incredibly grateful for this opportunity and the support from my teammates,” he reflected. “They’ve instilled confidence in me during my mistakes and really aided me in playing my natural game. The timing couldn’t have been better.
“It’s a bit fortunate with certain injuries. In the first match of the season, I was part of the squad. By the second match, I was starting. Even prior to that, during pre-season, I was exposed to high-level competition… we played Melbourne City, and I faced strong players like (Marco) Tilio and (Andrew) Nabbout. I think it’s largely down to the collective effort around me.”
“I believed that if I trained hard and did the right things, my time would come. I certainly didn’t expect it to be in the second game of the season.”
Leonard’s ascent has been swift.
Having previously spent a year with Melbourne City’s youth setup at age 12, he joined Western United at the beginning of 2024 after moving on from his boyhood club, Port Melbourne, where he made his senior debut for their NPLM VIC squad alongside his older brother Mark.
Initially playing NPL football in Victoria’s second tier, he signed a scholarship contract in June, making his debut as a substitute against Wellington Phoenix in Round 1 just four months later.
Since then, Leonard has participated in 24 matches and scored once for John Aloisi’s squad.
“I was probably more inclined to join City due to my previous experience there. It’s a great setup,” he said. “Then academy director Anthony Frost and former head coach Diogo Ferreira were really keen for us to join and train.
“After the first training session, it was clear to me that the level of coaching, the standards and the professionalism were at a different level; I knew this was the right place for me.”
The academy graduate has thrived in that environment and has shown no signs of being phased at the A-Leagues level. With just 24 appearances under his belt, he continues to improve.
A modern centre-back, Leonard exhibits superb ball-playing skills alongside physical prowess. His smooth transition to the Isuzu UTE A-League can be traced back to a decision made a couple of years ago.
Leonard played one year for City’s Under-14 side as a 12-year-old, teaming up with other academy graduates like Lawrence Wong, Lachie Charles, and Peter Antoniou. However, he chose to return to Port Melbourne after that season. The experience proved instrumental in developing the talented defender, who initially played as a midfielder before switching permanently to centre-back.
“I believed that the setup at Port was excellent. I had Adam Piddick, an incredible coach, and I was with him for years,” he recalled. “I felt I would grow more by playing against older players.
“At City, we played one year up, which was beneficial, but I mostly trained with kids my own age. They were generally smaller and more technical, and I thought I would develop better playing against bigger, more physical opponents.”
“I returned to Port and played… probably around 75 to 80 matches that year since I was involved in U15s, U16s, U17s, and U18s. I was participating in four games on most weekends. I was coming into some matches already cramping and sore, but I think that vast experience helped immensely.”
Leonard added, “I moved from playing U16s and U18s to starting every match for the 21s the following year, and I was benched for the first team in NPL1 seniors.
“That was my first exposure to men’s football, which is a different environment. The players are less forgiving. They make it known when you make a mistake. The team was rather strong and experienced at Port, with few young players in it. It had an older setup.
“That shift was significant for me, so when I came to Western, I was prepared for what men’s football entails.”
Watching Leonard play, it’s easy to forget he’s just 17, especially since he still doesn’t hold a driver’s licence.
“Matthew Sutton also lives in Port Melbourne. He swings by my place every morning to take me to training,” Leonard shared. “He drops me off after every session and on game days, so my parents don’t have to drive me two hours early.”
This is also a player who only wrapped up his schooling this year. Balancing full-time football with education had become quite the challenge.
“I switched to unscored studies because I was coming home exhausted from training,” he said.
“It was a nightmare. We’d leave school early for training and not return until around 9:30 or 10 pm. Some evenings, if I had a SAC (school-assessed coursework) due, I’d find myself studying late, sometimes even studying during lunch at school.”
That decision has allowed Leonard to focus on his ultimate ambition—playing for Scottish giants Celtic one day.
The young footballer, who recently attended a UEFA Champions League match against Atletico Madrid, experiences the thrill of being among “the best fans in the world.” He hails from a Celtic-obsessed family, with both parents born in Scotland.
“It means everything,” he remarked. “It’s possibly why I began playing football and have dedicated myself to the sport. Watching games with my family and going over with my cousins to see Celtic play has been a significant part of my life.”
“I understand how meaningful that club is to my family and to me. It has definitely shaped my passion for playing football.”
In fact, he models his playing style on Celtic legend Paul McStay and former Celtic player Kristoffer Ajer.
“They were players I admired based on what my dad told me,” he said.
“I closely follow Celtic players like Kristoffer Ajer and his capabilities on the field. I’ve adopted elements of his game—such as stepping in to take control when required and making forward passes—to enhance my own style as a centre-back. I believe that the ability to change a game lies in playing positively.”
“He also often spoke about Paul McStay and how he made forward passes rather than playing conservatively. Certain players can alter the game’s course through their ability to attack, so I’ve incorporated that into my play as a centre-back.”
This aspiration is all part of his ultimate goal: playing for Celtic.
“One of my greatest ambitions in football is to wear the Celtic colours,” Leonard expressed.
“Winning a title with Celtic is obviously a dream, but ultimately, that’s the club I long to represent.”
Compiled by SportArena.com.au.
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