Peter Leven

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Not to be confused with Peter Levin.

Peter Leven
Personal information
Full name Peter McDonald Leven[1]
Date of birth (1983-09-27) 27 September 1983 (age 40)
Place of birth Renfrew, Scotland
Height 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Position(s) Midfielder
Team information
Current team
 Aberdeen (caretaker manager)
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2000–2004 Rangers 0 (0)
2004–2007 Kilmarnock 65 (5)
2007–2008 Chesterfield 42 (5)
2008–2011 Milton Keynes Dons 120 (22)
2011–2013 Oxford United 59 (12)
2014–2015 Jarrow Roofing BCA 29 (0)
Total 315 (44)
International career
2004–2005 Scotland U21[2] 4 (0)
Managerial career
2014–2015 Middlesbrough (academy)
2015–2017 Kilmarnock (assistant)
2018 Dynamo Brest B
2018–2020 Dynamo Brest (assistant)
2021–2023 Orenburg (assistant)
2024 Aberdeen (caretaker)
2024– Aberdeen (caretaker)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Peter McDonald Leven (born 27 September 1983) is a Scottish football coach and former player who is currently the caretaker manager of Aberdeen. Leven played as a midfielder for Kilmarnock, Chesterfield, Milton Keynes Dons and Oxford United. He made over 300 career appearances and represented Scotland at the under-21 level.

Playing career[edit]

Rangers[edit]

Leven was a youth player with Rangers and as a 16-year-old appeared on the bench four times for the first team, including an Old Firm match. A year later he suffered a serious knee injury in a pre-season game, which ruled him out for two years.

Kilmarnock[edit]

Leven signed for Kilmarnock in 2004, he establish himself in the first team. He played 65 times for Kilmarnock and at the end of the 2006–07 season he rejected Kilmarnock's contract offer to head down south.

Chesterfield[edit]

Leven joined Chesterfield on a free transfer in 2007. As Aaron Downes made a poor start to the 2007–08 season, Leven was given the captaincy of League Two side Chesterfield. He appeared in 44 of their 49 games in the 2007–08 season. The club turned down numerous offers from Brighton up to £125,000 in the January transfer window. Chesterfield then failed to gain promotion and he turned down a contract extension.

Milton Keynes Dons[edit]

Leven joined Milton Keynes Dons in June 2008 on a free transfer.[3] He won the League 1 Sports Writers Player of the Year for the 2010–11 season, his last for MK Dons. At the end of his contract at the Dons, Leven declined to accept the contract extension the club offered him and left as a free agent.[4]

Oxford United[edit]

There was interest in Leven from several clubs, including Millwall[5] and Crystal Palace,[citation needed] but in July 2011 he signed a two-year deal with League Two side Oxford United. Leven set up both Oxford United goals in their 2–1 away win over arch-rivals Swindon on 21 August 2011, their first victory at the County Ground for 38 years.[6] On 29 October 2011 during a home game against Port Vale, with the game at 1–1, Leven intercepted the ball inside his own half and lobbed the opposition keeper from the halfway line, which turned out to be the winning goal[7] and one of the best ever goals scored at the Kassam Stadium.[8]

Retirement[edit]

While a free agent, Leven was linked with Paul Ince's Blackpool, but in August 2014 he signed for non-league Jarrow Roofing BCA. Leven retired soon after joining Roofing at the age of 29, having struggled throughout his career with knee problems.[9]

Coaching career[edit]

During 2014-15, Leven worked as an academy coach at Middlesbrough.[10][11] Leven was appointed to a coaching position at Scottish Premier league club Kilmarnock in June 2015 joining the club as Assistant Manager.[12] He left the club on 1 October 2017, when manager Lee McCulloch also departed.[13]

In April 2018, joined Belarusian club Dynamo Brest.[14] Initially employed as head of the academy and B team, he was promoted quickly to first-team assistant manager in August 2018, with an emphasis on overseeing tactics and training under Head Coach Marcel Lička.[15] Brest won the 2019 Belarusian Premier League and 2 super cups, only losing 1 game in 36 matches all season and Qualified for UEFA Champions League football breaking a long period of dominance by BATE Borisov.[14] Leven left the club in March 2020.

After leaving Belarus, Leven took up a coaching position at Russian club FC Orenburg again assisting Lička.[16] Orenburg would gain promotion to the Russian Premier League after winning the relegation play-offs.[17]

Leven joined the coaching staff at Aberdeen in June 2023.[18] He was made caretaker manager after Barry Robson was sacked, taking charge of one game (a 1–1 draw with Celtic) before Neil Warnock was appointed interim manager.[19][20] Leven reverted to being the first team coach under Warnock,[20] but was again placed in caretaker charge a month later.[21]

Career statistics[edit]

All stats from soccerbase[22]

As of 27 December 2013
Club Season League FA Cup[A] League Cup[B] Other[C] Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Rangers 2000–01 Scottish Premier League 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2001–02 Scottish Premier League 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2002–03 Scottish Premier League 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2003–04 Scottish Premier League 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Total 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Kilmarnock 2004–05 Scottish Premier League 32 4 3 0 1 1 0 0 36 5
2005–06 Scottish Premier League 6 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 8 0
2006–07 Scottish Premier League 27 1 0 0 4 0 0 0 31 1
Total 65 5 3 0 7 1 0 0 75 6
Chesterfield 2007–08 League Two 42 5 1 0 1 0 0 0 44 5
Total 42 5 1 0 1 0 0 0 44 5
Milton Keynes Dons 2008–09 League One 42 10 1 0 1 0 0 0 44 10
2009–10 League One 31 4 3 0 0 0 6 0 40 4
2010–11 League One 40 8 2 0 3 0 1 0 46 8
Total 113 22 6 0 4 0 7 0 130 22
Oxford United 2011–12 League Two 39 6 1 0 1 0 1 0 42 6
2012–13 League Two 20 4 4 1 0 0 1 1 25 6
Total 59 10 5 1 1 0 2 1 67 12
Career totals 279 42 15 1 13 1 9 1 316 45
A. ^ The "FA Cup" column constitutes appearances (including substitutes) and goals in the FA Cup and Scottish Cup.
B. ^ The "League Cup" column constitutes appearances (including substitutes) and goals in the Football League Cup and Scottish League Cup.
C. ^ The "Other" column constitutes appearances (including substitutes) and goals in the Football League Trophy.

Honours[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Professional retain list & free transfers 2012/13" (PDF). The Football League. 18 May 2013. p. 88. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 August 2014. Retrieved 6 September 2013.
  2. ^ "Scotland U21 Player Peter Leven Details".
  3. ^ "DONS LAND LEVEN". Milton Keynes Dons F.C. official website. 6 June 2008. Retrieved 7 June 2008.
  4. ^ "Leven departure confirmed by Robbo". Milton Keynes Citizen. 1 July 2011. Retrieved 7 August 2018.
  5. ^ "Duo looking at Leven". Sky Sports. 28 April 2010. Retrieved 10 October 2012.
  6. ^ "Swindon 1–2 Oxford Utd". BBC Sport. 21 August 2011. Retrieved 30 July 2012.
  7. ^ Oxford Utd 2–1 Port Vale – BBC Sport
  8. ^ "Leven's wonder-goal sees Oxford hold off valiant Vale". Oxford Mail. 19 October 2011. Retrieved 19 July 2012.
  9. ^ Hudson, Andy (7 August 2018). "Leven is a Roofer". Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 18 August 2014.
  10. ^ Peter Leven says Oxford United have signed an 'unbelievable talent', oxfordmail.co.uk, 28 November 2014
  11. ^ Peter Leven details his remarkable coaching journey which has led him to Belarus, dailyrecord.co.uk, 29 April 2018
  12. ^ "NEW ASSISTANT COACH: Peter Leven". www.kilmarnockfc.co.uk. Kilmarnock FC. 29 June 2015. Retrieved 9 September 2015.
  13. ^ "Kilmarnock manager Lee McCulloch leaves club by mutual consent". BBC Sport. BBC. 1 October 2017. Retrieved 1 October 2017.
  14. ^ a b McPheat, Nick (27 November 2019). "Peter Leven: Scottish coach on moving to Belarus & meeting Maradona". BBC Sport. Retrieved 27 November 2019.
  15. ^ heraldscotland.com, heraldscotland.com, 9 March 2019
  16. ^ "From Russia with love: Peter Leven on why his coaching dreams mean an emotional sacrifice for his family".
  17. ^ "FC UFA VS. FC ORENBURG". fcorenburg.ru. 28 May 2022. Retrieved 5 June 2022.
  18. ^ "Leven joins Robson's Aberdeen staff". www.bbc.co.uk/sport. BBC Sport. 29 June 2023. Retrieved 2 February 2024.
  19. ^ "Peter Leven continues to lead Aberdeen against Celtic on Saturday". www.bbc.co.uk/sport. BBC Sport. 2 February 2024. Retrieved 2 February 2024.
  20. ^ a b "Neil Warnock: Aberdeen appoint veteran as interim manager". www.bbc.co.uk/sport. BBC Sport. 5 February 2024. Retrieved 5 February 2024.
  21. ^ McPheat, Nick (9 March 2024). "Neil Warnock leaves Aberdeen: 'Club in chaos' or 'doing right thing'?". BBC Sport. Retrieved 11 March 2024.
  22. ^ "Peter Leven Soccerbase". Soccerbase.
  23. ^ "Oxford United Player Guide 2012-13". Milton Keynes Dons. 14 August 2012. Retrieved 5 September 2018.
  24. ^ "PLAYER OF THE YEAR AWARDS - WINNERS". Milton Keynes Dons. 5 May 2011. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 5 September 2018.

External links[edit]

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Peter_Leven&oldid=1219707583"