Lionel Ainsworth
Personal information
Full name	Lionel Glenn Robert Ainsworth
Date of birth	1 October 1987 (1987-10-01) (age 22)
Place of birth	Nottingham, England
Height	5 ft 7 in (1.70 m)
Playing position	Winger
Club information
Current club	Huddersfield Town
Number	28
Senior career1
Years	Club	App (Gls)*
2005–2007 2006 2007 2007 2007–2008 2007 2008–2009 2008–2009 2009–	Derby County → Bournemouth (loan) → Halifax Town (loan) → Wycombe Wanderers (loan) Hereford United → Watford (loan) Watford → Hereford United (loan) Huddersfield Town	02 0(0) 07 0(0) 02 0(1) 07 0(0) 15 0(4) 02 0(0) 13 0(0) 07 0(3) 24 0(0)
National team2
2003 2004 2006	England U17 England U18 England U19	01 0(0) 01 0(0) 01 0(0)
1 Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of November 24, 2009. 2 National team caps and goals correct as of February 3, 2009. * Appearances (Goals)

Lionel Glenn Robert Ainsworth (born October 1, 1987 in Nottingham) is an English footballer who currently plays for Huddersfield Town. He plays as a right winger.

[edit] Career

Ainsworth started his career at Derby County, signing his first professional contract on 4 August 2005. He made his first team debut on 25 February 2006 in a 1–0 home win over Plymouth Argyle, coming on as a late substitute for Kevin Lisbie. His second and final first team appearance for Derby came in a 5–0 defeat to Reading on 1 April 2006, again as a substitute.

Ainsworth spent the first four months of the 2006–07 season on loan at League One side Bournemouth, but made only nine appearances. In January 2007 he joined Conference side Halifax Town for a month, scoring his first senior goal on his debut against York City. Soon after his return to Derby he joined League Two side Wycombe Wanderers on loan until the end of the season, where he made seven appearances before being recalled in April.

He was released by Derby at the end of the 2006–07 season and was signed by Hereford United,^[1] who were about to start their second season back in the Football League. He quickly established his place in the side and featured in every first team match bar one, during his time with the Bulls. In only his second match he scored his first senior hat-trick in a 4–1 League Cup first round win over Yeovil Town.^[2] He went on to score another hat-trick, this time in a 3–2 league win at Stockport County. Ainsworth's last match for Hereford saw him score a 3rd minute winner against Leeds United, in the FA Cup First Round.

His performances for Hereford saw Watford sign him initially on loan and then permanently on 5 January 2008 for an undisclosed six figure fee. The Hornets had already loaned Toumani Diagouraga and Theo Robinson to Hereford, and manager Aidy Boothroyd extended these loans to the end of the season as part of the Ainsworth transfer deal. He also gave Hereford first option on Diagouraga, which the Bulls duly utilised in the summer of 2008.^[3][4] Ainsworth signed a contract until the end of the 2009–10 season.

On 16 November 2008, Watford caretaker manager Malky Mackay named Ainsworth as one of three players that were to be loaned to other clubs to gain match fitness.^[5] Four days later Ainsworth rejoined Hereford United on a month's loan, on the anniversary of his final match for the Bulls.^[6] Lionel scored three more goals for United in the 2008-09 season including a brace and two assists against Oldham Athletic in a 5-0 hammering. Following that performance Lionel was recalled to Watford with one game still left on his loan deal.

On 23 January he was signed by Football League One side Huddersfield Town on a two-and-a-half-year contract. His debut came as a substitute for Keigan Parker in the 1-0 defeat by Yeovil Town at Huish Park on 27 January 2009. His first start for the Terriers came in the 1-0 win over Peterborough United on 31 January 2009.

[edit] International career

During his time with Derby County's Academy, Ainsworth featured for England U17s and U18s.^[7][8] Three days after his first senior league appearance for Derby, he played for England U19s.^[9] England were undefeated in all of the three games in which Ainsworth featured.

[edit] Arrest

Ainsworth was arrested in early March 2009 in connection with the death of Liam Munn in Nottingham at the beginning of the year. He was charged with affray on 11 March. The accusation was that he was involved in an incident some seven weeks following the death of Mr Munn, his cousin. Also arrested and charged were Ainsworth's uncle (Munn's father) and cousin (Munn's brother).

His arrest forced him to miss Huddersfield's match against Milton Keynes Dons at stadium:mk on 10 March. He was due to stand trial in November 2009, but the charges were dropped on 19 November 2009.

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Lionel Ainsworth career stats at Soccerbase