[2][3] Leadbitter was born in Middlesbrough and began his career as an apprentice at Grimsby Town.
After a brief loan spell at Conference club Barnet,[4][citation needed] Leadbitter became a regular part of the Cambridge side under manager John Beck and helped the club gain consecutive promotions and reach the quarter-finals of the FA Cup in successive seasons.
[5][6] After 176 league appearances and 18 goals,[2] he moved onto AFC Bournemouth for £25,000 in 1993[5] and then Plymouth Argyle in 1995.
He played 63 games in all competitions for Plymouth,[1] spent time out of the Football League at Dorchester Town, returned to it for two seasons with Torquay United,[2] went back to Argyle to make a further 51 appearances, then retired from professional football in 2001.
[1] He returned to the north-east of England and played non-League football for Guisborough Town,[7] Whitby Town,[8] Peterlee Newtown,[9] Thornaby, Bishop Auckland,[10] and Guisborough again.