Grimes: Eric Julian (Eric)

2013-2016 (Leeds Player Details) (Player Details)

Goalkeeper

Born: Cork, Republic of Ireland: 04-02-1995

Debut: N/A : N/A

6' 12st 7lb (2015)

Cork born Grimes started his football career with local team Ringmahon Rangers. He was signed as an apprentice by Leeds in June 2011 after he had impressed at local level with Ringmahon Rangers, the Cork Under-Fifteen County side and also with the Irish Under-Sixteen at the First City of Latina Tournament In Italy in October 2010 and against Belgium in Cork. He signed his first professional contract with Leeds in July 2013 and played four times for the Leeds Under-Twenty-One team in 2013-14. He returned to Ireland with Leeds teams, playing in the friendly against Cork City at Turner's Cross on 2nd February 2013 and being an unused substitute at Shelbourne on 29th July 2013 as Alex Cairns played the full ninety minutes. He also established himself as first choice goalkeeper for the Irish Under-Nineteen team, making his debut for them on 13th August 2013 at the Carlisle Grounds at Bray in a 0-1 defeat. His second cap came on 5th September 2013 in a 2-0 win over Slovenia at the Regional Sports Centre Waterford. His next two caps were both earned at Angavallen in Sweden as Azerbaijan were defeated 2-0 on 10th October 2013 and two days later Sweden were beaten 1-0. It was back to Ireland to gain two more caps as Romania gained a 2-2 draw at Turner's Cross, Cork on 4th March 2014 before Mexico defeated them 0-3 at Tallaght Stadium, Dublin to give him six caps. It was then back to the same venue as he gained three more to make his tally nine with games in the UEFA Euro qualifiers, beating Iceland 2-1 on 28th May 2014, Turkey 2-1 two days later, and losing to Serbia 1-3 on 2nd June 2014. In 2014-15 he also cemented his place in the Leeds Under-Twenty-One team starting Twenty-One games and coming off the bench once. On 29th June 2015 he signed a one-year contract with Leeds. He made his first appearance for the Irish Under-Twenty-One team as he came on as a half-time substitute for Danny Rogers of Aberdeen in a 2-2 draw with Russia at the Marbella Football Center in Malaga, Spain on 17th November 2014. He played eighteen games for the Leeds Under-Twenty-Ones in 2015-16 but he also was the unused substitute for the first team on two occasions, at Blackburn Rovers on 12th March 2016, when he was understudy to Marco Silvestre in the 2-1 win at Ewood Park, and on 5th April 2016, when he was understudy to Bailey Peacock-Farrell when Silvestre had been suspended. He now seemed to be the fourth choice Leeds keeper, behind Silvestre, the injured Ross Turnbull, and Peacock-Farrell and it came as no surprise when he was not resigned when his contract ran out at the end of the 2015-16 season. His Irish Under-Twenty-One career had continued with a second cap, when he started the 1-2 defeat by England C at Eamonn Deacy Park in Terrylands, Galway on 1st June 2015, but he was replaced at half-time by Liam Bossin of Anderlecht. A third cap came on 4th September 2015 at Gigg Lane, Bury when he came on at half-time for Danny Rogers of Aberdeen in a 4-1 win over Qatar. He gained a fourth cap when he started at the Regional Sports Centre Waterford in a 0-0 draw with Norway on 17th November 2015 but was substituted by Ian Lawlor of Manchester City at half-time. He was not included in the squad for the EUFA European Championship qualifiers in March 2016. His contract was not renewed at the end of the 2015-16 season and, after trials, he signed for Cork City on 31st July 2016