Harte: Ian Patrick (Ian)

1994-2004 (Leeds Player Details)(Player Details)

Left Back

Born: Drogheda, Ireland: 31-08-1977

Debut: v Reading (h) (substitute): 10-01-1996

5’11” 11st 8lb (2007)

#68 in 100 Greatest LUFC Players Ever

Harte, who played for St Kevin’s Boys in Drogheda, was on the verge of leaving Leeds two months into his two year apprenticeship. He had joined Leeds from Home Farm in 1995 and played a variety of positions for the juniors and reserves and later in the season sampled some Premiership action. When the eighteen-year-old Harte came on for his Leeds debut in the Coca Cola Cup against Reading it completed an amazing family double, as his uncle Gary Kelly, himself only twenty-one, was already on the pitch. The uncle and nephew helped United to a narrow 2-1 success to take one further step down the road to Wembley. He was called up for the Republic's Under-Twenty-One team and played twice, debuting on 23rd March 1996 against Russia and on 30th May 1996 against Norway. At the end of the campaign he was included, along with his uncle, in the full Republic of Ireland international squad for their summer tour. He played for Leeds for nine seasons and was an integral part of their team as they took Europe and the Premiership by storm. Occasionally his passing let him down, and at one point when Leeds bought Dominic Matteo it looked as though Harte might become second choice. Thanks to injury, Matteo ended up playing at centre half and Harte kept his place on the left. Harte was also a proficient left-footed free kick and penalty taker, and had scored from several set pieces for Leeds and the Republic of Ireland. He could also be pedestrian slow and many opposing teams exploited this weakness by playing fast tricky winners and channeling their attack down their right flank. This was partly outweighed by Harte’s ability from a dead ball situation and he was so strong and deadly accurate from free-kicks that he scored many vital goals for Leeds at home and in Europe. On one occasion in a pre-season friendly he scored a hat-trick from his speciality free-kicks, such was his ability, despite rumours, earlier in his career, that clubs including Barcelona and AC Milan were offering Leeds as much as £11 million for his services. Whatever his perceived defects he was good enough to be picked by his fellow professionals at Left-Back in the EPL PFA team of the year for the 1999-2000 season. In the end it was Spanish side Levante that signed him from Leeds in 2004, following the financial crisis at Elland Road. When he left Elland Road he had scored eleven goals in gaining fifty-six caps for the Republic of Ireland and represented them in the 2002 World Cup Finals in Korea and Japan, playing every game until they were finally eliminated by Spain on penalties, after extra time in Suwon on 16th June 2002 in the knock out rounds. Harte played in La Liga until he was released by Levante at the end of the 2006-07 season. He had made a good impression in his first season, scoring Levante's first goal in La Liga after an absence of forty-one years, but was unfortunate with injuries in the second half of the season and Levante slid down the table from their high point of fifth and were eventually relegated. They rebounded quickly with Harte showing the way with nine goals in all games and won promotion from the Segunda Division back to La Liga at the first attempt in 2005-06. 2006-07 again saw Harte sidelined with injuries almost immediately the season had started and as he returned in the new year he could not force his way back into the first-team. Levente coach Abel Resino made Harte aware he was surplus to requirements before the start of the 2007-08 season and Harte and the club agreed to waive the remaining one year of his contract and he became a free agent. He scored once in twenty-three starts and one substitute appearance for Levante in La Liga and a total of ten goals in sixty-six in all League games. On 29th August 2007 after a trial period, it was announced that he had joined former national team mate, Roy Keane, at Sunderland. He signed a one year contract and made his Sunderland debut as a late substitute in the club's 3-2 defeat away at Arsenal. He made three starts and had five games off the bench in the League but was released at the end of his contract. He spent time on trial at Wolverhampton Wanderers during Summer 2008 but rejected their eventual offer of a month-to-month contract. In September 2008 he joined Sheffield United to train at the club's Shirecliffe training ground complex. He then played for the Blades in a 3-0 win in a reserve match against Newcastle United but was not signed by them. On 22nd October 2008, it was announced that Harte was on a one-week trial with Norwegian Premier League club Valerenge, but nothing eventuated. He also spent time on trial at Charlton Athletic. Harte signed for Championship club Blackpool, on 11th December 2008, after spending a few weeks on trial with them. He signed on a month-to-month contract basis. He made four starts in the League and one in the F.A. Cup before he had his contract terminated by mutual consent on 2nd February 2009. He then agreed a contract with Scottish Premier League club St. Mirren until the end of the 2008/09 season, but then Harte unexpectedly pulled out of the move the following day. He was hoping to have been signed by Celtic but it did not eventuate, as Levante suddenly decided they wanted 2.5 Million Euros, which Gordon Strachan was not prepared to pay. On 26th March 2009, Harte signed a contract to the end of the season with Carlisle United and made his debut two days later in a 1-1 home draw with Northampton Town. He won man of the match for his impressive performance but did not play for a month after breaking two fingers during the game. He returned to action on 25th April 2009, scoring a free kick in the 1-1 draw against Cheltenham Town. He also played in the last match of the season. Harte signed a two-year contract with Carlisle United on 18th May 2009 keeping him at the club until the summer of 2011. He had scored once in three starts in the League by the end of the 2008-09 campaign. He continued as a regular in the 2009-10 season and by the end of that season he had proved his worth with several fine goals and had brought his goal tally to seventeen in the League from forty-eight starts, while scoring one in four F.A. Cup games, and another in three League Cup games but could not get on the scoresheet in six starts and one substitute appearance in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy in which he received a loser's medal after Carlisle were beaten 4-1 by Southampton in the Final. He was selected in the League One PFA team for the 2009-10 season at Left-Back and also won the club's "player of the year" award. Reading took advantage of a clause in his contract to sign him for £70,000 on 31st August 2010. He had scored nineteen League goals in fifty-two starts and scored once in each of the F.A. Cup and League Cup while making four starts in each competition, while six starts and one game from the bench in the Football League Trophy had not yielded any goals during his stay at Brunton Park. Harte signed a two year contract and he soon set about repaying the faith shown in him by Reading Manager Brian McDermott, scoring many fine goals and helping Reading to the play-offs, where they were finally pipped at the post by Swansea City in the Wembley play-off Final. Harte was again recognised by his fellow professionals and was in the PFA 20010-11 Championship team of the year. He stayed with Reading until 28th June 2013 when he moved to Bournemouth on a free transfer. He had scored fifteen goals in eighty-eight League appearances, of which three had been as a substitute. He had also started six F.A. Cup, two League Cup and three Championship play-off games. He stayed with Bournemouth until 15th May 2015 when he retired after scoring once in twenty-eight League games, of which two were as a substitute. He also started two F.A. Cup and five League Cup games. Harte added a further eight caps to his collection to bring it to a total of sixty-four and he also found the net twice, against Israel and the Faroe Islands to bring his goal tally to eleven goals.