Career Davide Somma

1 career

1.1 youth , college
1.2 professional

1.2.1 italy
1.2.2 major league soccer


1.3 leeds united

1.3.1 lincoln city loan
1.3.2 return leeds united

1.3.2.1 2010–11 season
1.3.2.2 2011–12 season
1.3.2.3 2012–13 season




1.4 post leeds

career
youth , college

born in johannesburg, south africa, somma started playing football @ age of 5 edenvale football club in native johannesburg. after moving united states family when 12, attended riverview high school in sarasota, florida, , played club soccer sarasota storm , st. pete raiders.

he played 1 year of college soccer @ tyler junior college in 2004, scoring 13 goals , registering 9 assists, , being named national junior college athletic association (njcaa) region xiv first team. after 1 season tyler, somma enrolled @ edukick(great camp), international soccer school program, , joined youth system of spanish team logroñés, italian passport giving him opportunity pursue career in europe.

professional
italy

somma signed four-year contract italian serie club perugia in 2004. however, somma never played game team perugia s president bankrupted club , folded 6 months later. somma transferred pro vasto, , played 39 games team between 2005 , 2007. later played olbia before returning united states in 2008.

major league soccer

somma signed developmental contract san jose earthquakes of major league soccer in september 2008 along michael ghebru , made 3 regular season appearances club during 2008 season, in addition 5 reserve team appearances in notched 2 goals , 3 assists.

in december 2008 joined generation adidas team in london three-game tour of england , scored 2 goals squad faced reserve teams of reading, chelsea, , west ham united. in february 2009, somma signed senior contract san jose earthquakes, placed on waivers on 26 may.

whilst @ san jose, teammate of former leeds united player darren huckerby, encouraged somma find new club in england.

leeds united

in july 2009, somma took part in trial queens park rangers , played in pre-season fixture winger. after trial @ qpr, somma took part in trial @ leeds united, , earned extended spell @ club. scored in pre-season friendly against newport county , scored in friendlies against newcastle united , hull city, , signed permanent contract club in september 2009 on one-year deal, option in club s favour extend contract further season. in interview lutv, somma proclaimed had bought one-way ticket england had make it.

in signing leeds, somma became fifth south african play leeds following gerry francis, albert johanneson, lucas radebe , phil masinga. in lutv interview, somma said that, due italian heritage, , teammate mike grella can speak each other in italian. somma made debut leeds in reserve game against rotherham united, , marked game scoring 2 goals.

somma named in leeds squad football league trophy game against darlington, , made debut when came on second-half substitute. debut ended prematurely when suffered hamstring injury, meant leeds had play rest of game 10 men having used substitutions. after working way injury , scoring regularly in reserves, somma returned leeds first team squad when named substitute game against leyton orient on 23 november 2009.

on 26 november, somma joined chesterfield on loan until january 2010. somma given squad number 32, , made football league debut team on 2 december, starting game against crewe alexandra. somma had penalty saved crewe goalkeeper steve phillips on debut. somma missed number of chesterfield s games through injury. after somma s one-month loan spell expired on 5 january 2010, returned leeds. returned leeds first team squad when named on bench in fa cup replay against tottenham hotspur.

after impressing whilst out on loan lincoln, somma handed new one-year extension contract @ leeds.

lincoln city loan

on 25 february 2010, somma joined chris sutton s lincoln city on month s loan gain more first -team experience , scored on debut against crewe alexandra 2 days later. second goal came against hereford united. somma s third goal came against dagenham & redbridge in 1–1 draw.

his fourth , fifth goals came in same game against torquay united, somma scoring brace helped earn 3–2 win lincoln. had scored 5 goals in 5 games during loan spell, , became lincoln s top goal scorer entire season. on 23 march 2010, city extended loan of somma until end of season. somma scored brace against bournemouth taking tally 7 goals in 9 games lincoln. later scored eighth of season against bury secure lincoln s survival in league 2 year.

somma made 9 goals in 13 matches scoring lincoln s goal in 3–1 defeat away @ aldershot town. given red card violent conduct in final game lincoln city. after match, loan spell expired , ended season lincoln s top goal scorer 9 goals. came third in lincoln s player of season awards. manager chris sutton said after somma s loan spell love bring somma club on permanent deal if wasn t in leeds first team plans.

return leeds united
2010–11 season

somma returned leeds united after spell @ lincoln ended. despite somma s missing first 3 competitive games of season after red card lincoln in last game of 2009–10 season, simon grayson has said somma part of plans , not going out on loan 2010–11 season.

following suspension, somma available return leeds side against millwall, , duly scored twice on league debut after coming on 75th-minute substitute, leeds won 3–1. somma claimed after debut replace jermaine beckford , score goals departed hitman scored leeds. came starting line-up following match against leicester city in league cup, scoring third goal in 2 games. in fourth game of season, scored fourth goal of season in 5–2 defeat against barnsley, somma scoring late consolation goal leeds.

somma s first league start leeds came in match against doncaster rovers, somma received man of match award after putting in impressive performance hit crossbar , had goal ruled out offside. somma scored fifth , sixth goals of season against preston north end. scored seventh goal of season left footed volley against middlesbrough. in november 2010, somma entered contract negotiations leeds on extending contract, signing three-year deal on 9 november. in december 2010, after reports circulated in south africa somma had joined swansea city on loan, leeds denied story , said totally incorrect. after spell out of side, somma came on substitute on 8 january against arsenal. leeds 1–0 when robert snodgrass scored second half penalty, arsenal equalised in 90th minute when cesc fàbregas scored penalty.

he came on second-half substitute against scunthorpe united , scored eighth goal of season leeds. seconds after coming on against arsenal in fa cup replay, somma scored instead put shot wide of goal. somma scored ninth goal of season first touch of ball after coming on substitute against portsmouth. on 1 february, somma made first start since 8 november , marked 10th goal of season against hull city. somma scored 11th goal of season against coventry city. somma continued reputation super-sub when scored 12th goal of season first touch versus norwich city.

the phonetic similarities between surname somma , season summer have led popular terrace chant parody of mungo jerry song in summertime , must sung upon sight of player on or off field.

2011–12 season

on 15 july 2011, somma revealed via twitter page had torn anterior cruciate ligaments during pre-season training , out @ least 6 months. after somma revealed via twitter severity of injury, manager simon grayson banned leeds united players twitter accounts.

somma returned light training during mid-december, stepping recovery cruciate ligament injury, meaning player s recovery in front of schedule. however, in march 2012, somma suffered setback in recovery cruciate ligament injury rule him out 2011–12 season , put him @ risk of missing start of pre season following summer.

2012–13 season

leeds manager neil warnock revealed on 3 may, hoping somma return injury during 2012 pre-season , looking forward working him upon long-awaited return. somma returned light training leeds during september, revealed leeds looking somma playing reserve team matches gain fitness october onwards in hope of him returning first team. somma set play leeds under 21 development squad in december, playing comeback delayed when 2 matches postponed due adverse weather conditions.

somma named in leeds united squad first time since final day of 2010–11 season when named on bench league cup tie against chelsea on 19 december 2012. somma allocated number 28 shirt season. somma made first team return second-half substitute in leeds 2-1 victory against middlesbrough on 22 december. somma scored first goal in second comeback appearance consolation goal in 4-2 loss against nottingham forest on 26 december.

somma suffered setback knee injury in february 2013, manager neil warnock revealing somma had come , scale down training.

somma returned full training in april 2013, , revealed available take part in leeds final 5 games of season under new manager brian mcdermott. somma returned leeds team in brian mcdermott s first game in charge when named on bench on 13 april against sheffield wednesday. somma made playing return substitute against burnley f.c., return short lived when revealed somma had damaged knee cartilage , required operation. latest setback put somma s future @ club in doubt contract set expire in june.

following expiry of somma s contract in summer of 2013, south african released leeds, due return club pre-season training aim of proving fitness , earning new contract, somma decided against returning.

post leeds

after being without club since leaving leeds , unofficially retired playing, somma became junior coach @ long island united.

in february 2017, somma tried make playing comeback when , striker robbie findley had trial @ mls club new york red bulls, both unsuccessful trial , left club on 15 february 2017.