Statue of pioneering black footballer Jack Leslie unveiled at Plymouth Argyle's Home Park stadium

  • Watch the unveiling of the Jack Leslie statue in Plymouth

A statue of pioneering black footballer and Plymouth Argyle legend Jack Leslie has been unveiled in Plymouth.

Jack was called up to play for England in 1925 but was soon after dropped due to the colour of his skin.

Now a statue of him has been put up at Argyle's Home Park stadium.

An unveiling ceremony took place at today (Friday 7 October) with a crowd of footballing dignitaries, supporters, and Jack's granddaughters attending the big reveal.

"It's overwhelming to be honest because that is granddad stood there and you get this feeling that you want to just go and hug him," said Jack's granddaughter Lesley Hiscott.

"We're so proud of our granddad and it's so wonderful to see him at long last be recognised."

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To mark the occasion, Jack was also awarded a cap for his many years in football.

His granddaughter Lyn Davies added: "It's just the icing on top of the cake. It should have happened a long time ago but it happened today."

The 12ft (3.7m) statue of Jack was placed outside the ground of Plymouth Argyle, the club he scored 137 times for during the 1920s and 1930s.

Who was Jack Leslie?

Jack Leslie signed for Plymouth Argyle in 1921, becoming the only black professional footballer in the country. He made more than 400 appearances before an injury forced his retirement in 1934.

He was chosen to play in the England squad in 1925 but his place was later denied due to the colour of his skin. Soon after his name disappeared from the team.

Matt Tiller campaigned for the statue and helped raise £100,000 to manufacture it in just six weeks.

He said: "Thousands of people donated money and their time to create something that marks an injustice."

Following thousands of donations, the campaign was able to commission Andy Edwards, a renowned artist who has created many of the top sporting works in the country, including the Stanley Matthews monument at Stoke City FC.

Greg Foxsmith who also campaigned for the statue says he was "completely blown away".

"It's a great piece of artwork," he added. "We're just so proud and happy".

Plymouth Argyle will play against Accrington Stanley on Saturday where Jack's legacy will be celebrated.