Born in Greenock, Leslie was an influential defensive midfielder who played in Scotland with St Mirren and Morton, and appeared in 143 games for Birmingham, including 132 top flight League games and an appearance at Wembley in the 1931 FA Cup Final. A niggling knee injury disrupted his career; he played his last game for Birmingham in September 1931 before finally retiring in 1932. After football, he ran a pub and worked for the Inland Revenue. He died in Birmingham, aged 60.