At Preston, Les Dagger was deputy to Tom Finney for some seasons, making 61 League appearances (8 goals), including 10 matches in 1957–58 when North End finished runners-up to Wolves in the First Division. He was an ever-present in the Carlisle United team that achieved promotion to the Third Division in 1961–62. After 74 appearances for the Cumbrians, he joined Southport.Dagger had the unusual distinction of scoring all his first seven goals for Southport from the penalty spot before scoring one in open play, only to miss his next two penalty attempts. Forceful and direct, he was an excellent crosser of the ball, but finishing was not his strong point, as evidenced by his career tally of only 26 goals in 216 League games. He concluded his career in the Lancashire Combination before managing Garstang and Leyland Motors. An all-round sportsman, he also played table tennis, golf, and cricket. He currently teaches mentally handicapped children.