Tommy Lee (footballer)

Tommy Lee

Lee playing for Chesterfield in 2011
Personal information
Full name Thomas Edward Lee[1]
Date of birth (1986-01-03) 3 January 1986[1]
Place of birth Keighley, England
Height 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)[1]
Playing position Goalkeeper
Club information
Current team
 Chesterfield
Number 1
Youth career
2002–2005 Manchester United
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2005–2006 Manchester United 0 (0)
2006 → Macclesfield Town (loan) 11 (0)
2006–2008 Macclesfield Town 52 (0)
2008 → Rochdale (loan) 11 (0)
2008– Chesterfield 321 (0)

* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 8 May 2016 (UTC).


Thomas Edward "Tommy" Lee (born 3 January 1986) is an English professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for League One club Chesterfield. He began his professional career with Manchester United, but he was unable to break into the first team and was loaned to Macclesfield Town in 2006. He joined Macclesfield permanently later that year, spending two years there before first joining Rochdale on loan and then Chesterfield on a permanent basis.

Career

Manchester United

Lee was born in Keighley, West Yorkshire.[1] Playing for local team Oakworth Juniors, he then went to Manchester United as a junior player in 2002. In 2005, he helped United's reserve team win the quadruple. In the 2005–06 season he was loaned to Macclesfield Town for what was originally going to be a month, but was extended to three months.

Macclesfield Town

Lee made his league debut away at Oxford United. During his loan period, Macclesfield boss Brian Horton told the Macclesfield Express: "Tommy has been excellent since joining us in January. I spoke to Tony Coton, United's goalkeeping coach, and Sir Alex Ferguson. Both were happy to extend Tommy's loan spell."

In August 2006, he signed a contract with Macclesfield, arriving on a free transfer from Manchester United.

On 6 January 2007, Lee kept goal for Macclesfield Town against English champions Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. Despite suffering an injury to his arm while making a save from Salomon Kalou, he played on until he was sent off for a foul on Andriy Shevchenko. Macclesfield were already 2–1 down by this point, and conceded another four goals after going down to 10 men.[2]

On 22 March 2008, Lee joined Rochdale on loan from Macclesfield Town and played in Rochdale's Play Off Final appearance at Wembley Stadium against Stockport County. Lee was released by Macclesfield in May 2008, before joining Chesterfield on 1 August on a one-year contract.[3]

Chesterfield

In September 2008, Lee was attacked during a night out in Sheffield and required surgery after his jaw was broken.[4] After returning to action, Lee became a fan favourite at Saltergate.

At the end of the season, Lee won the club's Young Spireites Player of the Season award, before signing a two-year deal to keep him at Chesterfield until June 2011. In May 2011, Lee was offered and signed a two-year extension, keeping him at the club until June 2013. Lee has been a firm favourite with the Chesterfield fans, his popularity easily notable as the goalkeeper picked up the fan-voted Player of the Year Award two years running.[5]

Lee played every minute of the Spireites' championship-winning 2010–11 season. His fine form was rewarded as he was placed in the PFA Team of the Year for that season. In September 2011, Lee was injured in a game against Bury. The side missed him to the extent that without him they began a long series of matches without winning and slumped to the bottom of the League One table.

In January 2012, Lee was named man of the match in both legs of the Football League Trophy Northern Final, helping Chesterfield to a 3–1 win and their first trip to the new Wembley Stadium. In the final on 25 March 2012, Lee helped his team keep a clean sheet in a 2–0 win over the much fancied Swindon Town, making a crucial flying save to tip a header over the bar in the final minutes of the game.[6]

In January 2013 Lee signed a three-year contract keeping him at Chesterfield until 2016.

Tommy Lee again found himself in the League 2 PFA Team of the Year, on the same day he kept a clean sheet against Burton Albion to take the Spireites back to League 1 on 27 April 2014.

On 22 July 2015, Lee signed a two-year contract extension, keeping him at the club until 2018. On 2 January 2016, Lee made his 300th league appearance for the Spireites in a 7-1 victory at home against Shrewsbury Town.

Career statistics

As of match played 8 May 2016
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League FA Cup League Cup Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Manchester United 2005–06[7] Premier League 0000000000
Macclesfield Town (loan) 2005–06[7] League Two 110——1[lower-alpha 1]0120
Macclesfield Town 2006–07[8] League Two 340100000350
2007–08[9] League Two 180101000200
Total 630201010670
Rochdale (loan) 2007–08[9] League Two 110——3[lower-alpha 2]0140
Chesterfield 2008–09[10] League Two 28020101[lower-alpha 1]0320
2009–10[11] League Two 42010103[lower-alpha 1]0470
2010–11[12] League Two 46020102[lower-alpha 1]0510
2011–12[13] League One 35000104[lower-alpha 1]0400
2012–13[14] League Two 32010101[lower-alpha 1]0350
2013–14[15] League Two 46020106[lower-alpha 1]0550
2014–15[16] League One 46060102[lower-alpha 3]0550
2015–16[17] League One 46030101[lower-alpha 1]0510
2016–17[18] League One 0000000000
Total 3210170802003660
Career total 3930190902404480
  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Appearance(s) in Football League Trophy
  2. ↑ Appearances in League Two play-offs
  3. ↑ One appearance in Football League Trophy, one in League One play-offs

Honours

Chesterfield

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Hugman, Barry J., ed. (2010). The PFA Footballers' Who's Who 2010–11. Edinburgh: Mainstream Publishing. p. 248. ISBN 978-1-84596-601-0.
  2. ↑ Cheese, Caroline (6 January 2007). "Chelsea 6–1 Macclesfield". BBC Sport. Retrieved 4 January 2013.
  3. ↑ "Spireites snap up keeper". Sky Sports. 1 August 2008. Retrieved 1 August 2008.
  4. ↑ "Spireite keeper's jaw broken in city attack". Derbyshire Times. Chesterfield. 11 September 2008. Retrieved 11 September 2008.
  5. ↑ , Chesterfield team profiles.
  6. ↑ http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/17419742
  7. 1 2 "Games played by Tommy Lee in 2005/2006". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 3 June 2016.
  8. ↑ "Games played by Tommy Lee in 2006/2007". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 8 December 2014.
  9. 1 2 "Games played by Tommy Lee in 2007/2008". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 8 December 2014.
  10. ↑ "Games played by Tommy Lee in 2008/2009". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 8 December 2014.
  11. ↑ "Games played by Tommy Lee in 2009/2010". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 8 December 2014.
  12. ↑ "Games played by Tommy Lee in 2010/2011". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 8 December 2014.
  13. 1 2 "Games played by Tommy Lee in 2011/2012". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 8 December 2014.
  14. ↑ "Games played by Tommy Lee in 2012/2013". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 8 December 2014.
  15. ↑ "Games played by Tommy Lee in 2013/2014". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 8 December 2014.
  16. ↑ "Games played by Tommy Lee in 2014/2015". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 27 May 2015.
  17. ↑ "Games played by Tommy Lee in 2015/2016". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 3 June 2016.
  18. ↑ "Games played by Tommy Lee in 2016/2017". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 8 August 2016.
  19. ↑ "T. Lee". Soccerway. Global Sports Media. Retrieved 27 May 2015.
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