Lee Holmes

Lee Daniel Holmes (born 2 April 1987) is an English professional footballer who plays as a midfielder.

Not to be confused with Lee Holmes (footballer, born 1955).

Lee Holmes
Holmes in 2008
Personal information
Full name Lee Daniel Holmes[1]
Date of birth (1987-04-02) 2 April 1987[1]
Place of birth Mansfield, England
Height 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)[2]
Position(s) Left midfielder
Youth career
000–2002 Derby County
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2002–2008 Derby County 46 (2)
2004–2005 → Swindon Town (loan) 15 (1)
2006 → Bradford City (loan) 16 (0)
2008 → Walsall (loan) 19 (4)
2008–2012 Southampton 29 (1)
2012 → Oxford United (loan) 7 (2)
2012 → Swindon Town (loan) 10 (1)
2012–2015 Preston North End 60 (6)
2014 → Portsmouth (loan) 5 (0)
2015 → Exeter City (loan) 8 (0)
2015–2020 Exeter City 114 (12)
National team‡
2002 England U16 4 (0)
2003 England U17 3 (0)
2004–2006 England U19 18 (1)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 15:54, 2 July 2020 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 04:00, 2 December 2015 (UTC)

Holmes began his career with Derby County and became their youngest ever player and goalscorer, as well as the youngest footballer to appear in the FA Cup. He has represented England at the under 16, under 17 and the under 19 level.

Playing career

Derby County

Holmes began his career with Derby County, appearing for the club's under 18 side when he was only 14.[3]

Even before he made his senior debut, he hit the headlines when he scored after just 38 seconds for England under 16s in a Victory Shield match against Northern Ireland.[4] England went on to win the 2002 Victory Shield with two more victories.[5]

Holmes made his debut for Derby on Boxing Day, 2002 against Grimsby Town. He broke the club record for the youngest player to appear at just 15 years and 268 days.[6] Holmes held the record for almost nine years until Mason Bennett beat it by 169 days in October 2011.[7]

He made another two more appearances during the 2002–03 season, both within two weeks of his debut. The second game was against Brentford when he became the youngest player to play in the proper rounds of the FA Cup.[8] His record has since been broken by Luke Freeman for Gillingham.[9]

In March 2003, Holmes helped the England under 17s to qualify for the 2003 UEFA European Under-17 Football Championship in Portugal with a 2–0 win in the qualifying match against Scotland.[10]

Holmes became a regular in the Derby side during the first half of the 2003–04 season.[11] In September 2003, his manager George Burley issued a "hands-off" warning to teams trying to sign Holmes as well as fellow teenager Tom Huddlestone.[12]

Still aged 16, Holmes scored his first Derby goal in a 3–1 defeat to Coventry City on 25 October 2003 to become the club's youngest goalscorer.[13][14] In November, Holmes was a target of Chelsea's recruitment drive of young England footballers.[15]

Holmes played three games for Derby at the start of the 2004–05 season and also appeared for England under 19s scoring in a 1–1 draw with the Czech Republic.[14] In December 2004, he joined Swindon Town in League One on an initial one-month loan.[16]

He made his Swindon debut two years to the day after his Derby debut in a 2–0 victory against Peterborough United.[17] Holmes' loan deal was twice extended after he impressed during his first two months at Swindon.[18][19] He scored his only Swindon goal during his final month in a 1–1 draw with Doncaster Rovers.[20] Holmes played 15 league games for Swindon, winning the club's young player of the season award,[21] before returning to Derby County.[22] He made one final appearance for Derby in the 2004–05 season before he played in the 2005 UEFA European Under-19 Championship in Northern Ireland, scoring in England's 3–1 final defeat to France.[23]

In January 2006, Holmes signed a new contract at Derby keeping him with the club until the end of the 2007–08 season.[24] The following month, he was named the captain of England under 19s against Slovakia, which he marked with another goal in a 3–0 victory.[25]

Holmes again moved on loan at the start of the 2006–07 signing for Bradford City with full back Nathan Doyle.[26] Holmes made his debut for Bradford in their opening day 1–0 defeat to Nottingham Forest.[27]

Holmes spent time on trial with Dutch side NAC Breda but remained at Derby without playing in a match during 2007.[28]

In January 2008, Holmes joined League One side Walsall on a season-long loan.[29] He made his debut for Walsall, and his first game in more than 13 months in a 2–2 draw with his former side Swindon Town on 12 January 2008.[30] He scored his first goal in a 2–1 defeat to Carlisle United on 2 February 2008[31] and followed it up with a goal in his next match in a 2–0 victory against Yeovil Town.[32] Two weeks later he scored in each half to take his run to four goals in four games in a 3–0 victory over Swindon Town.[33] Holmes played a total of 19 games for Walsall during his loan but was unable to add to his four early goals.

Holmes returned to Derby at the end of the season, but the club decided not to renew his contract, and he was one of four players to be released.[34]

Southampton

On 6 June 2008, Holmes turned down Leeds United and Nottingham Forest to instead sign for Championship side Southampton as their first summer signing.[35] He was attracted by the promising youth set up under new coach Jan Poortvliet,[36] chairman Michael Wilde and the size of the club.[37] Holmes made his debut for Southampton in the opening game of the 2008–09 season against Cardiff City. Holmes was substituted in the second half, replaced by Bradley Wright-Phillips, as Southampton lost 2–1.[38] Holmes scored in his second game with Southampton, as they defeated League Two side Exeter City 3–1 in the first round of the League Cup.[39] Holmes started Southampton's opening seven games of the season, and scored a second goal, once again in the League Cup, but was injured in a 4–1 defeat to Queens Park Rangers in September. Holmes left Rangers' ground on crutches after suffering medial ligament damage in his right knee.[40] The injury forced him to spend six weeks in a leg brace, and kept him out of action for three months.[41] Although it did not require surgery, Holmes also suffered some cartilage damage, which had to be treated by a minor operation.[37]

Southampton struggled without Holmes, who returned to action in a 2–0 defeat to another team fighting against relegation Nottingham Forest on 20 December 2008.[42] As a result of the club's form Poortvliet resigned as manager and was replaced by his assistant Mark Wotte, in whose first game in charge, Holmes again went off injured.[43] The injury was diagnosed as a recurrence of his previous injury and was expected to keep him out for another four weeks.[44]

He was named on the bench for the first game of the 2009–10 Season against Millwall, but never featured. After being named on the bench for some cup games, he started against Millwall on 16 January.

On 1 October 2011, he came on as a substitute to score Southampton's fourth goal against Watford. This was his first league goal for the club.[45]

On 14 February 2012, Holmes signed a one-month loan deal at League Two side Oxford United, which made him available for their match against Dagenham and Redbridge at the Kassam Stadium. He set up both goals in a victory over rivals Swindon, and then scored twice in a 2–2 draw with Shrewsbury. On 14 March 2012, Holmes returned to his former club, Swindon Town, on loan for the remainder of the season.[46][47]

On 19 May, it was announced that he was to be released by Southampton at the end of the season.[48][49]

Preston North End

On 28 May 2012, he agreed to join Preston North End with effect from 1 July.[50] On 17 December 2013, Holmes extended his contract with Preston for a further twelve months, thus keeping him at the club until the summer of 2015.[51] On 24 November 2014, Holmes signed on loan to Portsmouth until January 2015.[52] On 16 March 2015, Holmes joined Exeter on loan until the end of the season.[53]

Exeter City

On 28 May 2015, Holmes joined Exeter City on a permanent basis following his loan spell from Preston.[54] On 8 January Exeter played the first leg of their FA Cup match against Liverpool and on the stroke of half time, Holmes scored directly from a corner kick.[55] After a consistent performance throughout the 2015–16 campaign, Holmes was voted player of the season by Exeter city fans.[56] On 3 January 2017, Holmes was ruled out for the rest of the campaign with an ankle injury after a collision in a match against Yeovil Town.[57] Holmes was released by Exeter at the end of his contract in July 2020.[58]

Career statistics
As of match played 4 May 2019
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League FA Cup League Cup Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Derby County 2002–03[59] First Division 201000—30
2003–04[60] First Division 2321000—242
2004–05[61] Championship 3000100040
2005–06[62] Championship 1802010—210
2006–07[63] Championship 0000000000
2007–08[64] Premier League 000000—00
Total 462402000522
Swindon Town (loan) 2004–05[61] League One 15100001[lower-alpha 1]0161
Bradford City (loan) 2006–07[63] League One 16010101[lower-alpha 1]0190
Walsall (loan) 2007–08[64] League One 194000000194
Southampton 2008–09[65] Championship 1101022—142
2009–10[66] League One 5020001[lower-alpha 1]080
2010–11[67] League One 70201000100
2011–12[68] Championship 611040—111
Total 291607210433
Oxford United (loan) 2011–12[68] League Two 7200000072
Swindon Town (loan) 2011–12[68] League Two 10100001[lower-alpha 1]0111
Preston North End 2012–13[69] League One 28320102[lower-alpha 1]0333
2013–14[70] League One 32350202[lower-alpha 2]0413
2014–15[71] League One 0000001[lower-alpha 1]010
Total 606703050756
Portsmouth (loan) 2014–15[71] League Two 5200000052
Exeter City (loan) 2014–15[71] League Two 8000000080
Exeter City 2015–16[72] League Two 37231101[lower-alpha 1]0423
2016–17[73] League Two 16510004[lower-alpha 3]0215
2017–18[74] League Two 27220111[lower-alpha 4]0313
2018–19[75] League Two 343001000353
2019–20[76] League Two 0000000000
Total 1221261316013714
Career total 3293024116314038334
  1. Appearance(s) in Football League Trophy
  2. One appearance in Football League Trophy, one appearance in League One play-offs
  3. One appearance in EFL Trophy, three appearances in League Two play-offs
  4. Appearance in EFL Trophy

Honours

Club

Derby County

Swindon Town

Preston North End

Country

England Under-16

Individual

Swindon Town

  • Young Player of the Season: 2004–05[21]

References
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  3. Leitch, Adam (6 June 2008). "Saints snap up youngster Holmes". Southern Daily Echo. Retrieved 19 January 2009.
  4. "Under-16s start well in Ireland". The FA. 19 October 2002. Archived from the original on 29 October 2007. Retrieved 18 November 2008.
  5. Cook, Matthew (29 November 2002). "Victory as England retain shield". The FA. Archived from the original on 11 October 2008. Retrieved 18 November 2008.
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  14. Jones, Dean (6 October 2004). "Holmes to the rescue with late leveller". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 24 February 2008.
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