Lee Sharpe English footballer Date of Birth: 27.05.1971 Country: Great Britain

Biography of Lee Sharpe

Lee Sharpe is an English footballer who played as a left winger. He is best known for his performances with English club Manchester United, where he was considered one of the most promising young players, although he could never fully realize his potential.

Early Career and Manchester United
Sharpe, a lifelong fan of Aston Villa, began his professional career with Torquay United. After playing only 16 matches for Torquay, he joined Manchester United in June 1988 for a then-record transfer fee of £200,000 for a young player. He quickly worked his way into the first team at United, initially playing as a left-back but eventually replacing Ralph Milne as the left winger in the 1990/91 season. He played a key role in United's victory in the Cup Winners' Cup that season, as well as scoring a hat-trick against Arsenal in the League Cup, which he later described as one of the highlights of his career. Over the course of nine years at United, Sharpe played 265 matches and scored 36 goals.

Injuries and Move to Leeds United
Despite his talent, Sharpe struggled with injuries and illnesses, including viral meningitis. After recovering, he found it difficult to regain his place in the team as a left winger due to the emergence of Ryan Giggs. He was often played out of position at left-back or right midfielder, competing with players like Andrei Kanchelskis.

Goal against Barcelona and Move to Bradford City
Sharpe is remembered by fans for his goal against Barcelona in the 1994/95 UEFA Champions League, where he scored with an acrobatic back-heel finish. Despite his injury troubles, Sharpe attracted the interest of Leeds United, who signed him in the summer of 1996 for a club-record fee of £4.5 million. However, injuries continued to plague Sharpe, and he missed the entire 1997/98 season after sustaining a knee injury in a pre-season tour. After recovering from the injury, he struggled to reclaim his place in the starting lineup.

Later Career and Retirement
In the fall of 1998, Sharpe was loaned to Italian club Sampdoria but failed to make an impact and returned to England. He then joined Bradford City on loan in March 1999 and helped the team secure promotion to the Premier League. He signed a permanent contract with Bradford City in the summer of 1999 for £250,000. Sharpe played a role in helping the club avoid relegation in the 1999/2000 season. He then had loan spells at Portsmouth and returned to Bradford City in the 2001/02 season. After the season, his contract expired, and he was released as a free agent.

Sharpe went on to have brief spells with Grimsby Town and Exeter City before ending his professional career at the age of 32. In February 2004, he made a temporary return to football, playing for Hubruk Crown in the Kidderminster Sunday League and later for Garforth Town in the Northern Counties East Football League.

Sharpe also represented the England national team, earning eight caps from 1991 to 1995.