Lee Barnard

Football player infobox
playername = Lee Barnard


fullname = Lee James Barnard
nickname =
height = height|ft=5|in=10
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1984|7|18
cityofbirth = Romford
countryofbirth = England
currentclub = Southend United
clubnumber = 9
position = Striker
youthyears =
youthclubs =
years = 2002–2008
2002
2004
2004–2005
2005
2007–2008
2008–
clubs = Tottenham Hotspur
→ Exeter City (loan)
→ Stevenage Borough (loan)
→ Leyton Orient (loan)
→ Northampton Town (loan)
→ Crewe Alexandra (loan)
Southend United
caps(goals) = 03 (0)
02 (1)
03 (0)
10 (0)
03 (0)
05 (2)
15 (9)
nationalyears =
nationalteam =
nationalcaps(goals) =
pcupdate = 08:39, 16 April 2008 (UTC)

Lee James Barnard (born July 18, 1984 in Romford, London) is an English footballer currently playing for Southend United.

Born in Romford, London Borough of Havering in 1984, he attended Billericay's Mayflower County High School.

Playing career

Barnard has played for Leyton Orient, Northampton, Exeter, and Stevenage on loan.

Thanks to his prodigious goalscoring rate at reserve level he was expected to make his first team debut in the 2005-06 season. He was due to make his debut in the match against Charlton on 5 February 2006. Spurs were leading 3-0 until a Charlton goal in the 69th minute meant Martin Jol did not want to bring on another striker so Barnard had to wait. Following the match he suffered a foot sprain which kept him out of action for 5 weeks, only returning for the reserve match against Leicester City on 18 March.

On 17 April he finally got to make his Premiership debut in the 2-1 defeat to Manchester United at White Hart Lane, coming on after 77 minutes as a substitute.

Barnard also came on the following week against Bolton Wanderers despite not scoring he made a significant impact and looked comfortable in the air and with the ball at his feet and caused the Bolton defenders quite a few problems.

Barnard was one of ten Spurs squad members to be struck down by food poisoning on the evening of 6 May 2006 before their crucial final game of the season against West Ham United. Unable to postpone, they went on to lose and therefore slipped to 5th. This allowed rivals Arsenal to take the fourth Champions League place for that season.

He was Spurs' reserve team's top goal scorer during the 2003-04 season.

On 30 August 2007, Barnard was loaned out to League One team Crewe Alexandra for five months, after a delay due to an injury in training. [ [http://www.crewealex.premiumtv.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10414~1092393,00.html Crewe sign Barnard on loan] , Crewe Alexandria official site] Barnard made a scoring début in the Railwaymen's 2-0 home win over Huddersfield Town on 8 September 2007. However, he damaged ankle ligaments in late October and returned to Spurs for two months for treatment. [ [http://www.4thegame.com/club/crewe-alexandra-fc/news/211592/barnard_returns_to_alex.html "Barnard Returns to Alex"] , 4TheGame, 10 December 2007] [ [http://www.thisischeshire.co.uk/display.var.1921772.0..php "Barnard on the bench"] , Toby Robinson, This is Cheshire, 21 December 2007]

Southend United announced, on 25 January 2008, that Barnard had signed a permanent contract that will keep him at Roots Hall until 2010. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/s/southend_utd/7208924.stm Barnard leaves Spurs for Southend] , BBC Sport]

Barnard had impressed since signing for Southend, with a number of crucial goals, including a late winner at Carlisle United, who had the best home record in the league.

References

External links

* [http://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/players/leebarnard.html Official Spurs Website Profile]