Joe Lewis (footballer)

Infobox Football biography
playername = Joe Lewis

|
fullname = Joseph Peter Lewis
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1987|10|6|df=y
cityofbirth = Broome, Norfolk
countryofbirth = England
height = convert|6|ft|6|in|m|2|abbr=on
currentclub = Peterborough United
clubnumber = 1
position = Goalkeeper
youthyears =
youthclubs =
years = 2003–2008
2007
2007
2008–
clubs = Norwich City
→ Stockport County (loan)
→ Morecambe (loan)
Peterborough United
caps(goals) = 00 (0)
05 (0)
19 (0)
31 (0)
nationalyears = 2007–2008
nationalteam = England U21
nationalcaps(goals) = 02 (0)
pcupdate = 12:28, 4 October 2008 (UTC)
ntupdate = 09:57, 6 September 2008 (UTC)

Joseph Peter "Joe" Lewis (born 6 October 1987 in Broome, Norfolk) is an English footballer who currently plays in goal for Peterborough United, having made a £400k transfer from Norwich City on 8 January 2008.

Club career

Lewis had been involved with Norwich City from the age of eight when he was spotted by Colin Watts, the club’s youth recruitment officer. In August 2003 he agreed to join the Canaries as a scholar at the culmination of his studies at Bungay High School in the summer of 2004. Lewis began as a right-back, but switched to playing as a goalkeeper early into his apprenticeship with Norwich. [cite web
url=http://www.canaries.premiumtv.co.uk/page/NewsDetails/0,,10355~406616,00.html
title=Joe Lewis commits himself to the club
publisher=Norwich City F.C. Official Web-site
date=5 August 2003
accessdate=2008-06-04]

However, before he had completed his studies and at the tender age of just 15 years and 356 days old, he experienced life with the first team squad when a knee injury to Paul Crichton saw Lewis handed a place on the bench for the 2-1 home victory over Crystal Palace on 27 September 2003. [cite web
url=http://www.canaries.premiumtv.co.uk/page/MediaTalk/0,,10355~430988,00.html
title=Back to school for Lewis
publisher=Norwich City F.C. Official Web-site, taken from the Eastern Daily Press
date=29 September 2003
accessdate=2008-06-04] He maintained his place on the bench for the next six games until Crichton returned to fitness at the beginning of November.

The 2004–05 season saw Lewis begin as a full-time scholar though this period was short as in October he signed a three-year contract to become a professional. [cite web
url=http://www.canaries.premiumtv.co.uk/page/NewsDetails/0,,10355~579710,00.html
title=Joe Lewis signs as a professional
publisher=Norwich City F.C. Official Web-site
date=22 October 2004
accessdate=2008-06-04] [cite web
url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/n/norwich/3947129.stm
title=Lewis nets professional contract
publisher=BBC Sport
date=23 October 2004
accessdate=2008-06-04] That season saw Lewis have an insight into life in the Premier League as he was named on the bench for the 2-0 home defeat by Tottenham Hotspur on 26 December 2004. [cite web
url=http://www.canaries.premiumtv.co.uk/page/NewsDetails/0,,10355~605828,00.html
title=Lewis and Mulryne handed place on bench
publisher=Norwich City F.C. Official Web-site
date=26 December 2004
accessdate=2008-06-04] His second professional season, 2005–06, saw him sit on Norwich's bench for the final four games. At the culmination of the season, the then manager Nigel Worthington considered the possibility of sending Lewis out on loan for the 2006–07 season in order to enable him to gain first-team experience. [cite web
url=http://www.canaries.premiumtv.co.uk/page/NewsDetails/0,,10355~839004,00.html
title=Lewis may be loan ranger
publisher=Norwich City F.C. Official Web-site
date=13 June 2006
accessdate=2008-06-04] However, the sale of Robert Green to West Ham United meant that Lewis became second-choice goalkeeper at Carrow Road before a fractured cheekbone sustained in a reserve team game against Leyton Orient prompted the loan signing of Lee Camp. [cite web
url=http://www.canaries.premiumtv.co.uk/page/NewsDetails/0,,10355~893408,00.html
title=City to sign Lee Camp on loan
publisher=Norwich City F.C. Official Web-site
date=7 September 2006
accessdate=2008-06-04] On 15 November, Lewis played for Bury reserves against Blackpool with a view to signing on loan but no move materialised. [cite web
url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/b/bury/6153446.stm
title=Norwich's Lewis on trial at Bury
publisher=BBC Sport
date=16 November 2006
accessdate=2008-06-04] [cite web
url=http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/sport/football/bury/s/1039289_preview_brentford_v_bury?rss=yes?rss=yes
title=Preview: Brentford v Bury
publisher=Manchester Evening News
date=4 March 2008
accessdate=2008-06-04]

Lewis finally had an opportunity of first-team football when he joined Stockport County in March 2007 for the remainder of the 2006–07 season, [cite web
url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/s/stockport/6481247.stm
title=Stockport snap up Norwich keeper
publisher=BBC Sport
date=22 March 2007
accessdate=2008-06-04] playing five games and keeping three clean sheets. He was rewarded with a three-year deal at Norwich, in May 2007. [cite web
url=http://www.canaries.premiumtv.co.uk/page/NewsDetails/0,,10355~1023725,00.html
title=Lewis signs new contract
publisher=Norwich City F.C. Official Web-site
date=10 May 2007
accessdate=2008-06-04]

On 31 July 2007, Lewis joined Morecambe on loan until 31 December 2007 to gain more first-team experience. He was also named for the first time to the England Under-21 squad on 30 August.

Following his return from loan at Morecambe, Lewis was subject to a £400,000 bid from Peterborough United. Norwich accepted the bid, and the player completed the transfer on 8 January 2008 and gained promotion with the club.

International career

Lewis made his debut for the England under-21s on 15 May 2008, in a friendly against Wales. He replaced Joe Hart at half time and carried through a clean sheet, in a game which saw England win 2-0.

In May 2008, he received a surprise call-up to the senior England squad, for the friendlies against Trinidad and Tobago and the USA although Lewis was an unused substitute for both of these games. [ [http://www.teamtalk.com/football/story/0,16368,1908_3605236,00.html Lewis handed surprise England call] ]

On 19 August, he started and played for the under 21 England side at Hull's KC stadium.

References

External links

*soccerbase|id=36528|name=Joe Lewis