Lee Holmes

Infobox Football biography
playername = Lee Holmes


fullname = Lee Daniel Holmes
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1987|4|2|df=y
cityofbirth = Mansfield
countryofbirth = England
height = height|ft=5|in=9
position = Left midfielder
currentclub = Southampton
clubnumber = 12
youthyears =
youthclubs =
years = 2002–2008
2004–2005
2006
2008
2008–
clubs = Derby County
→ Swindon Town (loan)
→ Bradford City (loan)
→ Walsall (loan)
Southampton
caps(goals) = 46 (2)
15 (1)
16 (0)
19 (4)
05 (0)
nationalyears =
nationalteam = England U19
nationalcaps(goals) =
pcupdate = 17:09, 14 September 2008 (UTC)
ntupdate =

Lee Daniel Holmes (born 2 April 1987) is an English footballer who plays for Southampton. He is a left midfielder. Holmes started his career with Derby County and became their youngest ever player and youngest ever goalscorer. He has played for England under 19s, scoring in their 3–1 defeat to France in the 2005 European under 19 championships. He has also had loan spells with Swindon Town, Bradford City and Walsall.

Career

Derby County

Born in Mansfield, Lee Holmes started his career with Derby County. He made his debut on Boxing Day 2002 against Grimsby Town to break the record for the youngest Derby player aged just 15 years and 268 days. [cite web
url=http://www.dcfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/History/0,,10270~1026298,00.html
title=Facts and figures
accessdate=2008-02-24
publisher=Derby County official website] 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, a record since broken by Luke Freeman of Gillingham. [cite news
url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/g/gillingham/7090382.stm
title=Gills' Freeman makes Cup history
accessdate=2008-02-01
date=12 November 2007
publisher=BBC Sport] He became a regular in the side during the first half of the 2003–04 season playing 19 of his 24 games that season between August and January. [cite web
url=http://www.soccerbase.com/players_details.sd?seasonid=133&playerid=34332
title=Lee Holmes
accessdate=2008-02-24
publisher=Soccerbase] 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. [cite news
url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/d/derby_county/3131360.stm
title=Burley: Kids not for sale
date=23 September 2003
accessdate=2008-02-24
publisher=BBC Sport
quote=Tom Huddlestone and Lee Holmes will be staying at Derby County] Still aged 16, he scored his first Derby goal in a 3–1 defeat to Coventry City on 25 October 2003 to become the club's youngest goalscorer. [cite news
url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?xml=/sport/2003/10/27/sfgder27.xml
title=Poor verdict on Derby
date=26 October 2003
accessdate=2008-02-24
publisher=The Daily Telegraph
first=Mark
last=Hodgkinson] cite news
url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?xml=/sport/2004/10/07/sfgu19.xml
title=Holmes to the rescue with late leveller
date=6 October 2004
accessdate=2008-02-24
publisher=The Daily Telegraph
first=Dean
last=Jones] In November, Holmes was a target of Chelsea's recruitment drive of young England footballers. [cite news
url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/c/chelsea/3249557.stm
title=Chelsea eye young talent
date=7 November 2003
accessdate=2008-02-24
publisher=BBC Sport] He scored again later that month in a 3–1 win against Milton Keynes Dons. [cite news
url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_1/3284779.stm
title=Derby 3-1 Wimbledon
date=29 November 2003
accessdate=2008-02-24
publisher=BBC Sport]

He 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. In December 2004, he made a loan move to Swindon Town in League One initially for one month. [cite news
url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/d/derby_county/4117431.stm
title=Holmes makes Swindon loan switch
date=22 December 2004
accessdate=2008-02-24
publisher=BBC Sport] He made his Swindon debut two years to the day after his Derby debut as they defeated Peterborough United 2–0. [cite news
url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_2/4107175.stm
title=Peterborough 0-2 Swindon
date=26 December 2004
accessdate=2008-02-24
publisher=BBC Sport] Holmes' loan deal was twice extended after he impressed during his first two months at Swindon. [cite news
url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/d/derby_county/4171041.stm
title=Swindon planning to keep Holmes
date=13 January 2005
accessdate=2008-02-24
publisher=BBC Sport] [cite news
url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/s/swindon_town/4271383.stm
title=Holmes keen to extend loan spell
date=16 February 2005
accessdate=2008-02-24
publisher=BBC Sport] He scored his one and only Swindon goal during his final month in a 1–1 draw with Doncaster Rovers. [cite news
url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_2/4279835.stm
title=Doncaster 1-1 Swindon
date=26 February 2005
accessdate=2008-02-24
publisher=BBC Sport] He played 15 league games for Swindon before returning to Derby County.cite web
url=http://www.soccerbase.com/players_details.sd?playerid=34332
title=Lee Holmes
accessdate=2008-02-24
publisher=Soccerbase] [cite news
url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/s/swindon_town/4355333.stm
title=King heaps praise on young Holmes
date=16 March 2005
accessdate=2008-02-24
publisher=BBC Sport] He made one final appearance for Derby in the 2004–05 season before he played in the 2005 European under 19 championships in Northern Ireland, scoring in England's 3–1 final defeat to France. [cite news
url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/internationals/4729643.stm
title=France claim European U-19 glory
date=29 July 2005
accessdate=2008-02-24
publisher=BBC Sport] It took his tally for the side to six. [cite web
url=http://www.thefa.com/England/U19s/NewsAndFeatures/Postings/2005/07/EngU19_LeeHolmes.htm
title=Holmes' place in semis
date=25 July 2005
accessdate=2008-02-24
publisher=The FA]

Holmes spent the entire 2005–06 season with Derby County playing 21 games but without scoring. [cite web
url=http://www.soccerbase.com/players_details.sd?seasonid=135&playerid=34332
title=Lee Holmes
accessdate=2008-02-24
publisher=Soccerbase] In January 2006, he signed a new contract at Derby keeping him with the club until the end of the 2007–08 season. [cite news
url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/d/derby_county/4632190.stm
title=Derby duo sign extended contracts
date=20 January 2006
accessdate=2008-02-24
publisher=BBC Sport] Derby struggled in the Championship and finished 20th just eight points above the relegation places, avoiding the threat of relegation with a 1–1 draw at Queens Park Rangers. [cite news
url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_1/4890910.stm
title=QPR 1-1 Derby
date=15 April 2006
accessdate=2008-02-24
publisher=BBC Sport] Holmes again moved on loan at the start of the 2006–07 signing for Bradford City with full back Nathan Doyle. [cite news
url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/b/bradford_city/5239826.stm
title=Bradford set for double loan deal
date=2 August 2006
accessdate=2008-02-24
publisher=BBC Sport] Holmes made his debut for Bradford in their opening day 1–0 defeat to Nottingham Forest, [cite news
url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_2/5226800.stm
title=Nottm Forest 1-0 Bradford
date=5 August 2006
accessdate=2008-02-24
publisher=BBC Sport] going on to make 16 league appearances for the club and another three in cup competitions. His final days at Bradford were hampered by an ankle injury. [cite news
url=http://archive.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/2006/12/29/190288.html
title=Scan-tastic news as Doyle stays
date=29 December 2006
accessdate=2008-02-24
publisher=Telegraph & Argus] He spent a time on trial at Dutch side NAC Breda but stayed at Derby and never played a game during 2007. [cite news
url=http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11696_2595263,00.html
title=Holmes heads to Holland
accessdate=2008-02-24
publisher=Sky Sports
first=Gerrit
last=van Leeuwen]

In January 2008, Holmes signed until the end of the 2007–08 season for League One side Walsall. [cite news
url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/w/walsall/7184107.stm
title=Walsall sign Derby winger Holmes
date=11 January 2008
accessdate=2008-02-24
publisher=BBC Sport] He made his debut for Walsall, and his first game in more than 13 months in a 2–2 draw with Swindon Town on 12 January 2008. [cite news
url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_2/7172856.stm
title=Walsall 2-2 Swindon
date=12 January 2008
accessdate=2008-02-24
publisher=BBC Sport] He scored his first goal in a 2–1 defeat to Carlisle United on 2 February 2008 [cite news
url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_2/7210738.stm
title=Carlisle 2-1 Walsall
date=2 February 2008
accessdate=2008-02-24
publisher=BBC Sport] and followed it up with a goal in his next game when Walsall defeated Yeovil Town 2–0. [cite news
url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_2/7223913.stm
title=Walsall 2-0 Yeovil
date=9 February 2008
accessdate=2008-02-24
publisher=BBC Sport] 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. [cite news
url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_2/7248391.stm
title=Swindon 0-3 Walsall
date=23 February 2008
accessdate=2008-02-24
publisher=BBC Sport] He played a total of 19 games for Walsall during his loan, returning at the end of the season, but was unable to add to his four early goals. He returned to Derby, but the club decided not to renew his contract, and he was one of four players to be released. [cite news
url=http://www.thisisderbyshire.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=132267&command=displayContent&sourceNode=128309&contentPK=20618009&folderPk=55124&pNodeId=124562
title=Holmes is one of four players to leave Derby
date=2008-05-14
accessdate=2008-05-14
publisher=Evening Telegraph]

outhampton

On 6 June 2008, Holmes turned down Leeds United and Nottingham Forest to instead sign for Championship side Southampton as their first summer signing. [cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/s/southampton/7440179.stm|title= Southampton sign Perry and Holmes |date= 2008-06-06|accessdate= 2008-06-06|publisher=BBC Sport] He was attracted by the promising youth set up under new coach Jan Poortvliet. [cite news |url=http://www.saintsfc.co.uk/articles/article.php?page_id=10194 |title=Saints sign Holmes|date= 2008-06-06 |accessdate= 2008-06-06 |publisher=www.saintsfc.co.uk] He 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. [cite news
url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_1/7540944.stm
title=Cardiff City 2-1 Southampton
date=2008-08-09
accessdate=2008-08-09
publisher=BBC Sport] 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. [cite news
url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/league_cup/7541857.stm
title=Exeter 1-3 Southampton
date=2008-08-12
accessdate=2008-08-13
publisher=BBC Sport] 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. Holmes left Rangers' ground on crutches after suffering medial ligament damage in his right knee. [cite news
url=http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/sport/3677576.Holmes_faces_long_spell_out/
title=Holmes faces long spell out
date=2008-09-16
accessdate=2008-10-01
publisher=Southern Daily Echo
first=Gordon
last=Simpson]

References

External links

* [http://www.saintsfc.co.uk/team/?page_id=6587&player_id=153 Lee Holmes player profile] at saintsfc.co.uk
* [http://www.saddlers.co.uk/page/ProfilesDetail/0,,10428~23305,00.html Lee Holmes player profile] at saddlers.co.uk
*soccerbase|34332|Lee Holmes