Date / Year of birth: 23rd April 1977

Position: Centre-back / Midfielder

Season of first appearance: 1999/00

Season of last appearance: 2001/02

Also played for: Gillingham (0) and Harvard University (USA)

Tall Gravesend-born player who won the Gravesham area's 'Player of the Year' award during his schooldays and played for Kent. Lee joined Gillingham as a trainee for the 1992/93 season aged 15 and stayed with the club until the end of the 1994/95 campaign.

In 1995 he moved to America to study at the prestigious Harvard University and played for their football team in The Ivy League. After tearing a knee ligament early in the 1995 season Lee recovered to win Harvard's 'Hamilton Fish Award' for 1996 - an honour given to the most improved player on the team. He was also elected to the 1996 All-Ivy Team (Second Team) and achieved Academic All-America status too which meant he was chosen as being one of the best eleven college players in the USA for 1996. During the 1997 campaign Lee was again elected to the All-Ivy Team (Second Team) and he continued playing for Harvard until the end of the 1999 season when he completed his studies. He was a Harvard Academic All-Ivy Selection for 1999.

After four years in America Lee returned to England in the late summer of 1999 and signed for Margate. Manager Chris Kinnear told the Isle of Thanet Gazette "he looks a good player and will improve our options". Lee made his debut on 14.8.99 as Margate pulled off a shock 3-1 win at Southern League Premier Division title favourites Worcester. It was the opening day of the 1999/00 campaign and he played in midfield although he'd always been a centre-back at Harvard. Lee was a fixture in the side for the next few months and always wore the number 11 shirt. The Thanet Times said he "tormented the home defence" in a 3-0 win at Taunton in an FA Cup tie on 2.10.99 and on 23.10.99 Lee scored twice inside the first half hour of a 4-1 win over Rothwell at Hartsdown Park - his first goals for the club. He was virtually ever-present until suffering a hip injury in December 1999 and after featuring as a substitute in a 2-0 defeat at Salisbury on 27.12.99 Lee missed nine games altogether.

After almost two months on the sidelines he made a comeback as a substitute in a 1-0 home win over Burton on 22.2.00 and after making one further sub appearance in Margate's next three matches Lee returned to the starting line-up on 11.3.00 when he wore the number five shirt in a 4-3 win at Merthyr. It was his first outing as a centre-back and the Thanet Times said Lee "looked comfortable and used his height to good advantage". Chris Kinnear told the Isle of Thanet Gazette "Lee was brought up as a defender but I think his strengths are better suited to playing in midfield...Lee is still getting back to fitness but he was fine". He was a regular again in midfield for the remainder of the season and Lee made a total of 44 appearances (six as sub), scoring twice.

He missed the first match of the 2000/01 campaign before lining up in the centre of Margate's defence in a 1-0 defeat at Welling on 22.8.00. Lee was a fixture in the number five shirt from then on and won many admirers for his classy work in Margate's backline. The Isle of Thanet Gazette said he was "in top form" in a 2-1 win over Cambridge City at Hartsdown Park on 5.9.00 and on 16.9.00 Lee got his first goal of the season in a 3-2 win Havant & Waterlooville. He was on target again in the reverse fixture at Hartsdown Park on 21.10.00, heading the only goal of the game with five minutes left.

On 24.10.00 Margate lost 1-0 at Fisher but the Isle of Thanet Gazette said Lee's "strength and guile in defence meant that Fisher's occasional second half counter-attacks were easily halted". He was sent off for a 'professional foul' in a 1-0 defeat at Tamworth on 9.12.00 but after a one match ban Lee resumed his duties alongside Iain O'Connell and Bill Edwards in the centre of Margate's impressive defence.

Lee started 2001 by heading an injury time winner to secure a 3-2 home win over Folkestone on New Year's Day and the Thanet Times said he was "undoubtedly the man of the match" in a famous 2-1 win at Woking in the FA Trophy on 13.1.01. The paper said he was "deserving of the man of the match award" along with Paul Lamb as Margate beat Tamworth 1-0 at Hartsdown Park on 24.2.01 and Lee continued to impress as Margate battled it out with Burton at the top of the Southern League Premier Division. The Thanet Times said he had a "great game in the centre of defence" in a 2-1 win at Clevedon on 21.4.01 and on 1.5.01 Lee played in the 0-0 home draw with Newport that secured the league title and promotion to the Conference. He scored three goals in 46 appearances (one as sub) and was the joint winner of the 'Supporters Player of the Year' award along with Phil Collins and Paul Lamb.

Lee started the 2001/02 season by appearing in Margate's first-ever Conference game - a 1-0 win at Boston on 18.8.01 - and then played as a centre-back in the next 16 matches. The Isle of Thanet Gazette said he was "excellent" in a 1-0 win at Scarborough on 27.8.01 and on 8.9.01 Lee scored his first goal of the new campaign in a 3-1 win over Telford at Hartsdown Park. The Thanet Times said it was the "perfect reward" for an "almost faultless" display. The paper then praised Lee's "quick thinking" in a 2-2 draw at Stalybridge on 22.9.01 but in its report on a 1-0 home win over Hayes on 2.10.01 the Isle of Thanet Gazette said he had a "difficult night" and "looked to be lacking his usual confidence in the centre of the Margate defence".

The Gazette said Lee made a "brilliant saving tackle" in a 2-1 win at Yeovil on 9.10.01 and on 13.10.01 he was sent off after an hour of a 1-1 draw with Doncaster at Hartsdown Park having picked up two bookings. Chris Kinnear told the Thanet Extra that Lee's dismissal was "baffling" and after serving a two match ban he returned to the side in a 3-3 draw at Forest Green on 3.11.01. Lee continued to shine in the number five shirt and the Thanet Times said he made a "brilliant interception" to deny Mark Stein a goal during a 4-1 defeat at Dagenham & Redbridge on 15.12.01.

On 19.1.02 Lee was sent off for handball shortly before the end of a 3-0 defeat at Hereford and had to serve another two game suspension as a result. He returned to the side for a trip to Doncaster on 16.2.02 and played as a right-back as Margate lost 1-0. Lee then wore the number two shirt in the next two matches but damaged a hamstring during a 3-1 defeat at Stevenage on 2.3.02 and had to go off. The injury ruled him out for two games but Lee returned as a substitute in a 4-2 win at Hayes on 12.3.02. He came on for the injured Graham Porter and the Isle of Thanet Gazette said he "proved a more than capable replacement".

Lee then started five of Margate's next six matches and on 19.3.02 he scored in a 2-1 win at Folkestone in the Kent Senior Cup but after playing at right-back in a 1-1 draw with visitors Forest Green on 1.4.02 he missed two games. On 18.4.02 Lee was back in the number two shirt as Margate drew 1-1 with Morecambe at Hartsdown Park and after sitting out a win over Ashford in the Kent Senior Cup semi-final he returned for a home game with Stalybridge on 27.4.02. It was Margate's last Conference match of the campaign and Lee played in the heart of the defence in a thumping 8-0 win. It turned out to be his final appearance for the club and the last of his senior career. He'd scored twice in 42 outings (two as sub).

After featuring in most of Margate's friendlies ahead of the 2002/03 campaign Lee gave up football altogether a few weeks into the season proper. He'd been an unused substitute for Margate's first three Conference games. He was just 25 when he retired and had proved himself to be a thoroughly competent Conference defender.

On 30.4.06 Lee returned to Hartsdown Park when he took part in the 'Syko Challenge' charity game which raised funds for the late Paul Sykes' family.

On 12.5.12 Lee was back at Hartsdown once more to play in Bill Edwards' testimonial match.