Lee Sharpe

Lee Stuart Sharpe (born 27 May 1971) is an English former professional footballer, sports television pundit, reality television personality and golfer.

He played 14 times for the Gulls in the 1987-88 season as they achieved a secure finish in the Football League Fourth Division, and didn't turn 17 until just after the season's end.

As a player, Sharpe was predominantly a left winger from 1988 to 2004.

He notably played in the Premier League for Manchester United, Leeds United and Bradford City and in Serie A for Sampdoria.

He also had spells in the Football League with Torquay United, Portsmouth and Exeter City before wrapping his career up in Iceland with Grindavík and in non-league football with Garforth Town.

Sharpe's spell at Manchester United lasted eight years, during which he won three Premier League titles, two FA Cups, the Football League Cup, three FA Charity Shields and a European Cup Winners' Cup.

He won a total of eight caps for England as well as one cap for the B team.

He was soon on the radar of First and Second Division clubs and was sold to Manchester United in June 1988 for £200,000, a record fee at the time for a YTS player.

Sharpe made his debut for Manchester United on 24 September 1988 in a 2–0 win over West Ham United in the Football League First Division, aged 17.

His first team chances increased in November with the departure of the club's first choice left winger Jesper Olsen, and were further enhanced when new signing Ralph Milne performed inconsistently.

Sharpe ended the 1988–89 season with 22 league appearances to his name, although he failed to score and United finished a disappointing 11th in the league a year after finishing second.

He played 30 games in all competitions that season, and was on the shortlist for the PFA Young Player of the Year award, which was won by Arsenal winger Paul Merson.

The following season, Sharpe found the net for the first time in a United shirt, scoring in the 5–1 home win over Millwall on 16 September 1989.

He managed 18 appearances in the league that season (and 20 in all competitions), but failed to make the squad for the FA Cup final which United won 1–0 against Crystal Palace in a replay after drawing 3–3 in the first match.

Alex Ferguson had chosen new signing Danny Wallace as his first choice left winger for the 1989–90 season.

He played a key part in United's success in the European Cup Winners' Cup in 1990–91 scoring with a left-foot shot into the top corner in the home leg of the semi-final against Legia Warsaw (1–1).

He also famously scored a hat-trick against Arsenal at Highbury in the League Cup fourth round on 28 November 1990, a match which United won 6–2.

Sharpe himself cites this as one of the best memories in his footballing career.

He was now United's first choice left winger ahead of Danny Wallace, although a new rival for the left wing position was emerging in the shape of highly promising 17-year-old Ryan Giggs.

Having established himself as a left winger, Sharpe earned a call up to the England squad just before his 20th birthday, although he was unable to replace John Barnes as first choice left winger.

His first team opportunities were limited by injury and by the form of Giggs in the 1991-92 season, although he did appear as a substitute in the Football League Cup final victory over Nottingham Forest.

He was then out of the game for long periods of time through injury and illness (he suffered from viral meningitis in the autumn of 1992) and when his fitness recovered, the form of Ryan Giggs meant he had normally to play out of position at left back (by now the preferred position for Denis Irwin) or on the right wing, competing for a place with Andrei Kanchelskis who had arrived in March 1991.

He did play in enough games to collect a Premier League title medal for the 1992–93 season, and added another in 1993–94 with 30 appearances (four as a substitute), and scoring nine league goals (11 in all competitions).

He scored both of United's goals in their fourth league game of the season on 23 August 1993 as they beat Aston Villa 2–1 at Villa Park, following with an early goal in the 3–1 win at Southampton in the next game.

He managed another double on 22 March 1994 in a 2–2 league draw at Arsenal, and came on as a substitute in the FA Cup final against Chelsea.

United won the double of the Premier League title and FA Cup that season.

Sharpe is well remembered for his memorable goal against Barcelona during the 2–2 draw in the 1994–1995 Champions League season's group stage, when he spectacularly back-heeled a cross from Roy Keane into the corner of the net.

He also got an assist in this game, crossing for Mark Hughes, who headed the first goal of the game.

1994–95 was a difficult season for United, with many players out for significant periods due to injury.

Sharpe was one of them, as he missed a string of mid season games due to a fractured ankle, though he had more opportunities to play on the left wing as Ryan Giggs missed a quarter of the campaign due to injuries.

He also made a number of appearances as left-back as the regular player in that position, Denis Irwin, spent most of the campaign playing on the right side of defence left vacant by a long absence by Paul Parker, though Irwin was back at left-back towards the end of the season following the emergence of right-back Gary Neville.

United ended the season without a major trophy, finishing second to Blackburn Rovers in the Premier League as they failed to manage anything better than a 1–1 draw at West Ham on the final day of the season, and losing 1–0 to Everton in the FA Cup final.

By the start of the 1995–96, Andrei Kanchelskis had been sold to Everton and it seemed possible that Sharpe could establish himself as United's right winger – particularly when he scored twice for United in their 3–2 win over Everton on 9 September 1995.

With Ryan Giggs returning to fitness on the left wing, and Denis Irwin returning to left back following the emergence of Gary Neville as the club's regular right back, the right hand side of midfield seemed Sharpe's best opportunity of regular first team action.

However, 20-year-old David Beckham made the first team breakthrough that season and left Sharpe facing a fresh battle for a regular place in the first team, though he was selected in the squad for all but eight competitive games that season, during which United became the first English team to win the double twice.

He retired from professional football in 2003, but achieved renewed fame after a number of reality television appearances.

Notable appearances include Celebrity Wrestling, Celebrity Love Island, Dancing on Ice.

He has also worked as a pundit largely abroad on international coverage of the Premier League for both ESPN Star and the Abu Dhabi Sports Channel.

In 2021, Sharpe began competing in professional golf tournaments.

Sharpe, who was born in Halesowen, Worcestershire, was an Aston Villa supporter, but began his career at Torquay United.