Joe Lea
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 16 December 1997[1] | ||
| Place of birth | Portsmouth, England | ||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Gosport Borough (joint manager) | ||
| Youth career | |||
| –2007 | Portsmouth | ||
| 2007–2016 | Southampton | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2016–2017 | Yeovil Town | 0 | (0) |
| 2016 | → Dorchester Town (loan) | 6 | (0) |
| 2017 | → Gosport Borough (loan) | 16 | (2) |
| 2017–2018 | Bognor Regis Town | 11 | (0) |
| 2018–2022 | Gosport Borough | ||
| 2022–2023 | Petersfield Town | ||
| Managerial career | |||
| 2022–2023 | Petersfield Town | ||
| 2023– | Gosport Borough | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Joe Lea (born 16 December 1997) is an English football coach and former player who played for Gosport Borough, as a midfielder.[2] He is currently employed as the club's joint first-team manager, working alongside former teammate Pat Suraci.[3]
Playing career
[edit]Southampton
[edit]Born in Portsmouth,[4] Lea signed for his local side Portsmouth as a youngster before moving to south-coast rivals Southampton at the age of 9.[5] Lea spent nine years in the Southampton youth academy before being released upon the completion of his two-year scholarship.[4]
Yeovil Town
[edit]Upon his release from Southampton, Lea joined Yeovil Town on 2 July 2016, alongside Josh Ezewele from West Bromwich Albion.[4][6] He made his professional debut on 23 August 2016 as a substitute in a League Cup match at Everton.[7]
On 15 October 2016, Lea joined Southern Premier League side Dorchester Town on an initial one-month loan deal,[8] and Lea made his debut for Dorchester that afternoon as a second-half substitute against Dunstable Town.[9]
In January 2017, Lea joined National League South side Gosport Borough on loan until the end of the season.[10]
At the end of the 2016–17 season, Lea was released by Yeovil having only made two appearances for the club.[11]
Bognor Regis Town
[edit]After a successful trial, Lea signed for newly promoted National League South club Bognor Regis Town in July 2017.[12]
Gosport Borough
[edit]Lea signed for Gosport Borough on 18 January 2018.[13]
Coaching career
[edit]In April 2022, Lea and his former teammate at Gosport Borough, Pat Suraci, were appointed co-managers at Petersfield Town.[14] In January 2023, having retained his registration as a player at Petersfield, Lea announced his retirement in order to focus on his coaching career.[15]
In May 2023, Lea and Suraci returned to Gosport as co-managers.[3]
Career statistics
[edit]- As of 1 May 2018.
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Yeovil Town | 2016–17[7] | League Two | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1[a] | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Dorchester Town (loan) | 2016–17[16] | Southern Premier | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 2[b] | 0 | 8 | 0 | |
| Gosport Borough (loan) | 2016–17[1] | National League South | 16 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 16 | 2 | |
| Bognor Regis Town | 2017–18[1] | National League South | 11 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 2[c] | 0 | 15 | 0 | |
| Gosport Borough | 2017–18[2] | Southern Premier | 14 | 1 | — | — | — | 14 | 1 | |||
| Career total | 47 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 55 | 3 | ||
- ^ Appearance in EFL Trophy
- ^ One appearance in FA Trophy, one appearance in Dorset Senior Cup
- ^ One appearance in FA Trophy, one appearance in Sussex Senior Cup
References
[edit]- ^ a b c Joe Lea at Soccerway. Retrieved 6 May 2017.
- ^ a b Profile at Gosport Borough‚ gosportboroughfc.co.uk
- ^ a b "Petersfield Town bosses Pat Suraci and Joe Lea quit for 'no brainer' return to Gosport Borough".
- ^ a b c "Joe Lea becomes the latest Glover". Yeovil Town F.C. 2 July 2016. Archived from the original on 4 July 2016. Retrieved 24 August 2016.
- ^ "Academy profiles". Southampton F.C. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 24 August 2016.
- ^ "Yeovil Town: Joe Lea and Josh Ezewele join League Two side". BBC Sport. 2 July 2016. Retrieved 5 July 2016.
- ^ a b "Games played by Joe Lea in 2016/2017". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 6 May 2017.
- ^ "Lea joins Magpies on loan". Yeovil Town F.C. 15 October 2016. Retrieved 15 October 2016.
- ^ "Magpies: Dorchester defeated by Dunstable in tight affair". Dorset Echo. 15 October 2016. Retrieved 15 October 2016.
- ^ "Thompson issues rallying call as four players join". Gosport Borough F.C. 22 January 2017. Archived from the original on 2 February 2017. Retrieved 23 January 2017.
- ^ "Tom Eaves: Yeovil Town forward among six released by League Two club". BBC Sport. 18 May 2017. Retrieved 18 May 2017.
- ^ "Trio join Rocks - will more follow them?". Bognor Regis Observer. 20 July 2017. Retrieved 20 July 2017.
- ^ Pearce: New striker would make Rocks a top-six team‚ portsmouth.co.uk, 18 January 2018
- ^ "New Petersfield Town co-manager Pat Suraci can't wait to get started at Love Lane". Petersfield Post. 19 April 2022.
- ^ "Petersfield Town boss Joe Lea: Why I've got 'piece of mind' that my playing career is over aged 25". The News. 5 January 2023.
- ^ "Joe Lea Profile". Aylesbury United F.C. Retrieved 9 July 2017.
- 1997 births
- Living people
- Footballers from Portsmouth
- English men's footballers
- Portsmouth F.C. players
- Southampton F.C. players
- Yeovil Town F.C. players
- Dorchester Town F.C. players
- Gosport Borough F.C. players
- Bognor Regis Town F.C. players
- National League (English football) players
- Men's association football midfielders
- Petersfield Town F.C. players
- English football managers
- 21st-century English sportsmen