 Bullen lining up forSheffield Wednesday in 2006 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Lee Bullen[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1971-03-29)29 March 1971 (age 54) | ||
| Place of birth | Edinburgh, Scotland | ||
| Position(s) | Centre-back Striker | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1988 | Dunfermline Athletic | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1988–1989 | Dunfermline Athletic | 0 | (0) |
| 1989–1990 | Penicuik Athletic | 17 | (12) |
| 1990 | Meadowbank Thistle | 12 | (0) |
| 1990–1991 | Stenhousemuir | 22 | (4) |
| 1991–1993 | Whitburn | 36 | (25) |
| 1993 | CYC Stanmore | 8 | (2) |
| 1993 | Wollongong Wolves | ||
| 1993-1994 | Kui Tan | ||
| 1994 | Kitchee | ||
| 1994–1997 | Golden | ||
| 1997 | South China | ||
| 1997-1998 | Instant-Dict | ||
| 1998–2000 | Kalamata | 50 | (11) |
| 2000–2004 | Dunfermline Athletic | 130 | (22) |
| 2004–2008 | Sheffield Wednesday | 134 | (8) |
| 2008–2011 | Falkirk | 41 | (1) |
| Total | 450 | (85) | |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2017–2018 | Sheffield Wednesday (caretaker) | ||
| 2018–2019 | Sheffield Wednesday (caretaker) | ||
| 2019 | Sheffield Wednesday (caretaker) | ||
| 2022–2024 | Ayr United | ||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 16:56, 16 August 2019 (UTC) | |||
Lee Bullen (born 29 March 1971) is a Scottish former professionalfootball player and coach. In a career that spanned more than 20 years, Bullen played football professionally in Scotland, England, Australia, Greece and Hong Kong. Having started his career as astriker, Bullen converted todefence midway through his career, and was used in various otherpositions. Bullen was named as Sheffield Wednesday's greatest ever captain in a 2014 online poll.[2]
Bullen was born inEdinburgh. He started his career in Scotland withDunfermline Athletic, but failed to make an appearance before moving toPenicuik Athletic, aJunior Football team. Bullen then spent time atMeadowbank Thistle,Stenhousemuir andWhitburn. After failing to become an established player at a professional club in Scotland, Bullen moved to Australia to pursue his footballing career, playing for CYC Stanmore andWollongong Wolves.
During his time in Australia, Bullen was scouted by a Hong Kong football club, Kui Tan, and he made the switch to Hong Kong. He played in theHong Kong Football League for four seasons in total, moving from Kui Tan toGolden then on toSouth China. On 26 May 1996, Bullen played for a Hong Kong XI side in an unofficial friendly againstEngland in their build up toEuro 96.[3]
In 1998 Bullen moved to Greece and spent two years atKalamata in theGreek Football League.
In 2000 at the age of 29, Bullen returned to Scotland, signing forDunfermline Athletic. Bullen spent five years at the Scottish club.
After leading Dunfermline to theScottish Cup Final, Bullen moved to English clubSheffield Wednesday on a free transfer in the summer of 2004. He immediately became an integral part of their play-off push after making his debut on 7 August in a 3–0 defeat on the opening day of the season atHillsborough againstColchester United and scoring his first goal the next game on 10 August, away atBlackpool to lead the team to a 2–1 victory. In November 2005 the Captain's armband was passed onto him byChris Marsden who was forced into retirement by injury. Bullen finished his first season in Sheffield with seven league goals.
During his time at Sheffield Wednesday he played in all eleven positions for the Owls,[4] including memorably in goal away atMillwall,[5] and received TheWash & Go good sport award for his efforts.[6]
In January 2008, Bullen was informed by Sheffield Wednesday managerBrian Laws that he would not have his contract renewed upon its expiry at the end of the2007–08 season.[7]
Bullen's final appearance for Sheffield Wednesday came in a crucial relegation battle againstLeicester City on the penultimate game of the season which the Owls won 3–1, an injury sustained in this game denied him an appearance for the last match of the season versusNorwich City on 4 May 2008 and a chance to play at Hillsborough for the last time. He did however appear in the end of season lap-of-honour and received a spectacular reception from the fans. Bullen was given aGuard of honour by his Wednesday teammates as he left the pitch for the final time.[citation needed]
In May 2008, Bullen joinedScottish Premier League sideFalkirk on a two-year deal.[8] Bullen later became an assistant coach at Falkirk. He scored his only goal for Falkirk in a 2–0 win overHamilton Academical in November 2009.[9] He left Falkirk in October 2011 to move to Sheffield, where his wife runs anestate agency business.[10]
In 2011, Bullen signed a deal to become a youth coach at his former club Sheffield Wednesday and was given the post of development squad head coach. In October 2015, he was promoted to the position of assistant manager at the club, working on first team coaching and organisation alongside head coachCarlos Carvalhal.[11] Following the dismissal of Carvalhal on 24 December 2017, Bullen took temporary charge of the first team.[12] Bullen once again took temporary charge of the first team on 21 December 2018, following the dismissal ofJos Luhukay.[13]
On 2 January 2019,Steve Bruce was appointed as the new manager of the club.[14]Sheffield Wednesday announced, that Bullen would still remain as part of the senior coaching set-up.
On 15 July 2019, Lee Bullen, for the third time, took temporary charge of the first team[15] after Steve Bruce[16] resigned fromSheffield Wednesday to take charge atNewcastle United.
On 14 August 2020, it was confirmed as part of a coaching staff restructure, Bullen would become a coach of the U23 side.[17]
On 7 January 2022, he was appointed the manager ofScottish Championship sideAyr United.[18] Bullen guided Ayr to second place in2022–23, but they lost heavily toPartick Thistle in the promotion playoffs. He left Ayr in January 2024 after a run of poor results left them in ninth place.[19]
In January 2025, he would joinBoston United as assistant manager to ex Sheffield Wednesday playerGraham Coughlan.
| Club | Season | League | Cup | Other | Total | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Kalamata | 1997–98 | 18 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 4 |
| 1998–99 | 27 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 27 | 7 | |
| 1999–2000 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | |
| Total | 50 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 50 | 11 | |
| Dunfermline | 1999–2000[20] | 13 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 7 |
| 2000–01[21] | 24 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 4 | |
| 2001–02[22] | 31 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 34 | 4 | |
| 2002–03[23] | 35 | 5 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 41 | 6 | |
| 2003–04[24] | 27 | 2 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 35 | 3 | |
| Total | 130 | 22 | 21 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 151 | 24 | |
| Sheffield Wednesday | 2004–05[25] | 46 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 52 | 7 |
| 2005–06[26] | 28 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 30 | 0 | |
| 2006–07[27] | 38 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 41 | 1 | |
| 2007–08[28] | 22 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 25 | 1 | |
| Total | 134 | 8 | 10 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 148 | 9 | |
| Falkirk | 2008–09[29] | 32 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 37 | 0 |
| 2009–10[30] | 9 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 1 | |
| Total | 41 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 47 | 1 | |
| Career total | 355 | 42 | 37 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 396 | 45 | |
| Team | From | To | Record | Ref | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | W | D | L | Win % | ||||
| Sheffield Wednesday (caretaker) | 24 December 2017 | 5 January 2018 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 025.0 | [31] |
| Sheffield Wednesday (caretaker) | 21 December 2018 | 2 January 2019 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 050.0 | [13][32] |
| Sheffield Wednesday (caretaker) | 17 July 2019 | 6 September 2019 | 7 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 057.1 | [33] |
| Ayr United | 7 January 2022 | 15 January 2024 | 89 | 32 | 24 | 33 | 036.0 | [34] |
| Total | 104 | 39 | 27 | 38 | 037.5 | — | ||
Instant-Dict
Sheffield Wednesday
Individual
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |