 Gregory playing forMillwall in 2015 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Lee Andrew Gregory[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1988-08-26)26 August 1988 (age 37)[2] | ||
| Place of birth | Sheffield, England | ||
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)[2] | ||
| Position | Striker | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2000–2003 | Sheffield United | ||
| 2003–2004 | Totley Youth | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2008–2009 | Staveley Miners Welfare | ||
| 2009–2011 | Mansfield Town | 2 | (1) |
| 2009 | →Glapwell (loan) | ||
| 2009 | →Harrogate Town (loan) | 9 | (0) |
| 2010 | →FC Halifax Town (loan) | 10 | (5) |
| 2011–2014 | FC Halifax Town | 129 | (82) |
| 2014–2019 | Millwall | 204 | (64) |
| 2019–2021 | Stoke City | 46 | (7) |
| 2021 | →Derby County (loan) | 11 | (3) |
| 2021–2024 | Sheffield Wednesday | 86 | (27) |
| 2024–2025 | Mansfield Town | 20 | (10) |
| Total | 517 | (199) | |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Lee Andrew Gregory (born 26 August 1988) is a former professional footballer who played as astriker.
Gregory started playing football at theSheffield United Academy. He was not offered a professional contract with the Blades and so he went and played non-league football withStaveley Miners Welfare whilst learning to become an electrician. After a prolific season with Staveley he joinedMansfield Town in September 2009. He failed to break into the first team atField Mill and after loan spells withGlapwell,Harrogate Town andFC Halifax Town he signed for the latter on a permanent basis. He became a regular goalscorer atThe Shay helping them win theNorthern Premier League Premier Division title in2010–11 and promotion from theNational League North via the play-offs in2012–13. His goals earned him a move toChampionship clubMillwall in June 2014. Gregory scored 27 goals in2015–16 and helped the Lions beatBradford City in the2017 EFL League One play-off final. He scored 77 goals in 238 appearances for Millwall before joiningStoke City in June 2019. After two seasons in Staffordshire, Gregory went on to play forDerby County andSheffield Wednesday before ending his career back at Mansfield Town.
Born inSheffield, Gregory played for theSheffield United Academy and was released in 2003.[3] Following his release from the Blades' academy Gregory, began working as anelectrician whilst playing forNorthern Counties East League sideStaveley Miners Welfare.[4] He scored 37 goals in the2008–09 season with Staveley which saw him attract interest from higher placed clubs.[5]
In September 2009 he signed withConference Premier sideMansfield Town, where he was told by managerDavid Holdsworth that he would be sent out on loan and then come back and stake a claim for the first team.[6][7] He spent time on loan atGlapwell (where he scored six goals in a single match – a 7–1 rout againstWillenhall Town) andConference North sideHarrogate Town.[8][9] Despite scoring on his Stags debut in a 2–1 win againstSouthport on 11 September 2010, Gregory was unable to establish himself in Holdsworth's plans.[10]
In the spring of 2010 Gregory was loaned toFC Halifax Town for the remainder of the season as back-up for the run-in in the eventualNorthern Premier League Division One North title winning campaign, Gregory scoring five goals in 10 appearances, mainly coming off the bench.[11] He rejoined Halifax permanently in December 2010, being the club's third top scorer behindJamie Vardy and Danny Holland as Halifax claimed back-to-back titles and promotions.[12]
Gregory finished the2011–12 campaign in theConference North as the club's top scorer with 18 league goals although promotion was missed out after losing toGainsborough Trinity in the play-offs.[11] He scored a further 20 goals in the2012–13 campaign as the Shaymen obtained another promotion this time via the play-offs after defeatingGuiseley and thenBrackley Town.[11] On 30 June 2013 Gregory signed a new two-year deal with Halifax,[13] and finished2013–14 with 29 league goals under his name, beingthe division's second top goalscorer, behind onlyLuton Town'sAndre Gray. Halifax finished in 5th position, losing toCambridge United in the play-offs.[14] During the January transfer window Gregory nearly moved toCrawley Town.[15] At the end of the campaign Gregory was attracting interest fromFootball League clubs withChampionship sideMillwall making a number of bids.[16]
On 16 June 2014, Gregory signed a three-year contract with ChampionshipMillwall after the club agreed a fee with Halifax.[17] He scored his firstFootball League goal on 30 September 2014 in a 3–1 home defeat againstBirmingham City.[18] Gregory was a regular in the2014–15 season as Millwall struggled in the second tier and with relegation an inevitability, managerIan Holloway was sacked in March 2014 and replaced byNeil Harris.[19][20] Gregory scored a hat-trick in a 3–3 draw againstDerby County on 25 April 2015 but it was in vain asRotherham United defeatedReading to relegate Millwall to League One.[21][22] Gregory scored on the opening day of the2015–16 season, in a 2–1 victory overShrewsbury Town.[23] He scored four goals againstPlymouth Argyle in theEFL Trophy on 10 November 2015.[24] Gregory scored 17 goals in the second half of the campaign bringing his total to 27 which helped the Lions reach the2016 Football League One play-off final where they were beaten 3–1 byBarnsley.[25]
Gregory signed a contract extension with Millwall in September 2016.[26] Millwall were involved in a tense fight for a play-off place throughout the season, eventually securing their place with a 4–3 final day success overBristol Rovers, with Gregory scoring twice.[27] Gregory scored in the 3–2 semi-final 2nd leg win overScunthorpe United and assistedSteve Morison for the only goal againstBradford City in thefinal.[28][29] He was sent-off for the first time in his professional career againstQueens Park Rangers on 12 September 2017, a decision which angered manager Neil Harris.[30][31] Gregory scored ten goals in 47 appearances in2017–18 as Millwall had a fine return to the Championship narrowly missing out on a play-off spot by three points.[32] At the end of campaign, his contract was extended by Millwall for an extra year after the club exercised an option.[33] He played 50 times in the2018–19 season, scoring 13 goals helping the side finish in 21st position and avoid relegation.[34] Gregory leftthe Den at the end of the season with him expressing his desire to move back up north.[35][36]
On 25 June 2019, Gregory joined Championship sideStoke City.[37][38] He made his debut on 3 August 2019 in a 2–1 defeat againstQueens Park Rangers.[39] He scored his first goal for Stoke in a 3–2 defeat againstNottingham Forest on 27 September 2019.[40] Stoke made a poor start to the2019–20 season failing to win any of their first ten fixtures and were rooted to the foot of the table by October.[41] Gregory suffered a bizarre injury at the beginning of November after he locked his knee whilst in bed.[42] He recovered quickly and scored a penalty againstBarnsley on 9 November 2019 helping new managerMichael O'Neill record a 4–2 victory.[43] He scored in the final two matches of the2019–20 againstBrentford and Nottingham Forest which saw Stoke avoid relegation and finish in 15th position.[44][45]
On 1 February 2021 Gregory joinedDerby County on loan for the remainder of the2020–21 season.[46] He scored his first goal for Derby in a 2–1 win againstMiddlesbrough on 13 February 2021.[47] Gregory score two more goals for Derby before he suffered a season ending injury at the start of April.[48]
On 5 August 2021, Gregory joinedEFL League One sideSheffield Wednesday.[49] He made his Wednesday debut coming off the bench againstDoncaster Rovers on 14 August 2021[50] and a few days later againstFleetwood Town he scored his first goal for the club.[51] Gregory won the EFL Player of the Month for April 2022.[52][53] Following promotion back to theEFL Championship an option was taken in Gregory's contact for him to stay at the club.[54]
On 15 May 2024, Mansfield announced Gregory had returned on a one-year deal.[55] He made his debut on 9 August 2024, netting his sides second goal in a 2–1 victory overBarnsley.[56] He was offered a new contract at the end of the2024–25 season.[57] On 12 September 2025, Gregory announced his retirement from playing football.[58]
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Mansfield Town | 2009–10[59] | Conference Premier | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | |||
| 2010–11[60] | Conference Premier | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 3 | 1 | |||
| Total | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 3 | 1 | ||||
| Harrogate Town (loan) | 2009–10[61] | Conference North | 9 | 0 | — | — | — | 9 | 0 | |||
| FC Halifax Town | 2010–11[62] | NPL Premier Division | 24 | 15 | — | — | 1[a] | 1 | 25 | 16 | ||
| 2011–12[63] | Conference North | 32 | 18 | 4 | 1 | — | 4[b] | 2 | 40 | 21 | ||
| 2012–13[64][65] | Conference North | 37 | 20 | 5 | 2 | — | 8[c] | 4 | 50 | 26 | ||
| 2013–14[64][66] | Conference Premier | 36 | 29 | 2 | 2 | — | 2[d] | 1 | 40 | 32 | ||
| Total | 129 | 82 | 11 | 5 | — | 15 | 8 | 155 | 95 | |||
| Millwall | 2014–15[64][67] | Championship | 39 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 41 | 9 | |
| 2015–16[64][68] | League One | 41 | 18 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 9[e] | 8 | 53 | 27 | |
| 2016–17[64][69] | League One | 37 | 17 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4[f] | 1 | 47 | 18 | |
| 2017–18[64][70] | Championship | 43 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 47 | 10 | ||
| 2018–19[64][71] | Championship | 44 | 10 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 2 | — | 50 | 13 | ||
| Total | 204 | 64 | 15 | 2 | 6 | 2 | 13 | 9 | 238 | 77 | ||
| Stoke City | 2019–20[64][44] | Championship | 40 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 41 | 6 | |
| 2020–21[64][72] | Championship | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 9 | 1 | ||
| Total | 46 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 50 | 7 | |||
| Derby County (loan) | 2020–21[64][72] | Championship | 11 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 11 | 3 | |
| Sheffield Wednesday | 2021–22[64][73] | League One | 36 | 16 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2[g] | 1 | 39 | 17 |
| 2022–23[64][74] | League One | 38 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4[h] | 1 | 47 | 11 | |
| 2023–24[64][75] | Championship | 12 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 14 | 1 | ||
| Total | 86 | 27 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 100 | 29 | ||
| Mansfield Town | 2024–25[64][76] | League One | 20 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1[i] | 0 | 23 | 10 |
| Career total | 506 | 194 | 33 | 7 | 14 | 2 | 35 | 19 | 588 | 222 | ||
Millwall
Sheffield Wednesday
Individual
