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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Lee Matthew Howey[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1969-04-01)1 April 1969 (age 56) | ||
| Place of birth | Seaham, England | ||
| Position(s) | Defender,forward | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1992–1993 | Bishop Auckland | 15 | (5) |
| 1993–1997 | Sunderland | 69 | (8) |
| 1997–1999 | Burnley | 27 | (0) |
| 1998–1999 | →Northampton (loan) | 10 | (3) |
| 1999–2001 | Northampton | 38 | (3) |
| 2001–2002 | Forest Green Rovers | 15 | (2) |
| 2002 | Nuneaton Borough | 17 | (0) |
| Total | 191 | (21) | |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Lee Matthew Howey (born 1 April 1969) is an English formerfootballer who played primarily as adefender. Howey began his career atBishop Auckland, before moving toSunderland where he spent the majority of his career. He later player forBurnley,Northampton Town,Forest Green Rovers andNuneaton Borough.
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Howey was born inSunderland. He started out as an apprentice atIpswich Town, followed by a brief spell in Belgium withAS Hemptinne. In 1993, he was signed byTerry Butcher from local clubBishop Auckland, forSunderland in March 1993. He made his debut for the club in May 1993 againstPortsmouth atRoker Park. The following two seasons saw him in and out of the squad, making 38 league and cup appearances during the two years, mostly from the substitutes bench. It wasn't until the arrival of managerPeter Reid that Howey began to see regular first team action, playing 30 times during the club's Championship winning season, including 18 starts.
Howey scored a late equaliser atFratton Park to secure a 2–2 draw withPortsmouth in February 1996. The goal proved to be a crucial turning point, as it set Sunderland off on an 18-match unbeaten run that won them the league.[citation needed]
However, Sunderland struggled to cope with life in thePremiership and Howey was allowed to leave the club following the club's relegation back toFootball League First Division on the final day of the season. Howey made just 12 appearances that season.
It wasBurnley who splashed out £200,000 for the Wearsider. He scored on his debut againstLincoln City in theLeague Cup.[2] However this proved to be his only goal for the club, and Howey's career at the Lancashire club wasn't a success, and he eventually moved on toNorthampton in February 1999 after a four-month loan period. Howey moved again two years later, completing a free transfer toConference sideForest Green Rovers in 2001, before finishing his career atNuneaton Borough later in the season.
He is the older brother of formerNewcastle United andEngland defenderSteve Howey.[3]
His autobiography,Massively Violent and Decidedly Average, was released in February 2018[4]
Sunderland
