Lee Brown, a 20-year-old football player without a club, made a phone call that changed his life and rekindled his career. He serves as an inspiration to all aspiring young players.
Following his release from QPR, Lee was contemplating life beyond football as he began a new season. However, everything changed when he received a call from Bristol Rovers manager Paul Buckle at the time.
After that, Lee gave it everything he had to succeed as a football player, moving away from home for the first time on a 10-game contract in order to secure a contract.
After 13 years, Lee, who supported Bristol Rovers to multiple promotions and Portsmouth to the EFL Trophy Final, wants to impart all of his knowledge to our young players, especially Jack Currie, who plays full-back.
During a recent in-depth interview for a matchday programme, Lee discussed how his career was shaped by certain events, how he moved from property to centre back at the age of 33, and more!
Below is a reproduction of the entire interview in case you missed it.
As the backbone of our defence, you’ve been demonstrating your continued value, but have you been considering what you’ll do when your professional career ends?
I’ve been working with real estate for the last five or six years; I run a development company. This is something I’m really passionate about, and it all began while I lived in Bristol. While I was there, I built a house on the side and bought one, and from there, things just fell into place. I’ve been purchasing land in South London and constructing six to ten homes, and things are moving along pretty quickly. When my football career is over, I’ll most definitely be doing more of it. It was a bit of a risk because I started it all on my own in Bristol, but it all worked out. It takes a great deal of time, work, and research.
Your recent move to centre back has rejuvenated you; was this role change unexpected for you?
It was surprising, indeed. It resulted from an unfavourable circumstance involving injuries to other players. I know full well that I wouldn’t get the chance if Joe and Ryan were fit, but football is a funny game. Since Jack was injured during the first nine or ten games of this season, I had been waiting for my opportunity to play.
I think I did alright, but I’m definitely not the finished product at centre back! This is the first time I’ve played a run of games in this role, but I can remember playing one game there at Stevenage. You just want to play as much as you can and seize every opportunity you get at this point in my career. It would be fantastic if I could influence the team in any way on the pitch.
Do you get a kick out of imparting your knowledge to our team’s younger players?
Observing JC’s growth as a left-back and offering him any assistance I can are aspects of the game that I find enjoyable. We get along great, I do everything in my power to help him succeed in his career, and we have a great relationship. It would mean a lot to me if I could just give him some advice and help him improve by 1% or 2%. I would love for him to continue and have a fantastic career in the game, so I try to give him all the support I can.
How did you initially become involved in football?
I was being observed by an Arsenal scout while I was playing local football for Croydon FC. I spent nine years there and fifteen years there. It was advantageous since I attended one of the top academies in the nation and the players I played with went on to have outstanding careers. My primary coaches were Steve Bould and Paul Davis, so I had excellent foundation from an early age. I moved to QPR after leaving Arsenal, where I remained until I was 20.
Was it particularly difficult to get your career going in the right direction after being granted permission to depart from QPR?
When Neil Warnock told me I wouldn’t be getting a second year at QPR, I remember thinking I was going to be discarded. That summer, I was in dire straits, but I took a vacation to Mexico with a friend who was about to sign a contract with Bristol Rovers, and he told me to give Paul Buckle a call. As night fell on the window, I asked my friend for Paul’s phone number when I returned from vacation. I recall calling Paul while I was at my dad’s garage and introducing myself as Lee Brown. I’m not sure if you know me, but I was recently let go by QPR. Do you need a left-back? Paul informed me that I had reached him at the ideal moment, as he was on the verge of signing a left-back, but he was still shady. “Give me five minutes, and I will call you back,” Paul said. He got in touch with Mick Jones, Neil Warnock’s assistant, and inquired about my personality. Paul called me back and said, “Tell me a bit about yourself. I really appreciate you calling me and not your agent.” Paul must have thought highly of Mick for providing me with a good reference. I told him I would do anything for the chance, and happily he made me an offer.
JPEG of Lee Brown 2 for programme
Did you think that this was your big chance to succeed as a football player?
It was so unbelievable that I almost toppled over in my chair! Paul said he would give me a new contract if I had proven myself after ten games, but all he was offering was pitiful. When I told my father, he was in shock! It required me to move away from home when I was twenty years old, but it was a fantastic chance for me to continue playing football and get a new contract. At that point in my career, I was probably the fittest I’ve ever been, and I started every game. Paul kept his word, and after demonstrating my abilities, I signed a new contract. Moving away from home came with some risk, but in the end, it was well worth it.
I’ve never made a phone call this significant before. Paul appeared to truly value the call-up of a first-team manager, which was probably unusual for someone so young.
What has been the high point of your career thus far, in your opinion?
It was really special to score the game-winning goal for Bristol Rovers in the final minute at home to secure promotion. I’ve visited Wembley three times, and in front of 80,000 fans, I helped Portsmouth defeat Sunderland to win the EFL Trophy. It meant a lot to win that and accept a penalty in the shoot-out.
Which period of your career has been the hardest?
I would say the first half of our time here after our demoting. I had experienced it previously, but that was early in my professional life. The fact that we had gone so long without winning a game made it extremely difficult to accept.
Which coaches have had the biggest impact on your career?
I still communicate with Darrell Clarke and Marcus Stewart, who were very kind to me and helped us get a double promotion. I have to give them a lot of credit because we worked so well together as a team to accomplish what we did. They created something truly unique.
What guidance would you give a young player looking to establish a name for themselves in the game?
To persevere and never give up. Given that the season was almost over and it was late in the window, I could have easily given up. I could have easily decided that football wasn’t for me and pursued other options because I didn’t receive a single phone call offering me an opportunity that summer, but sometimes you have to take a chance in order to get something!
Lee Brown 2.jpg
What are your primary interests outside of football?
My three lovely children occupy a great deal of my time. In addition, I manage a business, so I don’t have much free time outside of that and my family.
Is coaching a possibility for you in the future?
I’m not sure exactly how I’ll stay involved in football, but I’d like to continue in some capacity. Even at 33, I think my knowledge and experience are still quite valuable. Even though I’m at ease with the circumstances, I do want to continue playing football.
Do you believe our club is in a strong position to move forward given your professional accomplishments, which include promotions and winning the EFL Trophy at Wembley?
We’re in a fair situation. There’s no avoiding the fact that losing Ali has hurt us, in my opinion, because Ipswich will only acquire players who are good enough to fetch that kind of money. We were always going to need some time to adjust after losing a player of that calibre, but we have a strong team and we’re all in this together. We are making every effort to qualify for the playoffs, and if you had told us at the beginning of the season that we would finish with 10 games remaining and only be four points outside of the top seven, I believe we would have taken that offer.
After representing Portsmouth and Bristol Rovers, two well-supported teams, are you truly proud to be representing a fan-owned team in a brand-new stadium?
I was very clear when I signed that I wouldn’t have left Portsmouth for any other team. In terms of facilities and stadium quality, Wimbledon is an excellent club, particularly considering its League Two status. Do we still need to make changes at the Club? Of course we do, but I think we’re moving in the right direction to be a significant force in the future.
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