Lee Sharpe can be considered as one of the most recognizable English wingers of the early Premier League era. Sharpe was famous for his amazing speed, brave dribbling and ability to play with freedom on the left wing. This English footballer was born on May 27, 1971, in Halesowen, Worcestershire, England. Despite the fact that Lee Sharpe began his professional football career in the lower divisions, Sharpe was lucky to join Manchester United, the team that achieved great success during its golden age under legendary manager Alex Ferguson. For many supporters, Lee Sharpe represents a mixture of football biography and one of those moments that make this sport so special.
Biography and career
This Englishman started his professional football career in the West Midlands. Just like most other successful players, Sharpe joined the professional ranks due to his natural talent, hard work at junior levels of the team and timely opportunity. Already while playing for Torquay United, Sharpe became famous for his main qualities: confidence on the ball, readiness to take on the defender with dribbles and a direct game style that caused problems for full-backs.
Sharpe's performances for Torquay caught the eyes of bigger clubs and eventually Manchester United decided to act. In 1988, this talented player signed a contract with one of the most famous English clubs and joined the squad full of talent and competition. As for this young player, this was quite a serious challenge since Manchester United prepared themselves to enter their golden age in English and European football and a spot in the squad of this club required hard work and great skills.
Career at Manchester United
At Manchester United, Lee Sharpe gained reputation as one of the promising attacking players in the side of legendary Alex Ferguson. This winger did not rely only on his amazing speed; Sharpe's style of game included balance, proper timing and great ability to play combination football. His attacking qualities impressed fans, and his ability to provide width helped other players. During his career at Manchester United, Lee Sharpe became a member of the squad that achieved numerous victories and set benchmarks for other English clubs in the 1990s.
Lee Sharpe's career at Old Trafford was marked by such achievements as the FA Cup in 1990, the European Cup Winners' Cup in 1991, the Football League Cup in 1992 and three Premier League titles in 1993, 1994 and 1996. Thus, Lee Sharpe found himself in the middle of a dynasty of English football.
Recognition of Sharpe's abilities was also expressed in calls to the national team. This winger gained some international experience during the 1990s, and it has to be mentioned that these years were quite successful for English wingers, so every call was quite valuable. In this regard, international career became additional confirmation of Sharpe's qualities as professional footballer.
Sharpe's popularity among fans was also due to the fact that Lee Sharpe was one of those players who brought some personality to this position. This winger looked like a footballer enjoying every minute on the pitch, and this attitude towards the game attracted fans. Sharpe was not just efficient on the pitch; he was entertaining too. In contrast to other wingers of that time who had to go back to defend and deliver crosses, Sharpe offered his fans something else. This winger could take the ball, cause problems for defenders with fast changes of directions and bring pace to the team full of talented players.
Later career
After leaving Manchester United, Lee Sharpe moved to Leeds United in 1996. Leeds were a powerful football club full of ambitions and thus, Sharpe's arrival was seen as an important addition of experience and class. Unfortunately, injuries and inconsistency prevented Lee Sharpe from repeating his previous successes. However, it has to be mentioned that football careers do not always move in straight line and thus, Sharpe's career after leaving Manchester United is a good illustration of that idea.
Lee Sharpe spent some time in Italy with Sampdoria. This transfer added international experience to Sharpe's CV and proved that even after the best years of Lee Sharpe in English football, this winger was highly appreciated. Later on, Lee Sharpe played for Bradford City and some other teams, using his experience and popularity in professional football.
Like many other ex-players of the Premier League of that time, Lee Sharpe appeared later in various media and became a recognizable figure outside the pitch too. This career move fit Lee Sharpe well since throughout his football career Sharpe had an image of a relaxed and friendly man. Unlike many other players of that era, Lee Sharpe was never a footballer with the cold image of a superstar; on the contrary, Sharpe looked like an accessible person.
To conclude, it has to be said that Lee Sharpe was a talented winger with an impressive football career. Lee Sharpe is mainly known for his period at Manchester United, but the biography of this footballer includes many aspects of a professional career common to all players of a high level.