Lee Desmond

Lee Desmond

Personal information
Full name	Lee Desmond
Date of birth	(1995-01-22) 22 January 1995
Place of birth	Donaghmede, Dublin, Ireland
Height
Position(s)	Centre back, Left back, Right back
Team information
Current team	St Patrick's Athletic
Number	12
Youth career
	Crumlin United
	Cherry Orchard
2011–2013	Newcastle United
2013	Shelbourne
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2014	Shelbourne	24	(1)
2015–	St Patrick's Athletic	24	(0)
International career
2015–	Republic of Ireland under-21	2	(0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Lee Desmond (born 22 January 1995) is an Irish professional footballer playing for League of Ireland club, St Patrick's Athletic.

Career

Early career

Desmond played youth football with Crumlin United and Cherry Orchard before being picked up by English Premier League side Newcastle United, where he played in their youth and reserve teams. He was released by Newcastle at the end of their 2012–2013 season despite playing regularly for their development squad. Desmond joined Shelbourne in July 2013 after playing against them in a friendly while on trial with Ipswich Town and impressed Shels manager Johnny McDonnell enough for him to offer the youngster the chance to join the club. He played for the Shelbourne under 19 team for the 2013–2014 season before signing for the Shels first team in November 2013.

Shelbourne

After standing out for the club's under 19 side, he was called up to the first team for the 2014 season as they aimed to win promotion to the League of Ireland Premier Division. Desmond became a mainstay in the first team, playing at both left-back and centre-back throughout the season. He scored his first goal in senior football on the 23rd May 2014 in a 1–1 draw away to Finn Harps. The season ended in disappointment however as Shels failed to earn promotion as they lost out to Galway in the Semi-final of the Promotion Playoffs, although Desmond did win the Shelbourne Players' Player of the Year award after a very impressive first season in senior football.

St Patrick's Athletic

Desmond's impressive season with Shelbourne attracted interest from Shels' Dublin rivals and FAI Cup holders, St Patrick's Athletic from the League of Ireland Premier Division. He was announced to have signed for the Saints on the 11th of November 2014, alongside Jason McGuinness and Ciaran Kilduff. Desmond featured throughout the season for Pats, mainly at centre-back but also at left or right back in the absence of Ian Bermingham or Ger O'Brien. He started in many important games including playing in both legs of their UEFA Europa League games against Skonto Riga of Latvia. On the 19th of September 2015 he started at left back in the 2015 League of Ireland Cup Final against Galway United and won his first winners medal at senior level, as the Saints won on penalties after a 0–0 draw. At the club's end of season awards he was voted as Young Player of the Year by the St Pat's supporters following a brillliant debut season.

International career

Desmond was called up to the Republic of Ireland under-21's shortly after he signed for St Patrick's Athletic alongside fellow centre back Sean Hoare.

Honours

Club

• League of Ireland Cup: (1)
  • St Patrick's Athletic — 2015

Individual

• Shelbourne Players' Player of the Year: (1)
  • 2014
• St Patrick's Athletic Young Player of the Year: (1)
  • 2015

Career statistics

Professional appearances – correct as of 1 January 2016.

'Other' includes appearances in the Leinster Senior Cup, League of Ireland Promotion/Relegation Playoffs and President's Cup.

Club	Season	League		Cup		League Cup		Europa League		Other		Total
		Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Shelbourne	2014	24	1	2	0	1	0	–	–	3	0	30	1
St Patrick's Athletic	2015	24	0	2	0	3	0	2	0	4	0	35	0
	2016	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Career Total		48	1	4	0	4	0	2	0	7	0	65	1