Lee Phillips (footballer, born 1980)

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Lee Phillips

| image =

| fullname = Lee Paul Phillips

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1980|9|16|df=y}}

| birth_place = Penzance, England

| height =

| position = Striker

| years1 = 1996–2001 |clubs1 = Plymouth Argyle |caps1 = 50 |goals1 = 1

| years2 = 2001–2004 |clubs2 = Weymouth |caps2 = 135 |goals2 = 50

| years3 = 2002 |clubs3 = → Newport County (loan) |caps3 = 6 |goals3 = 4

| years4 = 2004–2007 |clubs4 = Exeter City |caps4 = 87 |goals4 = 21

| years5 = 2007–2008 |clubs5 = Torquay United |caps5 = 41 |goals5 = 12

| years6 = 2008–2009 |clubs6 = Rushden & Diamonds |caps6 = 20 |goals6 = 2

| years7 = 2009 |clubs7 = Weymouth |caps7 = 5 |goals7 = 1

| years8 = 2009–2010 |clubs8 = Cambridge United |caps8 = 37 |goals8 = 3

| years9 = 2010–2012 |clubs9 = Bath City |caps9 = 74 |goals9 = 18

| years10 = 2012 |clubs10 = → Eastleigh (loan) |caps10 = 7 |goals10 = 0

| years11 = 2012–2016 |clubs11 = Chippenham Town |caps11 = 100 |goals11 = 28

| years12 = 2016–2017 |clubs12 = Exmouth Town |caps12 = |goals12 =

| years13 = 2017–2018 |clubs13 = Saltash United |caps13 = |goals13 =

}}

Lee Paul Phillips (born 16 September 1980) is an English former professional footballer

Career

A striker, Phillips, began his football career as a youth trainee with Plymouth Argyle, turning professional in the 1996 close season. He made his league debut, as a late substitute for Neil Illman, in Argyle's 2–0 win at home to Gillingham on 29 October 1996 and made one further appearance that season. He went on to make over 50 first team appearances for Plymouth, although over half of them were as a substitute. Although scoring just the one league goal whilst at Plymouth, it came in an extremely memorable and dramatic game. With Plymouth playing at Carlisle on the last day of the 1998/99 season, Carlisle needed to win to avoid relegation from the Football League. Phillips put Plymouth 1–0 up but Carlisle equalised and then subsequently scored the winning goal in injury time courtesy of their goalkeeper, Jimmy Glass.{{cite news

|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football-carlisle-raise-a-glass-to-survival--carlisle-united-----2--plymouth-argyle-----1-1092696.html

|title=Carlisle raise a Glass to survival – Carlisle United 2 Plymouth Argyle 1

|work=The Independent

|date=10 May 1999 |access-date=14 August 2009

| location=London

| first=Rupert

| last=Metcalf}} While at Plymouth, Phillips suffered a broken leg that many thought would end his playing career.

He recovered and resumed his career, but failed to win a regular starting place and joined Conference South side, Weymouth in January 2001, initially on loan, but on a free transfer two months later. In February 2002, Phillips joined Newport County on loan until the end of the season as Weymouth tried to cut their wage bill.{{cite news|url=http://www.nonleaguedaily.com/news/index.php?newsmode=FULL&nid=2874|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120904223951/http://www.nonleaguedaily.com/news/index.php?newsmode=FULL&nid=2874|url-status=usurped|archive-date=4 September 2012|title=Now Phillips leaves Terras|publisher=NonLeagueDaily|date=26 February 2002|access-date=20 January 2009}} Over two seasons, Phillips made 67 appearances for Weymouth, scoring 33 goals, attracting attention from a number of higher level sides, including Reading{{cite news|url=http://www.nonleaguedaily.com/news/index.php?newsmode=FULL&nid=23488|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120830202556/http://www.nonleaguedaily.com/news/index.php?newsmode=FULL&nid=23488|url-status=usurped|archive-date=30 August 2012|title=Phillips for Royals?|publisher=NonLeagueDaily|date=12 January 2005|access-date=20 January 2009}} and Yeovil Town (who he had a trial with in November 2002).{{cite news|url=http://www.nonleaguedaily.com/news/index.php?newsmode=FULL&nid=7218|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120905160315/http://www.nonleaguedaily.com/news/index.php?newsmode=FULL&nid=7218|url-status=usurped|archive-date=5 September 2012|title=Glovers extend Phillips trial|publisher=NonLeagueDaily|date=21 November 2002|access-date=20 January 2009}}

On 22 February 2005, Phillips moved to Conference National side Exeter City along with teammate Steve Tully for an undisclosed fee.{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/e/exeter_city/4285409.stm|title=Grecians swoop for Weymouth pair|publisher=BBC Sport|date=21 February 2005|access-date=20 January 2009}}

Phillips joined local rivals Torquay United for a fee of £17,500 on a three-year deal on 21 June 2007{{cite news

| title = Buckle raids Exeter for Phillips

| url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/t/torquay_united/6229526.stm

| publisher = BBC Sport

| date = 22 June 2007

| access-date = 22 June 2007}} and quickly forged a successful partnership with Tim Sills.

On 15 May 2008 he joined fellow Conference team Rushden & Diamonds for an undisclosed fee.{{cite news

| title = Torquay Striker joins Garry Hill's squad.

| url = http://www.thediamondsfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10784~1313147,00.html

| publisher = Rushden & Diamonds F.C.

| date = 15 May 2008

| access-date = 15 May 2008

| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080724221542/http://www.thediamondsfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10784~1313147,00.html

| archive-date = 24 July 2008

| url-status = dead

}}

In the January 2009 transfer window, Phillips left Rushden and rejoined Weymouth.{{cite news|url=http://www.nonleaguedaily.com/news/index.php?newsmode=FULL&nid=54588|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120903072314/http://www.nonleaguedaily.com/news/index.php?newsmode=FULL&nid=54588|url-status=usurped|archive-date=3 September 2012|title=Phillips rejoins Terras|publisher=NonLeagueDaily|date=5 January 2009|access-date=20 January 2009}} He joined Cambridge United on 2 March.{{cite news

| title = Cambridge secure double signing

| url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/c/cambridge_utd/7919784.stm

| publisher = BBC Sport

| date = 2 March 2009

| access-date = 2 March 2009}}

He left Cambridge at the end of the 2009–10 season to sign for Bath City on 14 July.{{Cite news |url=http://www.thisisbath.co.uk/bathcitynews/Striker-Lee-Phillips-signs-Bath-City/article-2408664-detail/article.html |title=Striker Lee Phillips signs for Bath City |newspaper =Bath Chronicle |date=13 July 2010 |access-date=13 July 2010}} He departed the club two years later after their relegation to the Conference South.{{Cite news

| title = Phillips exits as fans await statement from Bath City board

| url = http://www.thisisbath.co.uk/Phillips-exits-fans-await-statement-Bath-City/story-16109859-detail/story.html

| newspaper = Bath Chronicle

| date = 17 May 2012

| access-date = 12 June 2012}}

On 25 June 2012 Phillips joined Chippenham Town{{Cite news

| title = CHIPPENHAM TOWN FC PRESS RELEASE

| url = http://www.pitchero.com/clubs/chippenhamtown/news/chippenham-town-fc-press-relea-608020.html

| date = 17 May 2012

| access-date = 12 June 2012}} now works at BD Plymouth as an OTL

Now played for Plymouth True Blues in S.Devon division 1 with 8 goals in his first 5 games