Lee Roche

Roche started his career as a trainee at Manchester United but made only one substitute appearance in the league against Newcastle United.{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/2487937.stm |title=Man Utd back on song |publisher=BBC Sport |date=23 November 2002 |access-date=23 March 2010}} He also started a League Cup game against Arsenal{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/worthington_cup/1637817.stm |title=Arsenal win battle of reserves |publisher=BBC Sport |date=5 November 2001 |access-date=23 March 2010}} and a Champions League tie against Deportivo la Coruna.{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/champions_league/2856429.stm |title=Deportivo see off Man Utd |publisher=BBC Sport |date=18 March 2003 |access-date=23 March 2010}} During his time with the 'Red Devils' the young full-back was loaned out to Wrexham for the 2000–01 season, and was a key member of the team for the entire season, playing in 41 of the 46 league games.

At the end of 2003 Roche was released on a free transfer from Manchester United.{{cite news|url=http://www.manutd.com/news/fullstory.sps?inewsid=36727 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20051217111639/http://www.manutd.com/news/fullstory.sps?inewsid=36727 |archive-date=17 December 2005 |title=Roche released |work=ManUtd.com |publisher=Manchester United Football Club |first=Simon |last=Davies |date=3 June 2003 |access-date=21 April 2020}} Burnley were the team to take advantage of this situation with then manager Stan Ternent using his connections to the Old Trafford club to sign the promising youngster to a two-year deal.

In his first season, Roche wasn't a first team regular, despite scoring an outstanding 25-yard volley against Crystal Palace on his debut.{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_1/3113041.stm |title=Burnley 2-3 Crystal Palace |publisher=BBC Sport |date=9 August 2003 |access-date=23 March 2010}} Towards the end of the 2003–04 season though, he began to push the previous right back, Dean West out of the side. Unfortunately for Roche, Ternent's contract wasn't renewed and Steve Cotterill was appointed as the new manager at Turf Moor. Cotterill did not rate Roche as highly as Ternent had done, and brought in Mike Duff from Cheltenham Town instead. Roche still featured in the team fairly regularly though, but out of position on the right side of midfield where he looked much less comfortable. Roche scored his only other Burnley goal in a famous 2–1 victory at Elland Road against Leeds United.{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_1/3967375.stm |title=Leeds 1-2 Burnley |publisher=BBC Sport |date=3 November 2004 |access-date=23 March 2010}}

After his two-year contract with Burnley expired, Roche returned to play for Wrexham in the summer of 2005.{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/w/wrexham/4651845.stm |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20200419135450/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/w/wrexham/4651845.stm |archivedate=19 April 2020 |title=Roche signing strengthens Wrexham |work=BBC Sport |publisher=British Broadcasting Corporation |date=5 July 2005 |accessdate=19 April 2020}} He scored on his second debut for the club against Boston United.{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_3/4746329.stm |title=Wrexham 2-0 Boston Utd |publisher=BBC Sport |date=6 August 2005 |accessdate=23 March 2010}} At the end of the 2006–07 season Roche was released by Wrexham after a disappointing season in which they just avoided relegation to the Football Conference.

He joined Droylsden in 2007, staying with the club until February 2011.

Roche made one appearance for the England under-21s; he started the 2−2 draw with Finland during qualifying for the 2002 UEFA European Under-21 Championship.{{cite web|url=http://www.englandfootballonline.com/MatchRsl/MatchRslTmU21pg3.html |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20191110010038/http://www.englandfootballonline.com/matchrsl/MatchRslTmU21pg3.html |archivedate=10 November 2019 |title=England's Matches the under 21's 2000−10 |work=EnglandFootballOnline.com |publisher=England Football Online − Chris Goodwin & Glen Isherwood |accessdate=19 April 2020}}

Following a sequence of injuries and falling out of love with the game, Roche retired from football at age 27. He now works as a plumber and cavity wall remover and also coaches the Bury under-11 side.{{cite web|url=https://www.planetfootball.com/in-depth/the-man-utd-kid-who-went-from-the-champions-league-to-the-building-site/ |title=The Man Utd kid who went from the Champions League to the building site |work=planetfootball.com|date=18 March 2021 |accessdate=27 March 2021}}

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{{Wrexham A.F.C. Young Player of the Year}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Roche, Lee}}

Category:1980 births

Category:Living people

Category:Footballers from Bolton

Category:English men's footballers

Category:Men's association football defenders

Category:Manchester United F.C. players

Category:Wrexham A.F.C. players

Category:Burnley F.C. players

Category:Droylsden F.C. players

Category:Premier League players

Category:English Football League players

Category:National League (English football) players

Category:21st-century English sportsmen