Players - Sammy Lee

Sammy Lee
Birthdate: 7 February 1959
Birthplace: Liverpool, England
Other clubs: Queens Park Rangers (1986-87), Osasuna (1987-90), Southampton (1990), Bolton Wanderers (1990-91)
Signed from: Local
Signed for LFC: Joined 1972 - Professional April 1976
International debut: 17.11.1982 vs. Greece
International caps: 14/2 - 17.06.1984
Liverpool debut: 08.04.1978
Last appearance: 06.05.1986
Debut goal: 08.04.1978
Last goal: 11.04.1984
Contract expiry: 26.08.1986
Win ratio: 54.92% W:162 D:85 L:48
Games/assists ratio: 7.38
Honours: League Championship 1981/82, 1982/83, 1983/84, 1985/86; League Cup 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984; European Cup 1981, 1984
Total games/goals opposite LFC: 2 / 0
League games / goals / assists: 197 / 13 / 26
Total games / goals / assists: 295 / 19 / 40

Player Profile

An energetic 5 ft. 4 in. (163 cm.) midfielder who gained England recognition and was a great servant to the club on and off the pitch, immortalised in the song: “He’s fat, he’s round, he bounces on the ground. Sammy Lee, Sammy Lee.” It was a loving tribute to the local lad about whom Bob Paisley said: "With the character and attitude he shows they’d make him Mayor of Liverpool if he was a few inches taller." Two years after signing a professional contract with Liverpool the 19-year-old made his debut against Leicester in the First Division on 8 April 1978. He came on in the sixth minute for David Johnson who tore his knee ligaments. It turned out to be a memorable game for Lee who scored Liverpool's second goal in a 3-2 win with a fortuitous shot which the Leicester goalkeeper allowed to creep under his body, but they all count! He only made one more substitute appearance that season and he hardly got a look-in in the impregnable Liverpool side of 1978/79. An injury to Terry McDermott finally gave him the breakthrough he had been looking for at the end of the 1979/80 season. He featured in all four FA Cup semi-finals against Arsenal that ultimately ended in defeat but played at Anfield when Liverpool clinched the League Championship against Aston Villa. Lee was back in the reserves at the start of the following 1980/81 season but nine games into the campaign Jimmy Case lost his place on the wide right of midfield to the enthusiastic youngster. Liverpool lost the League title to Aston Villa but received ample compensation in the knock-out competitions, winning the League Cup for the first time and then defeating Real Madrid at the Parc des Princes in Paris to take the European Cup for the third time. Lee played in both finals and his progress in his first full season didn't go unnoticed by Reds' fans as he was the overwhelming winner in Liverpool FC Supporters Club’s Player of the Year poll. The prize was presented to him by none other than Bill Shankly.

Lee won three successive League Championships during the next three years culminating in the glorious 1983/84 season when he played every single game, 67 in total. After the heady achievements of 1984, Lee's form dipped from its usual high standards and he was called on only rarely during the second half of the 1984/85 season with Craig Johnston and Kevin MacDonald both preferred in his role. He was also in and out of the team in the double season and it was not too much of a surprise when he agreed to join Queens Park Rangers in the summer of 1986. He left with the best wishes of his teammates as he had been a big part of the great camaraderie in the Liverpool dressing-room. He has a bubbly personality and is never lost for words as proven when he created the biggest laugh on-board the plane that carried Liverpool and Everton back home from their 1986 FA Cup final at Wembley where the Reds won the Cup after taking the League title from Everton a week earlier. "During the flight, there was a light-hearted disagreement between the players about the amount of room on the plane," Jan Mølby remembers. "'Move your fat arse,' Everton full-back Pat Van Den Hauwe shouted at little Sammy Lee. 'Sorry,' replied Sammy, 'but what do you expect? I've got two medals in my pocket!" Lee only had a year in London before seeking a change of fortune in the Spanish first division with Osasuna where he stayed two years before moving back to England.

Lee returned to Liverpool as Phil Thompson's replacement as reserve team coach in 1992. With Houllier's arrival in 1998 Lee moved up to first-team trainer. Following Houllier's dismissal and Benítez' arrival in the summer of 2004 Lee felt a clean break was best for all concerned and he joined England's coaching staff full-time. In June 2005 he joined Bolton as assistant manager to Sam Allardyce and continued coaching the England team on part-time basis. He turned down the full-time England u-21 job in 2006 to concentrate on Bolton and took over as the club's manager when Allardyce resigned in April 2007. However, Lee only lasted 14 games in the job after results were well below expectations. Reds rejoiced when Lee returned home to Liverpool once more in May 2008 as Benítez' assistant manager. Lee survived the managerial changes that saw Hodgson replace Benítez, then Dalglish replace Hodgson. However, as pre-season training began ahead of the 2011/12 season, it was announced that Lee would be leaving the club despite Dalglish saying as recently as May 2011 that Lee was "a key part of his team". In February 2012 Lee returned to Bolton as head of coaching at the club's academy. Bolton manager Owen Coyle said: "I know Sammy will bring a great deal of top-level coaching experience and enthusiasm, and that can only be of huge benefit for our youth players."

Towards the end of June 2014 Sammy Lee was named as assistant to the recently-appointed Brighton & Hove Albion manager, Sami Hyypia. Bizarrely, on the penultimate day of June it was then announced that Sammy would not be joining Brighton & Hove Albion after all but would instead be taking up a post at Southampton working with their new manager Ronald Koeman. After the Dutchman left for Everton in the summer of 2016 Lee rejoined England as part of Sam Allardyce's coaching staff which reigned during a brief period. A few weeks after Allardyce took over Premier League side Crystal Palace, Lee was appointed his assistant on 10 January 2017, but then left in the summer when Allardyce surprisingly resigned saying he needed some time out from the game. On 1st December 2017 Lee was confirmed as Allardyce's assistant when he took over as Everton manager, remaining there until Allardyce's dismissal at the end of the season.

"If they are to get into the top three every side needs its hardworking bees. And Sammy was one of those bees," Phil Neal said. "He played just in front of me and we formed a really good partnership. I remember Bob Paisley telling him to mark Paul Breitner when we played in the Munich Stadium and Sammy did a magnificent job. He was always the one who started the singing after we had picked up a trophy - all the old Liverpool songs. We had some great sing-a-longs. He created a really joyous arena. But he was always a very apologetic person. He always apologised for almost anything he did. He is a lovely natured person. I love him to bits."
Appearances per season
Season League FA LC Europe Other Total
Totals 197 17 39 33 9 295
1976-1977 0 0 0 0 0 0
1977-1978 2 0 0 0 0 2
1978-1979 2 0 0 0 0 2
1979-1980 7 4 0 0 0 11
1980-1981 37 2 7 9 0 55
1981-1982 35 2 6 5 1 49
1982-1983 40 3 8 6 1 58
1983-1984 42 2 13 9 1 67
1984-1985 17 1 2 4 1 25
1985-1986 15 3 3 0 5 26
1986-1987 0 0 0 0 0 0
A more detailed look at the player's appearances
Apps Minutes Opponent
16 1434 Arsenal
15 1274 Ipswich Town
14 1300 Manchester United
13 1181 Tottenham
13 1092 Everton
11 1014 West Ham United
11 990 Stoke City
11 990 Southampton
10 900 Aston Villa
10 900 Norwich City
10 900 Birmingham City
10 741 Nottingham Forest
9 810 Sunderland
8 720 Coventry City
8 698 WBA
8 690 Brighton & Hove Albion
7 630 Manchester City
6 540 QPR
6 540 Notts County
6 517 Watford
6 513 Leicester City
6 472 Luton Town
5 450 Middlesbrough
5 406 Wolves
4 360 Swansea City
4 360 Leeds United
4 360 Oulun Palloseura
4 360 CSKA Sofia
3 330 Fulham
3 270 Sheffield Wednesday
3 270 Newcastle United
3 270 Benfica
2 210 York City
2 180 Din. Bucharest
2 180 Brentford
2 180 Athletic Bilbao
2 180 Crystal Palace
2 180 Dundalk
2 180 Bayern Munich
2 180 Odense BK
2 180 Lech Poznan
2 180 HJK Helsinki
2 180 Widzew Lodz
2 180 Walsall
2 180 Burnley
2 158 Aberdeen
1 120 Roma
1 90 Panathinaikos
1 90 Barnsley
1 90 Exeter City
1 90 Altrincham
1 90 Real Madrid
1 90 AZ Alkmaar
1 90 Flamengo
1 90 Swindon Town
1 90 Blackburn Rovers
1 90 Stockport County
1 90 Chelsea
1 90 Oldham Athletic
1 90 Portsmouth
1 90 Rotherham United
Total Started/substitutions
288 Started
34 On the bench
7 Substitute
14 Substituted
Total Venue
139 Away
139 Home
17 Neutral
Total Competition
197 League
39 League Cup
33 European Cup
17 FA Cup
5 Screen Sport Super Cup
3 Charity Shield
1 World Club Championship
Total W D L Win % Manager
177 98 48 31 55.4% Bob Paisley
92 50 29 13 54.3% Joe Fagan
26 14 8 4 53.8% Kenny Dalglish
Goals per season
Season League FA LC Europe Other Total
Totals 13 0 2 4 0 19
1976-1977 0 0 0 0 0 0
1977-1978 1 0 0 0 0 1
1978-1979 0 0 0 0 0 0
1979-1980 0 0 0 0 0 0
1980-1981 4 0 2 2 0 8
1981-1982 3 0 0 1 0 4
1982-1983 3 0 0 0 0 3
1983-1984 2 0 0 1 0 3
1984-1985 0 0 0 0 0 0
1985-1986 0 0 0 0 0 0
1986-1987 0 0 0 0 0 0
A more detailed look at the player's goalscoring
Assists per season
Season League FA LC Europe Other Total
Totals 26 3 3 8 0 40
1976-1977 0 0 0 0 0 0
1977-1978 0 0 0 0 0 0
1978-1979 0 0 0 0 0 0
1979-1980 1 0 0 0 0 1
1980-1981 3 0 0 2 0 5
1981-1982 9 0 1 2 0 12
1982-1983 6 1 1 1 0 9
1983-1984 6 1 1 1 0 9
1984-1985 0 0 0 2 0 2
1985-1986 1 1 0 0 0 2
1986-1987 0 0 0 0 0 0
A more detailed look at the player's assists
Milestone Appearances
# Date Against Stadium Competition
1 08.04.1978 Leicester City Anfield League
50 07.02.1981 WBA The Hawthorns League
100 03.03.1982 CSKA Sofia Anfield Europe
150 01.01.1983 Notts County Anfield League
200 22.11.1983 Fulham Anfield League Cup
250 08.09.1984 Arsenal Highbury League
Milestone Goals
# Minute Date Against Stadium Competition
1 56 08.04.1978 Leicester City Anfield League
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Bolton Wanderers part company with Sammy Lee

Times online from 17 October 2007.

Why Lee can make it on his own

After 14 years as a top coach, Sammy Lee has finally been given the chance to prove he can cut it as a Premiership manager.

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Related Quotes

"During the flight, there was a light-hearted disagreement between the players about the amount of room on the plane. 'Move your fat arse,' Everton full-back Pat Van Den Hauwe shouted at little Sammy Lee. 'Sorry,' replied Sammy, 'but what do you expect? I've got two medals in my pocket!"

Quote: Jan Molby. Liverpool and Everton players shared a flight after the FA Cup final in 1986.

"Within about three months of being here I spoke with a Scouse accent, all down to Sammy Lee. I used to get changed next to Sammy, and everything he said I’d pick up. I blame Sammy."

Jan Mølby

"With the character and attitude he shows they’d make him Mayor of Liverpool if he was a few inches taller."

Bob Paisley about little Sammy Lee

"If they are to get into the top three every side needs its hardworking bees. And Sammy was one of those bees. He played just in front of me and we formed a really good partnership. I remember Bob Paisley telling him to mark Paul Breitner when we played in the Munich Stadium and Sammy did a magnificent job. He was always the one who started the singing after we had picked up a trophy - all the old Liverpool songs. We had some great sing-a-longs. He created a really joyous arena. But he was always a very apologetic person. He always apologised for almost anything he did. He is a lovely natured person. I love him to bits."

Phil Neal about Sammy Lee in 2004

As Sammy passed Breitner outside the dressing rooms, the West German international said: "Well done – you played well." To which Sammy replied with one of the quotes of the season; "Thank you, Mr. Breitner."

Sammy Lee shackled Bayern’s world class star Paul Breitner in the game vs Bayern that booked Liverpool’s place in the European Cup Final

"Little Sammy Lee celebrated his first full season in the first team by collecting winners medals in two competitions and rave notices for his skilful, competitive attitude. And the icing on Sammy’s cake came when he was made captain of the England Under 21 side against Switzerland last summer after an impressive performance on his debut as an over-age player against Rumania.

"To help Liverpool win the League Cup and European Cup and then be called up at international level in my first full season in the first division was an unforgettable experience", said 5 ft. 4 ins. Sammy about whom Bob Paisley once said: "With the character and attitude he shows they’d make him Mayor of Liverpool if he was a few inches taller."

Liverpool's 1982 Annual described Sammy Lee's progress in this way:

Scrapbook
Focus on a young Sammy Lee
Focus on a young Sammy Lee
Interview in the LFC Magazine 1994/95
Interview in the LFC Magazine 1994/95
Leapy Lee triumphs - 11 April 1984
Leapy Lee triumphs - 11 April 1984
Lee stars on his league debut - 8 April 1978
Lee stars on his league debut - 8 April 1978
Lee wins by a shorthead - 11 April 1984
Lee wins by a shorthead - 11 April 1984
Match poster pf Sammy Lee - 1983/84 season
Match poster pf Sammy Lee - 1983/84 season
Page from Arnie's scrapbook (editor of LFChistory.net)
Page from Arnie's scrapbook (editor of LFChistory.net)
Poster of Sammy Lee - 1983
Poster of Sammy Lee - 1983
Profile picture - Official fan club magazine 1983
Profile picture - Official fan club magazine 1983
Reds we salute you! - May 1984
Reds we salute you! - May 1984
Reserves are a real champion bunch - 5 May 1976
Reserves are a real champion bunch - 5 May 1976
Sammy Lee on the cover of Shoot! 1981-1984
Sammy Lee on the cover of Shoot! 1981-1984
Shoot! Focus on Sammy Lee - 1984
Shoot! Focus on Sammy Lee - 1984
Souness settles it! - Milk Cup final 1984
Souness settles it! - Milk Cup final 1984
The game I remember - Sammy Lee
The game I remember - Sammy Lee
Other Clubs
Club Season Club rank League apps League goals Total apps Total goals
QPR 1986-1987 England First Division 30 0 35 1
Osasuna 1987-1990 Spain 1 28 0 28 0
Southampton 1989-1990 England First Division 2 0 3 0
Bolton Wanderers 1990-1991 England Third Division 4 0 5 0
Total 64 0 71 1