Aaron Lennon facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Aaron Lennon

Lennon playing for Tottenham Hotspur in 2011
Personal information
Full name	Aaron Justin Lennon
Date of birth	(1987-04-16) 16 April 1987 (age 38)
Place of birth	Leeds, England
Height	5 ft 5 in (1.65 m)
Position(s)	Right winger / Attacking midfielder right
Youth career
2001–2003	Leeds United
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2003–2005	Leeds United	38	(1)
2005–2015	Tottenham Hotspur	266	(26)
2015	→ Everton (loan)	14	(2)
2015–2018	Everton	51	(5)
2018–2020	Burnley	46	(1)
2020–2021	Kayserispor	36	(0)
2021–2022	Burnley	28	(2)
Total		479	(37)
International career
2003	England U17	1	(0)
2004–2006	England U19	15	(0)
2005–2008	England U21	5	(0)
2006–2007	England B	2	(0)
2006–2013	England	21	(0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Aaron Justin Lennon (born on 16 April 1987) is a former English professional footballer. He played as a right winger, known for his speed and skill on the field.

Aaron Lennon started his football journey at his hometown club, Leeds United, making his first team debut in 2003. At that time, he became the youngest player ever to play in the Premier League. In 2005, he joined Tottenham Hotspur, where he played in 364 matches and scored 30 goals. He won his first major trophy, the League Cup, with Tottenham in 2008.

Later, Aaron played for Everton and Burnley in the Premier League. He also played for Kayserispor in Turkey before returning to Burnley. Aaron Lennon represented the England national team 21 times and played in the 2006 and 2010 FIFA World Cup tournaments. He announced his retirement from football in November 2022.

Aaron Lennon's Early Life

Aaron Lennon was born in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. He has a younger brother and a younger sister. His family has both Irish and Jamaican roots. Aaron went to City of Leeds High School. Scouts first noticed his football talent when he was just eight years old. His older brother, Anthony, also played football for Manchester United's youth team.

Aaron's Club Football Career

Starting at Leeds United

In 2001, Aaron Lennon joined the Leeds United Academy. He made history at 14 by becoming the youngest player to get a boot sponsorship deal with Adidas. Two years later, he started his professional career with Leeds United. He became the youngest player to appear in the Premier League at 16 years and 129 days old. This happened in August 2003 during a match against Tottenham Hotspur.

Aaron scored his only goal for Leeds on 26 December 2004 against Sunderland. He became a regular player after that, impressing fans with his speed and skills. His great performances helped Leeds in their first season in the Championship. Due to Leeds' financial problems, Lennon was sold to Tottenham Hotspur.

Playing for Tottenham Hotspur

Lennon playing in 2008

Aaron Lennon moved to Tottenham Hotspur on 15 June 2005 for £1 million. He made his debut for Spurs a couple of months later, in August 2005, against Chelsea. On 18 March 2006, he scored his first Premier League goal for Tottenham against Birmingham City.

Aaron was nominated for the PFA Young Player of the Year award in both the 2005–06 and 2006–07 seasons. He signed a new contract with Tottenham in January 2007. On 24 February 2008, Aaron won his first major trophy. Tottenham beat Chelsea 2–1 in the League Cup Final at Wembley Stadium.

In March 2009, he signed another contract, keeping him at Spurs until 2014. Aaron was named Tottenham Fans' Player of the Season for the 2008–09 season. He played in 47 matches that season, scoring five goals. One memorable goal was a late equaliser in a 4–4 draw against Arsenal.

Aaron started the 2009–10 season strongly, helping Tottenham win their first four league games. This was their best start to a league season since 1960–61. In October 2009, he got injured during a match against Stoke City. He returned in November, providing three assists and scoring a goal in a huge 9–1 win against Wigan Athletic.

Lennon playing for Tottenham Hotspur in 2011

In December 2009, Aaron suffered a groin injury, which kept him out for several months. He returned to play in April 2010. On 28 November 2010, he scored a winning goal in the last minute against Liverpool. In February 2011, he made a brilliant run and assisted a goal in a Champions League match against A.C. Milan.

In August 2011, Aaron scored in a UEFA Europa League match against Hearts. He scored his first league goal of the season against Fulham. In December, he scored again against Bolton. His next goal came in January 2012 against Everton.

On 1 September 2012, he signed a new four-year deal. He was named captain for the first time in a Europa League match against Lazio. Aaron scored four goals during the 2012–13 season.

Moving to Everton

On 2 February 2015, Aaron Lennon joined Everton on a loan until the end of the season. He made his debut for Everton in a match against Liverpool on 7 February. He scored his first goal for Everton on 22 March 2015 against Queens Park Rangers.

In September 2015, Aaron joined Everton permanently for about £4.5 million. He started 2016 in great form, scoring against his old club Tottenham. He also scored in three straight Everton wins in January and February. Aaron continued his scoring run in a win against Aston Villa. However, the team's results worsened, and the manager was sacked.

In the 2016–17 season, Aaron found it harder to get playing time under the new manager, Ronald Koeman. He played only a few minutes in the first two months of the league season. His first league start came in November 2016 against Swansea City.

Time at Burnley

On 23 January 2018, Aaron Lennon signed with Burnley for two and a half years. He made his debut on 31 January as a substitute against Newcastle United. Aaron scored his first and only goal for Burnley in September 2018 against AFC Bournemouth. He left the club in June 2020 after his contract ended, having played 55 matches.

Playing in Turkey

Aaron Lennon joined the Turkish club Kayserispor on 2 September 2020. He moved there for free after leaving Burnley.

Returning to Burnley

Aaron Lennon re-joined Burnley on 25 August 2021 after his contract with Kayserispor ended. He made his second debut for Burnley in the EFL Cup on the same day. Burnley announced on 10 June 2022 that Aaron would leave the club when his contract expired at the end of June.

Aaron Lennon officially announced his retirement from professional football on 15 November 2022.

Aaron's International Career

Aaron Lennon was first called up to the England U21 team in October 2005. On 8 May 2006, he was chosen for England's 2006 FIFA World Cup squad. He was only 19 years old and had not yet played for the senior team.

He was named "man of the match" in an England B game against Belarus in May 2006. He made his full England debut as a substitute in a 6–0 win over Jamaica on 3 June.

Aaron played as a substitute for England in their 2006 World Cup group match against Trinidad and Tobago. England scored twice after he came on, winning 2–0. He also played in the quarter-final match against Portugal. England lost that game after a penalty shootout.

Aaron also came on as a substitute in a 5–0 win over Andorra in September 2006. He made his first start for England in a Euro 2008 qualifier against Israel in March 2007. He was selected again for England in March 2009, starting in a friendly match against Slovakia.

He was called up for matches against Slovenia and Croatia in 2009. He was named "man of the match" in the 5–1 win over Croatia.

Aaron Lennon was part of manager Fabio Capello's 23-man squad for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. He started in England's first two games: a 1–1 draw against the United States and a 0–0 draw with Algeria.

After a two-year break, Aaron was recalled to the England squad in October 2012 for World Cup qualifiers. He played as a substitute against San Marino and helped set up a goal. He earned his final cap in a friendly against Brazil in February 2013.

Aaron's Personal Life

In April 2017, Aaron Lennon received care and treatment for a stress-related illness. In March 2019, he spoke about his experience and shared that other players had asked him for advice.

Career Statistics

Club Appearances

International Appearances

Honours and Awards

Tottenham Hotspur

• Football League Cup: 2007–08 (Winner); runner-up: 2008–09

See also

In Spanish: Aaron Lennon para niños