Lee Cattermole facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Lee Cattermole

Cattermole in 2019
Personal information
Full name	Lee Barry Cattermole
Date of birth	(1988-03-21) 21 March 1988 (age 37)
Place of birth	Stockton-on-Tees, England
Height	5 feet 10 inches (1.78 m)
Playing position	Defensive midfielder
Youth career
1998–2005	Middlesbrough
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
2005–2008	Middlesbrough	69	(3)
2008–2009	Wigan Athletic	33	(1)
2009–2019	Sunderland	233	(10)
2019–2020	VVV-Venlo	11	(0)
Total		346	(14)
National team
2003	England U16	1	(0)
2004	England U17	4	(0)
2005	England U18	1	(0)
2006	England U19	1	(0)
2007–2010	England U21	16	(3)
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Lee Barry Cattermole (born March 21, 1988) is an English former professional footballer. He played as a central midfielder. Lee was known for his strong and determined playing style. He started his career at Middlesbrough in 2005. He had grown up playing in their youth academy.

After his debut in 2006, he became a regular player. At just 18 years old, he became the youngest player to captain Middlesbrough. He played 91 games for them and scored four goals. In 2008, he moved to Wigan Athletic. He quickly became a key player there, playing 35 games in one season. In 2009, he joined Sunderland. Despite some early injuries, his manager Steve Bruce made him captain for the 2010–11 season. He held this role for three seasons.

Lee Cattermole also played for England at different youth levels. This included the under-16, under-17, under-18, under-19, and under-21 teams.

Club Career Highlights

Playing for Middlesbrough

Lee Cattermole grew up in the Middlesbrough youth academy. He played his first game on January 2, 2006. This was a big local game against Newcastle United. He played the whole game and was named the best player. His manager, Steve McClaren, praised his performance. He said Lee helped the team come together.

After a tough loss to Aston Villa, Lee was seen upset. But after this, the team played much better. They won many games and reached the quarter-finals of the FA and UEFA cups. They even beat Premier League champions Chelsea 3–0. Lee scored his first league goal for Middlesbrough on April 2, 2006. It was the winning goal in a 1–0 game against Manchester City. He also played in the 2006 UEFA Cup Final.

On May 7, 2006, Lee became Middlesbrough's youngest captain. He was only 18 years and 47 days old. During that game, he showed great sportsmanship. He gave the captain's armband to Colin Cooper, the team's oldest player, who was playing his last game. In October 2006, Lee signed a new contract to stay with Middlesbrough until 2010.

Time at Wigan Athletic

On July 29, 2008, Lee Cattermole joined Wigan Athletic. He signed a three-year deal for about £3.5 million. He played his first game for Wigan against West Ham United. Lee scored his first goal for Wigan in a League Cup match. This was a 4–1 win over Ipswich Town in September 2008. He then scored his first league goal in a 3–0 win against Blackburn Rovers. Lee had a strong season with Wigan. Other Premier League clubs became interested in him.

Years at Sunderland

Cattermole (left) playing for Sunderland in 2011 alongside Craig Gardner (right)

On August 12, 2009, Lee Cattermole moved to Sunderland. He signed a four-year contract for £6 million. He joined his former Wigan coach, Steve Bruce, at Sunderland. He played his first game for Sunderland in a 1–0 win against Bolton Wanderers. He was named Man of the Match. Lee quickly became popular with the fans. However, he missed some games due to a heel injury. In October 2009, he injured his knee and was out for twelve weeks. He returned in December and later captained the team in a game against Manchester City.

Before the 2010–11 season, manager Steve Bruce chose Lee as the new captain. He also received the number 6 shirt. In the first game of the season, he received a red card. Despite this, Lee played a key role in Sunderland's 3–0 win against Chelsea. He also earned the Man of the Match award in a 1–0 home win against West Ham. Lee's strong tackling style sometimes led to him receiving yellow or red cards. His manager, Bruce, said his disciplinary record needed to improve. Lee continued to face injuries, playing 24 games that season.

Lee remained captain at the start of the 2011–12 season. He received yellow cards in the first two games. After Bruce was replaced by Martin O'Neill, some wondered if Lee would lose the captaincy. However, he led the team in O'Neill's first game, a 3–2 win at QPR. Lee had some of his best games for Sunderland in January 2012. These included a 1–0 win over Manchester City and a 4–1 win at Wigan. After the Manchester City victory, O'Neill told him, "Well done, absolutely brilliant. You've got a heart like a lion." He also played very well in an FA Cup game against Arsenal, which Sunderland won 2–0.

Cattermole (right) posing for a pre-match photo before facing Arsenal in August 2012

On March 4, 2012, Lee was booked early in the Tyne-Wear derby against Newcastle. He received a red card at the end of the match. Martin O'Neill called the sending off "foolish." Lee received a four-match ban. Reports suggested he might lose the captaincy, but O'Neill denied this. After his ban, Lee returned for Sunderland in an FA Cup game against Everton. Sunderland lost that match 2–0.

At the start of the 2013–14 season, John O'Shea became captain instead of Lee. Lee's number 6 shirt was given to a new player, and he wore number 33. He scored his first league goal for Sunderland in a 5–1 loss to Tottenham Hotspur in April 2014.

Cattermole captaining Sunderland against Chelsea in May 2016

Lee got his number 6 shirt back for the 2014–15 season. He scored Sunderland's first goal of the season. It was a powerful shot from 25 yards in a 2–2 draw against West Brom. He called it "the best goal he has ever scored." In July 2015, Lee signed a new five-year contract with Sunderland. This meant he would stay with the club until 2021.

On the first day of the 2015–16 season, Lee captained Sunderland against Leicester City. However, he was taken off after 30 minutes when his team was losing 3–0. Sunderland eventually lost 4–2.

Lee missed most of the 2016–17 season due to injury. He returned to the team late in the season. Fans praised his performance against Arsenal in May 2017, even though Sunderland lost 2–0. That season, Sunderland finished last in the league. This meant they were relegated, ending their ten years in the top division.

On March 31, 2019, Lee played in the EFL Trophy final against Portsmouth. The game ended in a 2–2 draw after extra time. In the penalty shootout, Lee's penalty was saved, and Sunderland lost 5–4. On July 1, 2019, it was announced that Lee would leave Sunderland. He had spent 10 years at the club. He said it was the right time for a new challenge.

Playing for VVV-Venlo

On August 22, 2019, Lee Cattermole moved to Dutch football. He signed a one-year contract with Eredivisie team VVV-Venlo as a free agent. He was released by the club on May 27, 2020. This happened after the season was stopped because of the COVID-19 pandemic. His contract had ended, and the club decided not to renew it.

International Career

Lee Cattermole was first called up to the England under-21 squad in October 2006. This was for play-off games against Germany.

He scored his first international goal for the U-21 team on June 15, 2009. This was the first goal of the U-21 European Championships against Finland. He scored his third goal for England in a 2–1 win against Macedonia U21s. His goal in the 83rd minute sealed the victory.

Coaching Career

In January 2022, Lee Cattermole returned to his former club, Middlesbrough. He was appointed as the Under-18s lead coach. On February 10, 2023, it was announced that he would leave this role at the end of the month.

In December 2024, Lee joined League One team Bristol Rovers. He became a first-team coach, focusing on set-pieces. Just four days after joining, he became a caretaker manager alongside David Horseman. This happened after the previous manager was sacked. However, it was later reported that Cattermole had left the club before his first game as caretaker.

Career statistics

Honours

Middlesbrough

• UEFA Cup runner-up: 2005–06

Sunderland

• Football League Cup runner-up: 2013–14
• EFL Trophy runner-up: 2018–19

England U21

• UEFA European Under-21 Championship runner-up: 2009

Individual

• North East Football Writers' Association's Player of the Year: 2014

See also

In Spanish: Lee Cattermole para niños