Lee Hodges (footballer, born 1978)

Lee Hodges

Personal information
Date of birth	(1978-03-02) 2 March 1978 (age 45)
Place of birth	Plaistow, London, England
Height	5 ft 5 in (1.65 m) [1]
Position(s)	Midfielder
Team information
Current team	Herongate Athletic
Youth career
	Arsenal
	West Ham United
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1995–1999	West Ham United	3	(0)
1996	→ Exeter City (loan)	17	(0)
1997	→ Leyton Orient (loan)	3	(0)
1997–1998	→ Plymouth Argyle (loan)	9	(0)
1998	→ Ipswich Town (loan)	4	(0)
1999	→ Southend United (loan)	10	(1)
1999–2002	Scunthorpe United	113	(20)
2002–2003	Rochdale	7	(0)
2003	→ Bristol Rovers (loan)	8	(0)
2003–2004	Bristol Rovers	13	(2)
2004–2006	Thurrock
2006–2008	Billericay Town
2008	AFC Hornchurch
2008–2009	East Thurrock United
2009	Billericay Town
2009–2010	Tilbury
2010	East Thurrock United
2010–2011	Thurrock
2021–	Herongate Athletic	0	(0)
International career
	England U16	9	(0)
Managerial career
2011–2012	Aveley
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Lee Hodges (born 2 March 1978) is an English footballer who plays as a midfielder for Herongate Athletic. He made three appearances in the Premier League for West Ham United and made 184 appearances in the Football League for Exeter City, Leyton Orient, Plymouth Argyle, Ipswich Town, Southend United, Scunthorpe United, Rochdale and Bristol Rovers.

Career

Hodges played for Arsenal as a schoolboy and was capped nine times by England at under-16 level. ^[2] He went on to join West Ham United and signed his first professional contract in March 1995. ^[2] He was loaned out to Exeter City in September 1996, where he made his senior debut against Brighton & Hove Albion, ^[3] and played in 17 league matches during his three months with the club. ^[2] Shortly after returning to West Ham, he joined on loan Leyton Orient and made three league appearances in March 1997. ^[2] Hodges moved to Plymouth Argyle on a two-month loan in November and appeared in ten matches, nine of which were in the league. ^{[4] [5]} He made his debut for West Ham in January 1998 and appeared in another four matches that season. Hodges played in his last match for West Ham during the 1998–99 season and subsequently went on loan to Ipswich Town, making four appearances, and Southend United. ^[2] He scored his first goal in professional football during his time with Southend, the second against Barnet in May 1999. ^{[2] [6]}

In the summer of 1999, Hodges was transferred to Scunthorpe United for an initial fee of £50,000, having rejected West Ham's offer of a new contract in order to play more first team football. ^[2] He spent three years with Scunthorpe, scoring 20 goals in 113 league matches. He was included in the PFA Third Division Team of the Year in 2001 and again the following year. ^{[2] [7]} He was released in the summer of 2002, ^[8] and went on to sign a two-year contract with Rochdale. ^[9] Having made eight appearances in all competitions for Rochdale, he joined Bristol Rovers on loan in March 2003 until the end of the season. ^{[2] [10]} He signed a two-year contract with Rovers in May, ^[11] Hodges played in 21 league matches for the club, scoring twice, before being released at the start of the 2004–05 season and subsequently moved into non-league football with Thurrock. ^{[12] [13]} Two years later, Hodges joined Billericay Town. ^[14]

Hodges left Billericay in 2008 to sign for AFC Hornchurch, ^{[15] [16]} however, his time with the club was brief and later that year he was playing for East Thurrock United. ^[17] He returned to Billericay in March 2009 to take up a role as player-assistant manager. ^{[18] [19]} He left the club at the end of the 2008–09 season and went on to sign for Tilbury as player-coach. ^{[20] [21]} Hodges briefly returned to East Thurrock in the same role, ^[22] and then rejoined Thurrock as a member of their coaching staff. ^{[23] [24]}

He was appointed manager of Aveley in November 2011, ^{[25] [26]} however, his reign was brief. Hodges resigned after less than three months in charge, citing work and family commitments as the cause. ^[27]

In June 2021, Essex Olympian League Division One club Herongate Athletic announced the signing of Hodges. ^[28]

Honours

Individual

• PFA Team of the Year: 2000–01 Third Division, ^[29] 2001–02 Third Division ^[30]

References

1. "Lee Hodges". Bristol Rovers F.C. Archived from the original on 6 February 2022. Retrieved 5 February 2012.
2. "The Lee Hodges Story". Bristol Rovers F.C. Retrieved 6 February 2012.^{[ dead link ]}
3. "It's Flack to the future". Daily Mirror. 16 September 1996. Retrieved 6 February 2012.
4. "Lee's Devon cream – Full time". News of the World. 9 November 1997. Retrieved 6 February 2012.
5. "Lee Hodges". GoS–DB. Greens on Screen. Retrieved 6 February 2012.
6. "Little's big joy – Full time". News of the World. 2 May 1999. Retrieved 6 February 2012.
7. "Plymouth players rewarded". BBC Sport. 15 April 2002. Retrieved 6 February 2012.
8. "Hodges heads Iron clear-out". BBC Sport. 29 April 2002. Retrieved 6 February 2012.
9. "Simpson delight at Hodges deal". BBC Sport. 17 July 2002. Retrieved 6 February 2012.
10. "Hodges joins Pirates". BBC Sport. 20 March 2003. Retrieved 6 February 2012.
11. "Pirates capture Hodges". BBC Sport. 22 May 2003. Retrieved 6 February 2012.
12. "Thurrock Snap Up Hodges And Kirby". Non League Daily. 8 August 2004. Retrieved 6 February 2012.^{[ permanent dead link ]}
13. "Hodges Signs For Thurrock". Rochdale A.F.C. 17 November 2004. Archived from the original on 5 August 2012. Retrieved 6 February 2012.
14. "Hodges Joins Billericay". Non League Daily. 13 February 2006. Archived from the original on 8 September 2012. Retrieved 6 February 2012.
15. "Billericay's Broom in the market for new players". Billericay Gazette. 26 June 2008. Archived from the original on 12 September 2012. Retrieved 6 February 2012.
16. Marshall, Dick (17 June 2008). "Favourite Lee leaves Billericay". Basildon Recorder. Retrieved 6 February 2012.
17. "Hodges makes telling impact for Rocks at Leyton". Basildon Recorder. 9 December 2008. Retrieved 6 February 2012.
18. Marshall, Dick (13 March 2009). "Hodges returns to New Lodge". Basildon Recorder. Retrieved 6 February 2012.
19. "Hodges' Back in New Role". Non League Daily. 14 March 2009. Archived from the original on 5 September 2012. Retrieved 6 February 2012.
20. "Five released by Billericay". Basildon Recorder. 29 April 2009. Retrieved 6 February 2012.
21. "Tilbury falter in Division one". Thurrock Gazette. 17 August 2009. Retrieved 6 February 2012.
22. "Rocks soak up early pressure and book place in next round". Braintree & Witham Times. 29 August 2010. Retrieved 6 February 2012.
23. Colasanti, James (6 January 2011). "Lincoln quits as manager of Thurrock". Thurrock Gazette. Retrieved 6 February 2012.
24. "Greg Lincoln resigns as Thurrock boss". BBC Sport. 7 January 2011. Retrieved 6 February 2012.
25. "Aveley appoint Lee Hodges as manager". BBC Sport. 15 November 2011. Retrieved 6 February 2012.
26. Colasanti, James (24 November 2011). "Lee Hodges believes Millers can stay out of trouble". Thurrock Gazette. Retrieved 6 February 2012.
27. "Another Aveley manager leaves". Isthmian League. 2 February 2012. Retrieved 6 February 2012.
28. Herongate Athletic F.C. [@Herongate_FC] (26 June 2021). "We are pleased to announce @BillyCove_ first signing of the summer, and what a signing it is. Welcome to the Gate, Ex @WestHam, @SUFCOfficial and @Official_BRFC maestro @LEEHODGEES" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
29. "Teams of the year". BBC Sport. 29 April 2001. Retrieved 15 January 2023.
30. "PFA teams send Hatters mad". The Guardian. 15 April 2002. Retrieved 15 January 2023.

External links

• Lee Hodges at Soccerbase