Lees: Thomas James (Tom)

2009-2014 (Leeds Player Details) (Player Details)

Central Defender

Born: Warwick: 28-11-1990

Debut: v Bradford City (h) (Substitute) (League Cup): 9-08-2011

6' 11st 8lb

Lees came through the Leeds United Academy and played for the Under-eighteens as a Central Defender and Full Back. He was given a chance to impress by Manager Simon Grayson when he was included in several pre-season games. He played the first half in a strong Leedsline-up at York City in the first pre-season game. He was included on the twenty-three man team that toured Ireland and again was given the first half in the game against Shelbourne. He replaced Paul Huntington at half-time in the game at Glentoran. When the squad returned to England he came on after seventy-nine minutes to replace injured French trialist Baudry. He played the full game and got the winning goal at Farsley Celtic in basically the Academy team. He also had a full game in a strong mix of fringe and junior players at Bradford Park Avenue. On 1st September 2009 he was loaned to Accrington Stanley for a month, which was extended to the end of the year. He made his debut against Bury at Gigg Lane on 5th September 2009 and he and his Leeds teammate goalkeeper Alan Martin became regulars in the defence. He gained the first team experience his Manager Simon Grayson had been hoping for. He remained with Accrington Stanley until the end of the 2009-10 season and played thirty-nine League games, four F.A. Cup ties and three Johnstone's Trophy games. On 23rd February 2010 he was given a two year extension to his contract which took him to 30th June 2012. He played in the two pre-season games in Slovakia, coming on at half time in the first and after seventy-four minutes in the second, and was looking forward to his first competitive game. Manager Simon Grayson felt that he would benefit from further first team experience and so on 3rd August 2010 Lees was loaned to League Two Bury for six months. He made his League debut at Gigg Lane in a 0-1 defeat by Port Vale on 7th August 2010 and was soon on the scoresheet on 14th August 2010 with a goal in a 2-1 win at Oxford United. His second goal came in the F.A. Cup in a 2-0 home win over Exeter City on 6th November 2010. On 10th December 2010, he signed a two and a half year extension to his contract with Leeds, taking him to June 2013. On 30th December 2010 his loan to Bury was extended until the end of the 2011-12 season. He was also chipping in with some valuable goals for Bury as they pushed for promotion from Division Two. On 12th April 2011 he got the only goal of the game at Gigg Lane against Burton Albion and he followed that up by repeating the feat on 22nd April against Lincoln City. He scored his fourth League goal of the season and fifth in all when three days later he was among the goalscorers in a 3-2 victory over League leaders Chesterfield at Saltergate to clinch promotion as runners up. He won the Bury "Players' Player" award for the season and the Bury Manager hailed him as the "best young centre back in League Two". Lees scored four League goals in forty-five starts, missing only one game, and scored once in two starts in the F.A. Cup, and made one League Cup and two Johnstone's Paint Trophy appearances without scoring during his stay at Gigg Lane. He returned to Elland Road and soon figured in the first team pre-season preparations. He featured strongly in the games against Falkirk, Motherwell and Rochdale but had to be content with sitting on the bench for the game with Sheffield Wednesday and coming from it in Norway, against Sandefjord, and Newcastle United. He did not make the squad for the first game of the season at Southampton but he made his Leeds debut as a sixty-second minute substitute in the home game with Bradford City in the Carling League Cup on 9th August 2011 at Right Back in place of Paul Connolly. His starting debut, again as a Right Back, followed four days later in the home game with Middlesbrough. In his second game at Home to Hull City three days later he had the misfortune to put through his own goal in the twenty-first minute, but he soon made amends by scoring in the fortieth minute. On 30th September 2011 his contract was extended until June 2015. He was now established as United's first choice Right Back, on 1st October 2011 he was switched to Central Defence for the home game with Portsmouth. He scored his second Leeds goal on 14th October 2011 in a 3-0 away win at Doncaster Rovers. On 2nd November 2011 there was a nightmare game for Leeds as they were humiliated 0-5 at Elland Road by Blackpool. Paul Rachubka had been to blame for conceding several goals in previous games in which he had deputised for the injured Andy Lonergan and he was directly responsible for the three first half goals conceded against the seasiders. Leeds were already one goal down, when in the twenty-fifth minute Rachubka again erred and Lees was forced to handle the ball to prevent a further goal. He was immediately red carded and missed the next game at Leicester City on 6th November 2011. He was back on the bench for the next game at Burnley on 19th November 2011 and replaced Darren O'Dea in the eighty-second minute. He was restored to the team for the next game at home to Barnsley on 26th November 2011 and apart from missing two games through injury, at Barnsley and at home to Burnley at the turn of the New Year, he remained ever-present for the rest of the season. He won the Leeds "Young Player of the Year" award for the season and on 29th May 2012 he signed a new four year contract for the club. Lees was called up to the England Under-Sixteens in 2005 but injuries hindered his progress. He was called up to the England Under-Twenty-One squad for the 2013 UEFA Under-Twenty-One Championship, making his debut as a seventy-seventh minute substitute for Connor Wickham of Sunderland in the 1-0 win over Norway at Chesterfield on 10th September 2012. He made his second appearance for the Under-Twenty-Ones in the 1-0 win in the 2013 UEFA Championship Regional game with Serbia on 16th October 2012 at the Mladost Stadium, Napredak Krusevac, Serbia, coming on as a replacement for Marvin Sordell of Bolton Wanderers after sixty-two minutes. He made his first start for England Under-Twenty-Ones on 13th November 2012 in England's 2-0 victory over Northern Ireland at Bloomfield Road, Blackpool in which he played a full game. On 5th February 2013 he came on as a seventy-fifth minute substitute for former United loanee, Adam Smith of Tottenham Hotspur in the 4-0 win over Sweden at the Banks Football Stadium, Walsall. In his fifth game started in a 4-0 win over Austria on 25th March 2013 but made way for Nathaniel Clyne of Southampton in the seventy-fourth minute at the Amex Stadium, Brighton. His sixth cap was a full game on 11th June 2013 in the 0-1 defeat by Israel at the Teddy Kollek Stadium, Hapoel, Jeruselem. He was unable to maintain his progress despite being a virtual ever-present in the Leeds first team. It came as a great surprise to the supporters of the club when despite having two years left to run on his contract, he was allowed to go to Sheffield Wednesday on a three year contract on a free transfer on 31st July 2014. He made his debut for the Owls in a 1-0 away win at Brighton & Hove Albion on 9th August 2014, going on to miss just two League games as he started forty-four and also one in the F.A. Cup and three in the League Cup. He hardly put a foot wrong all season and it deepened the mystery of his release, as Leeds struggled all season to find a reliable central defender.