Bowyer: Lee David (Lee)

1996-2003 (Player Details)

Central Midfield

Born: Canning Town, London: 03-01-1977

Debut v Derby County (a): 17-08-1996

5’9” 9st 11lb (2005)

#25 in 100 Greatest LUFC Players Ever

Bowyer achieved the childhood dream of many young boys and signed, aged seventeen, for a football club. But the deal was with First Division Charlton Athletic, rather than his beloved West Ham. He was an outstanding prospect with many fine performances alerting the “bigger Clubs” to his potential. In 1996 he moved from Charlton to Leeds for £2.8m - then a record for a British teenager. Bowyer's initial progress at Elland Road was curtailed with the signing of two other all-action midfielders, David Hopkin and Alf Inge Haaland. He eventually supplanted Hopkin in the side and in 1998/99 he was named Leeds' Player of the Season after plundering nine league goals. He later matured into an excellent all-round midfielder. Bowyer was a key figure as Leeds finished in third place in the 1999/2000 Premiership table and was nominated for the PFA Young Player of the Year award. A fiercely-competitive midfielder, Bowyer had been at the peak of his playing powers - despite being under intense scrutiny. He remained focused enough to play in all Leeds' Premiership matches in the 2000-01 season, and he was also the joint leading scorer in the Champions League - with goals against continental giants AC Milan, Barcelona and Lazio. He continued in the same vein in the 2001-02 season, with a string of commanding performances in a Leeds team that was doing well on both the domestic and European fronts. A tough tackler and tireless worker, he excelled at breaking from midfield to score crucial goals. Unfortunately Bowyer was no stranger to controversy on the field. At the start of the 1999/2000 season, his tackle on Stephen Clemence prompted a brawl between Leeds and Tottenham players. Each club had to pay a £150,000 fine for their part in the incident. That season, Bowyer was also given a one-match ban and a £4,000 fine by the FA for becoming the first Premiership player to amass fourteen yellow cards. He was capped thirteen times at under-twenty-one level but his first England cap was postponed because of events off the field. After an incident outside a Leeds city centre nightclub, Bowyer was accused of involvement in the alleged racist assault of the student Safraz Najeib. Bowyer was found not guilty of affray and grievous bodily harm with intent, but teammate Jonathan Woodgate was found guilty of affray and ordered to serve one hundred hours' community service. Bowyer was fined four weeks' wages by Leeds, for breaching the club's code of conduct for being under the influence of alcohol on the night of the attack. Bowyer refused to accept this decision, and was placed on the transfer list by Leeds, who were running into financial difficulties. He finally got his England Cap against Portugal in September 2002 and provided Alan Smith with his opportunity to score. It was his only cap as his form dipped alarmingly. Bowyer signed for West Ham United on a short contract for a nominal fee, in January 2003. West Ham United were relegated at the end of this season, and Bowyer joined Newcastle United on a free transfer. Bowyer was in the media spotlight again after an astonishing on-pitch brawl with fellow teammate Keiron Dyer in Newcastle United's match with Aston Villa. This resulted in a red card for that particular game plus a further three game ban, Dyer received the same punishment. Bowyer was fined six weeks wages by the club, thought to be in the region of £200,000. Dyer was not fined as Bowyer was alleged to have thrown the first punch. He returned to his beloved West Ham in June 2006 and regained some of his former skills but he could not reproduce the flair and energy he showed at his prime with Leeds.