1. Early life and background
Elliot Robert Lee's early life was marked by a strong family connection to professional football, with both his father and elder brother pursuing careers in the sport, and his education at a notable school in Essex.
1.1. Birth and family
Elliot Robert Lee was born on 16 December 1994, in Durham, England. He comes from a distinguished footballing family; his father is Rob Lee, a former professional footballer who played as a midfielder for clubs such as Charlton Athletic and Newcastle United, and also represented the England national team. Elliot's elder brother, Olly Lee, is also a former professional footballer. Elliot and Olly were notably teammates during their time at Luton Town in the 2017-18 season.
1.2. Education
Elliot Lee received his academic education at Brentwood School in Essex, an independent day and boarding school.
2. Club career
Elliot Lee's professional football journey began with a notable youth career at West Ham United, followed by various loan spells to gain experience, before establishing himself at Luton Town and later becoming a key player for Wrexham.
2.1. West Ham United
Lee was a youth team player at West Ham United, making his debut for the club's reserve team in 2011. He signed his first professional contract with West Ham in August 2012. His initial appearance in a first-team squad was on 1 January 2013, as an unused substitute in a Premier League match against Norwich City. Lee made his professional debut for West Ham on 16 January 2013, coming on as a 78th-minute substitute for Ricardo Vaz Tê in a 1-0 defeat against Manchester United in an FA Cup third round replay at Old Trafford.
On 12 August 2013, Lee scored two first-half goals for the West Ham development squad in a match against Aston Villa Under-21s. He made his Premier League debut for West Ham on 31 August, entering as an 88th-minute substitute for Mohammed Diamé in a 1-0 home defeat by Stoke City. Three weeks later, Lee netted a hat-trick against Newcastle Reserves in a 5-4 away victory. He went on to score 11 goals that season for the development squad.
Following a series of loan spells, Lee returned to West Ham. On 5 August 2014, he scored another hat-trick for the development squad during a pre-season friendly against Conference Premier club Woking. On 26 August 2014, Lee was an unused substitute in the League Cup penalty shoot-out defeat by Sheffield United in the second round, and was assigned the number 36 for the first team on the same day. On his first start for West Ham, on 9 July 2015, Lee scored his first goal for the club in a Europa League first qualifying round match away against FC Lusitanos of Andorra. He scored the only goal of the match from a cross delivered by Matt Jarvis.
2.1.1. Loan spells from West Ham
While at West Ham United, Elliot Lee was sent on several loan spells to various clubs to gain first-team experience.
2.2. Barnsley
On 24 June 2016, Lee signed for Championship club Barnsley for an undisclosed transfer fee. He made six appearances for Barnsley during the 2016-17 season, all as a substitute. After one season with the club, Lee departed by mutual consent on 4 July 2017.
2.3. Luton Town
Following his release from Barnsley on 4 July 2017, Lee signed a two-year contract with his former loan club, Luton Town, marking a permanent move. He scored on the opening day of the 2017-18 season, on 5 August 2017, in an emphatic 8-2 victory over Yeovil Town. His contract was extended by an additional year at the end of the 2017-18 season after a promotion clause was triggered due to Luton's promotion to League One. Lee was a significant contributor to Luton Town's success during this period, playing a key role in their promotions. On 20 May 2022, it was announced that Lee would leave the club following the conclusion of the 2021-22 season. He made 93 league appearances for Luton, scoring 24 goals.
2.3.1. Loan spells from Luton Town
While a permanent player for Luton Town, Elliot Lee undertook additional loan periods to other clubs.
2.4. Wrexham
On 8 July 2022, Lee signed a three-year deal with Wrexham. He made an impactful debut on 6 August 2022, scoring twice to help Wrexham come from behind to defeat Eastleigh 2-1. At the end of the 2022-23 season, Lee was named in the National League Team of the Year as Wrexham secured the division title and promotion. On 1 January 2024, Lee signed a contract extension with Wrexham, committing to the club until the end of the 2026-27 season. Wrexham earned promotion as runners-up at the end of the 2023-24 season, moving into League One. Lee's individual contributions were further recognized as he was nominated for the PFA League Two Player of the Year, and was also included in both the PFA and EFL League Two Team of the Year.
3. Personal life
Elliot Robert Lee is the son of Rob Lee, a former professional footballer who played as a midfielder for Charlton Athletic, Newcastle United, and the England national team. His older brother, Olly Lee, is also a former professional footballer. The two brothers were teammates at Luton Town during the 2017-18 season. Lee attended Brentwood School in Essex.
4. Career statistics
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | EFL Cup | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| West Ham United | 2012-13 | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 1 | 0 | |
| 2013-14 | Premier League | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 1 | 0 | ||
| 2014-15 | Premier League | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 1 | 0 | ||
| 2015-16 | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 (Appearances in the UEFA Europa League) | 1 | 4 | 1 | |
| Total | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 7 | 1 | ||
| Colchester United (loan) | 2013-14 | League One | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 4 | 1 | ||
| Southend United (loan) | 2014-15 | League Two | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | 0 | 0 | |||
| Luton Town (loan) | 2014-15 | League Two | 11 | 3 | - | - | - | 11 | 3 | |||
| Blackpool (loan) | 2015-16 | League One | 4 | 0 | - | - | - | 4 | 0 | |||
| Colchester United (loan) | 2015-16 | League One | 15 | 2 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 15 | 2 | ||
| Barnsley | 2016-17 | Championship | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 6 | 0 | |
| Luton Town | 2017-18 | League Two | 32 | 10 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 (Appearance(s) in the EFL Trophy) | 1 | 38 | 12 |
| 2018-19 | League One | 38 | 12 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 43 | 12 | |
| 2019-20 | Championship | 11 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | - | 15 | 2 | ||
| 2020-21 | Championship | 12 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | - | 16 | 1 | ||
| 2021-22 | Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | 1 | 0 | ||
| Total | 93 | 24 | 8 | 1 | 9 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 113 | 27 | ||
| Oxford United (loan) | 2020-21 | League One | 18 | 6 | - | - | 2 (Appearances in the League One play-offs) | 0 | 20 | 6 | ||
| Charlton Athletic (loan) | 2021-22 | League One | 34 | 3 | 3 | 0 | - | 2 (Appearance(s) in the EFL Trophy) | 1 | 39 | 4 | |
| Wrexham | 2022-23 | National League | 45 | 12 | 5 | 2 | - | 1 (Appearance in the FA Trophy) | 1 | 51 | 15 | |
| 2023-24 | League Two | 46 | 16 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 (Appearance(s) in the EFL Trophy) | 0 | 53 | 16 | |
| 2024-25 | League One | 26 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 (Appearance(s) in the EFL Trophy) | 1 | 32 | 8 | |
| Total | 117 | 35 | 10 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 136 | 39 | ||
| Career total | 304 | 74 | 22 | 3 | 12 | 1 | 17 | 5 | 355 | 83 | ||
5. Honours
Elliot Lee has accumulated several collective club achievements and individual awards throughout his professional football career.
Luton Town
- EFL League One: 2018-19
- EFL League Two second-place promotion: 2017-18
Wrexham
- National League: 2022-23
- EFL League Two runner-up: 2023-24
Individual
- National League Team of the Year: 2022-23
- EFL League Two Team of the Season: 2023-24
- PFA Team of the Year: 2023-24 League Two