March 2008 – May 2008
Appearances – 9
goals -1
Footballers are often accused of many things, from being low on smarts and having more money than sense. Lee Hendrie reportedly crashed his porsche once and more famously was declared bankrupt in 2012 which ultimately lead him to trying to take his own life. His was a story of how not to live as a footballer.
Its an odd choice for a retrospective piece on a player who only played 9 games for Leicester City but a poignant one with many footballers prone to depression when they leave the game. After spending most of his career with Aston Villa making 308 appearances and scoring 32 goals (also managing an England cap in 1998) he was sold in 2007 to Sheffield United. This followed a successful loan spell at Stoke City in 2006-2007. This was where the career trajectory started to take a downward turn.
Lee Hendrie resembled a schoolkid with his slight frame and cheeky features and barely existent facial hair. After experiencing first hand the attitude of Lee Hendrie in a reserve game at Filbert street in the 90’s its fair to say this writer was never a huge fan. This was a view shared by many opposing supporters. He had a touch of the SMS (small man syndrome) where he would frequently get involved in fracas and naughty challenges. This reputation disguised a genuine class in his central midfield talents. At Aston Villa he was growing into an all rounder in his late 20’s and was even knocking on the door of the England squad around 2004-2005 with a sequence of impressive displays. But alas the footballing gods did not shine brightly on Hendrie. Reportedly on £40,000 a week in his Premier League pomp his abilities were shunned by Martin O’Neill and he was shown the door out of the Premier League never to return to those heights again.
Signed on loan from Sheffield United in March 2008 by Ian “calm down and have a sandwich” Holloway, as Leicester City were battling relegation again in the Championship. Its here where i have to admit the state of the club was probably worse than the state of the player. Struggling on and off the field and in Holloway they were already on their 3rd manager of the season after Martin Allen and Gary Megson. Hendrie was struggling for form as were many of the patched together squad but he was showing a few nice touches. Playing a key part in a stunning 4-1 away win at West Bromwich Albion, he also scored the winner against relegation rivals Scunthorpe and was starting to look prominent alongside the also experienced Matt Oakley. His first touch and eye for creativity were showing signs of growth and a potential longer stay could well have been on the cards. However, injury curtailed his involvement in the last 2 games of the season that culminated in the foxes lowest point, a relegation to the third tier of English football, sullying a history of yo-yoing between the top 2 divisions.
Ian Holloway was promptly sacked in the summer by Milan Mandaric and in came the no nonsense Nigel Pearson. Lee Hendrie never returned and progressively made his way down the leagues off to Indonesia and then into non league to his current travails coping with life after fame, fortune and ultimately football. Whatever you think of Lee Hendrie he is a microcosm of what can and does happen to many footballers at such a relatively young age. Washed up and spat out by the game that they loved so much and left to pick up the pieces of a career that prematurely ages and retires you frequently before they’ve left their 30’s. Love him or loathe him there are hundreds of Lee Hendries out there and more will follow unless they are surrounded by the right people and given the right advice. Depression is inevitable after retirement from the beautiful game, but to the players themselves it will still come as a shock.
Player Verdict – showed signs of the class that made him such a good Premier League midfielder, but ultimately didn’t do enough at Leicester and many other clubs to have a club show some real faith in him.
lCFC1884 