Lee Hills (footballer)

Lee Hills
Personal information
Full name Lee Mark Hills[1]
Date of birth (1990-04-13) 13 April 1990[1]
Place of birth Croydon, England
Height 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)[2]
Playing position Defender
Youth career
1999–2004 Wimbledon
2004–2005 Arsenal
2005–2007 Crystal Palace
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2007–2012 Crystal Palace 45 (1)
2008 → Colchester United (loan) 2 (0)
2009 → Oldham Athletic (loan) 3 (0)
2012 → Southend United (loan) 7 (0)
2012–2013 Stevenage 15 (0)
2013–2016 Whitehawk 60 (1)
National team
2008 England U18 1 (0)
2008–2009 England U19 6 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 11:58, 25 March 2017 (UTC).

Lee Mark Hills (born 13 April 1990) is an English footballer who plays as a defender. He is currently unattached after being released by Whitehawk.

Hills started his career at Wimbledon at the age of nine, spending five years at the club's academy before briefly joining Arsenal. In 2005, he joined Crystal Palace, progressing through the youth ranks before making his first-team debut at the age of 17. Following his breakthrough season during the 2007–08 campaign, Hills was loaned out to Colchester United in November 2008, although only made two appearances. He also had a brief loan spell at Oldham Athletic in 2009. Towards the latter stages of the 2009–10 season, Hills suffered a knee injury that would ultimately keep him sidelined for the best part of two years. In March 2012, he joined Southend United on loan for the remainder of the 2011–12 campaign. On returning to Palace, he was told he would be released when his contract expired. In July 2012, Hills signed for League One club Stevenage on a free transfer, but would move to Whitehawk just over a year later. He has also represented England at both U18 and U19 level.

Club career

Crystal Palace

Hills began his career at Wimbledon's youth academy, joining the club at the age of nine and progressing through the youth ranks for several years.[3] He left Wimbledon in 2004 following the club's relocation to Milton Keynes.[3] and shortly afterwards joined Arsenal, spending less than a year at the club's academy.[3] In the summer of 2005, Hills was invited to train at Crystal Palace's academy, and subsequently signed a two-year scholarship deal at the club.[3][4] After spending two years playing frequently for Palace's U18 side, Hills was drafted into the first-team in October 2007.[4] He made his debut at the age of 17, starting in Crystal Palace's 2–0 home defeat to Watford on 28 October 2007.[5] Two months later, Hills appeared in the club's 2–1 away victory at Queens Park Rangers,[6] and would go on to feature regularly throughout December 2007 and January 2008 during a spell that witnessed Palace rise up the Championship table.[7][8] Hills scored his first professional goal in Palace's 1–1 draw with Bristol City on 18 February 2008, netting with a left-footed volley to give Palace the lead on the hour mark.[9] He made 13 appearances during the 2007–08 campaign, scoring once.[7]

He started the club's first three games of the 2008–09 season, but would not feature again for Palace for another four months following a 4–2 away defeat to Reading in late August 2008.[10][11] In November 2008, Hills was loaned out to League One club Colchester United for a month,[12] making two appearances during the brief loan agreement.[10] He suffered an injury in his second appearance for the club, Colchester's 2–1 defeat to Peterborough United,[13] and ultimately returned to his parent club earlier than arranged.[4][14] He featured sporadically for Palace throughout the second half of the season, and made 15 appearances for the club in all competitions.[10] Hills' first appearance of the 2009–10 season came in a 4–1 home victory over Blackpool on 3 October 2009, coming on as an 86th-minute substitute in the match.[15] He made three further appearances, all as a second-half substitute,[16] before joining Oldham Athletic on a one-month loan in November 2009.[17] He made his debut for Oldham in a 2–0 home loss to Leeds United in the FA Cup,[18] and went on to make four appearances during the loan spell.[16] In his final game for Oldham, Hills received the first red card of his career, for two bookable offences, in a 3–0 defeat to Walsall.[19] Hills went on to play much more regularly for Palace during the latter stages of the 2009–10 season, making 19 appearances.[16] However, he suffered a knee injury in Palace's 1–1 draw away to Derby County in April 2010, and was substituted in the 33rd minute.[20] The game proved to be his last for the club.[21]

The injury would ultimately sideline Hills for the best part of two years[22] — as the player missed the whole of the 2010–11 season, as well as over three quarters of the 2011–12 campaign.[21][22][23] In March 2012, Hills was loaned out to promotion chasing League Two side Southend United for the remainder of the season, in order to regain match fitness.[24] He made his first appearance for nearly two years in Southend's 2–0 away win against Burton Albion a day after signing,[25] and went on to eight appearances for the club as Southend narrowly lost to Crewe Alexandra in the two-legged play-off semi-finals.[26][27] Hills was released by Palace when his contract expired in May 2012.[28] On being released by the club, Hills stated — "I love Palace. I’ve been there for eight years, so from that point it is disappointing. But it is time for me to have a new challenge and go out and play somewhere every week".[29] During his five-year tenure at Palace, Hills made 47 appearances for the club in all competitions, scoring one goal.[21]

Stevenage

In July 2012, Hills joined League One side Stevenage on trial, playing in the club's pre-season friendly draw with Boreham Wood.[30][31] After impressing during his trial period, Hills signed a three-year contract with the club, joining on a free transfer.[32][33] The first three months of Hills' Stevenage career were disrupted by injury, eventually making his first-team debut in a 4–1 away defeat to Sheffield United in November 2012.[34] Further injuries meant Hills appeared sporadically during the second half of the season, impressing in Stevenage's 4–0 victory over Sheffield United on 16 March 2013.[35] He made eleven appearances during the campaign.[36]

Whitehawk

Struggling to break into the first team, Stevenage and Hills mutually agreed to the termination of his contract, and he dropped down three divisions to join Whitehawk in the Conference South.[37][38] Hills was appointed team captain at Whitehawk and was named at left back in the Conference South league team of the season for 2014-2015, alongside teammates Nick Arnold and Sam Deering.[39] In the first half of the opening game of the 2015-2016 season at Hayes & Yeading, Hills was carried off with cruciate ligament damage.[40] He never appeared again for The Hawks and was released at the end of the season.[41]

International career

Hills has also represented England at U18 and U19 level.[32]

Personal life

He attended Christ Church School and Whitgift School in Croydon.[42]

Career statistics

As of 10 August 2013.
Club Season League[A] FA Cup League Cup Other[B] Total
AppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Crystal Palace
2007–08[43]
 121100000131
2008–09[44]
 140001000150
2009–10[45]
 190000000190
2010–11[46]
 0000000000
2011–12[47]
 0000000000
Total 451101000471
Colchester United (loan)
2008–09[48]
 2000000020
Total 2000000020
Oldham Athletic (loan)
2009–10[49]
 3010000040
Total 3010000040
Southend United (loan) 2011–12[50] 7000001080
Total 7000001080
Stevenage 2012–13[51] 110000000110
2013–14[52] 2000100030
Total 130001000140
Career totals 701202010751
A. ^ The "League" column constitutes appearances and goals (including those as a substitute) in the Football League.
B. ^ The "Other" column constitutes appearances and goals (including those as a substitute) in the play-offs.

References

  1. 1 2 Hugman, Barry J., ed. (2009). The PFA Footballers' Who's Who 2009–10. Edinburgh: Mainstream Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84596-474-0.
  2. ↑ "Lee Hills – ESPN". ESPN Soccernet. Retrieved 18 October 2013.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "AASE Newsletter" (PDF). AASE-Zine. Retrieved 18 July 2012.
  4. 1 2 3 "Profiles". Crystal Palace F.C. Archived from the original on 9 June 2012. Retrieved 18 October 2013.
  5. ↑ "Crystal Palace 0–2 Watford". BBC Sport. 28 October 2007. Retrieved 19 July 2012.
  6. ↑ "QPR 1–2 Crystal Palace". ESPN Soccernet. 4 December 2007. Retrieved 18 October 2013.
  7. 1 2 "Games played by Lee Hills in 2007/2008". Soccerbase. Retrieved 19 July 2012.
  8. ↑ "English League Championship 2007–2008 : Table". Statto.com. Retrieved 19 July 2012.
  9. ↑ "Bristol City 1–1 Crystal Palace". BBC Sport. 18 February 2008. Retrieved 28 May 2011.
  10. 1 2 3 "Games played by Lee Hills in 2008/2009". Soccerbase. Retrieved 19 July 2012.
  11. ↑ "Reading 4–2 Crystal Palace". BBC Sport. 30 August 2008. Retrieved 19 July 2012.
  12. ↑ "Colchester bring in Eagles' Hills". BBC Sport. 13 November 2008. Retrieved 19 July 2012.
  13. ↑ "Beattie joins Preston on loan". Crystal Palace F.C. 5 March 2008. Archived from the original on 23 March 2012. Retrieved 18 October 2013.
  14. ↑ "Lambert praises makeshift defence". BBC Sport. 24 November 2008. Retrieved 19 July 2012.
  15. ↑ "Crystal Palace 4–1 Blackpool". BBC Sport. 3 October 2009. Retrieved 19 July 2012.
  16. 1 2 3 "Games played by Lee Hills in 2009/2010". Soccerbase. Retrieved 19 July 2012.
  17. ↑ "Palace duo move on loan to Oldham". BBC Sport. 4 November 2009. Retrieved 19 July 2012.
  18. ↑ "Oldham 0–2 Leeds". BBC Sport. 7 November 2009. Retrieved 19 July 2012.
  19. ↑ "Walsall 3–0 Oldham". BBC Sport. 24 November 2009. Retrieved 19 July 2012.
  20. ↑ "Derby 1–1 Crystal Palace". BBC Sport. 17 April 2010. Retrieved 19 July 2012.
  21. 1 2 3 "Lee Hills – Soccerbase". Soccerbase. Retrieved 19 July 2012.
  22. 1 2 "Lee Hills happy to be back in action at Southend United". BBC Sport. 21 March 2011. Retrieved 19 July 2012.
  23. ↑ "Lee Hills: My Palace future is up in the air". Wimbledon Today. 9 March 2012. Retrieved 18 October 2013.
  24. ↑ "Southend United sign Crystal Palace's Lee Hills on loan". BBC Sport. 2 March 2012. Retrieved 19 July 2012.
  25. ↑ "Burton 0–2 Southend". BBC Sport. 3 March 2012. Retrieved 19 July 2012.
  26. ↑ "Southend United 2–2 Crewe Alexandra (agg 2–3)". BBC Sport. 16 May 2012. Retrieved 19 July 2012.
  27. ↑ "Games played by Lee Hills in 2011/2012". Soccerbase. Retrieved 19 July 2012.
  28. ↑ "Eagles let five leave". Sky Sports. 18 May 2012. Retrieved 18 July 2012.
  29. ↑ "Lee Hills confident he can bounce back from Palace release". Wimbledon Today. 29 May 2012. Retrieved 18 October 2013.
  30. ↑ "Smith: These games are for fitness". Stevenage F.C. 14 July 2012. Retrieved 14 July 2012.
  31. ↑ "Boreham Wood 1–1 Stevenage". Boreham Wood F.C. 14 July 2012. Retrieved 14 July 2012.
  32. 1 2 "Stevenage sign Lee Hills". Stevenage F.C. 18 July 2012. Retrieved 18 July 2012.
  33. ↑ "Lee Hills joins Stevenage after leaving Crystal Palace". BBC Sport. 18 July 2012. Retrieved 18 July 2012.
  34. ↑ "Sheffield Utd 4–1 Stevenage". BBC Sport. 17 November 2012. Retrieved 16 February 2013.
  35. ↑ "Stevenage 4–0 Sheffield Utd". Stevenage F.C. 16 March 2013. Retrieved 29 April 2013.
  36. ↑ "Games played by Lee Hills in 2012/2013". Soccerbase. Retrieved 29 April 2013.
  37. ↑ "Hills joins Whitehawk". The Comet. Retrieved 30 December 2013.
  38. ↑ http://www.theargus.co.uk/sport/13342593.Whitehawk_release_five_as_King_looks_to_strengthen/
  39. ↑ http://whitehawkfc.com/match/3072/
  40. ↑ http://whitehawkfc.com/eight-leave-the-hawks/
  41. ↑ "CURRENT PROFESSIONAL PLAYERS". ISFA. Archived from the original on 10 February 2012. Retrieved 18 October 2013.
  42. ↑ "Crystal Palace 2007/2008 player appearances". Soccerbase. Retrieved 30 June 2012.
  43. ↑ "Crystal Palace 2008/2009 player appearances". Soccerbase. Retrieved 31 August 2011.
  44. ↑ "Crystal Palace 2009/2010 player appearances". Soccerbase. Retrieved 31 August 2011.
  45. ↑ "Crystal Palace 2010/2011 player appearances". Soccerbase. Retrieved 31 August 2011.
  46. ↑ "Crystal Palace 2011/2012 player appearances". Soccerbase. Retrieved 31 August 2011.
  47. ↑ "Colchester 2008/2009 player appearances". Soccerbase. Retrieved 31 August 2011.
  48. ↑ "Oldham 2009/2010 player appearances". Soccerbase. Retrieved 31 August 2011.
  49. ↑ "Southend 2011/2012 player appearances". Soccerbase. Retrieved 31 August 2011.
  50. ↑ "Stevenage 2012/2013 player appearances". Soccerbase. Retrieved 18 July 2012.
  51. ↑ "Stevenage 2013/2014 player appearances". Soccerbase. Retrieved 3 August 2013.
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