Career switch a hit for Lee

Lee Darnborough — stats expert

LEE Darnbrough never made it to the top as a player, but the former Athletic goalkeeper has reached the Premier League in his new career.

The 31-year-old, who was brought up in Mossley, has spent the last six years working for West Brom as a ‘performance analyst’, studying statistical data from matches with the aim of improving displays.

Darnbrough, who was forced to quit professional football at the age of 19 with a badly broken wrist, resumed his studies and gained a sports science degree at Leeds University while playing part-time for non-league Garforth Town.

After completing his degree, Darnbrough was employed by ProZone, the company which analyses performances for a number of clubs.

He had spells with Bolton Wanderers and Aston Villa before landing a job at The Hawthorns, where he has worked for Gary Megson, Bryan Robson and Tony Mowbray.

“It was hard being forced to finish playing so early through injury, but it is great to still be involved in the game, especially in the Premier League,” said Darnbrough.

His six seasons at West Brom have certainly been eventful with two promotions to the Premier League, two relegations, the Baggies’ great escape when they beat the drop in 2005, and an FA Cup semi-final appearance last season.

Darnbrough was one of the top teenage goalkeepers in the country, winning a place at the Football Association’s National School.

He spent two years at Lilleshall between the ages of 14 and 16 when the intake included the likes of Liverpool’s Jamie Carragher, Bolton’s Gavin McCann and his former Athletic team-mate David Beresford.

He joined Athletic after leaving school in 1994 and spent three seasons at Boundary Park, two as a trainee and one as a professional.

Athletic had just been relegated and in his three seasons he served under Joe Royle, Graeme Sharp and Neil Warnock.

Darnbrough made the substitutes’ bench for one first-team match, a 3-1 win at Wolves in November, 1995, before his career was cruelly cut short by injury.

n ATHLETIC paid their first-ever trip to the Walkers Stadium on Saturday as the Foxes were still at Filbert Street for their previous visit in 1996.

Leicester were delighted with the crowd of 22,328, which included 784 Athletic fans, as the match was being televised live and travel conditions were far from ideal.