Lee Desmond (born 22 January 1995) is an Irish professional

footballer A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby le ...

who plays as a

centre back In the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield position whose primary role is to stop attacks during the game and prevent the opposition from scoring. Centre-backs are usually positioned in pairs, with one full-back on either s ...

centre midfielder A midfielder is an Glossary of association football terms#O, outfield position in association football. Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in that case known as defensive midfielders. As #Cent ...

for

USL Championship The USL Championship (USLC) is a professional men's soccer league in the United States that began its inaugural season in 2011. The USL is sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation (U.S. Soccer) as a Division II league since 2017, pl ...

club

Sacramento Republic Sacramento Republic FC is an American professional soccer team based in Sacramento, California, that plays in the Western Conference of the USL Championship, the second level in US soccer. Co-founded by Warren Smith and Joe Wagoner in 2012, th ...

Career

Early career

Desmond played youth football with Malahide United, Crumlin United and Cherry Orchard before being picked up by English

Premier League The Premier League (legal name: The Football Association Premier League Limited) is the highest level of the men's English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Foo ...

side

Newcastle United Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Newcastle upon Tyne, that plays in the Premier League – the top flight of English football. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End ...

, where he played in their youth and reserve teams. He was released by Newcastle at the end of their 2012–2013 season despite playing regularly for their development squad. Desmond joined Shelbourne in July 2013 after playing against them in a friendly while on trial with

Ipswich Town Ipswich Town Football Club is a professional association football club based in Ipswich, Suffolk, England. They play in League One, the third tier of the English football league system. The club was founded in 1878 but did not turn profession ...

and impressed Shels manager

Johnny McDonnell Johnny McDonnell was an Irish soccer player during the 1900s and 1910s. He was born in Kilcolgan Co Galway on 8 October 1885. He started his footballing career with Athlone Town FC and then played for the amateur Bohemian F.C., Bohemians durin ...

enough for him to offer the youngster the chance to join the club. He played for the Shelbourne under 19 team for the 2013–2014 season before signing for the Shels first team in November 2013.

Shelbourne

After standing out for the club's under 19 side, he was called up to the first team for the 2014 season as they aimed to win promotion to the

League of Ireland Premier Division The League of Ireland Premier Division ( ga, Príomhroinn Sraith na hÉireann), also known as the SSE Airtricity League Premier Division for sponsorship reasons, is the top level division in both the League of Ireland and the Republic of Ireland f ...

. Desmond became a mainstay in the first team, playing at both left-back and centre-back throughout the season. He scored his first goal in senior football on 23 May 2014 in a 1–1 draw away to

Finn Harps Finn Harps Football Club ( ga, Cumann Peile Chláirsigh na Finne) are an Irish football club that play in the First Division of the League of Ireland, as of 2023. The club was founded in 1954 and elected to the league in 1969. However, it was te ...

. The season ended in disappointment however as Shels failed to earn promotion as they lost out to

Galway Galway ( ; ga, Gaillimh, ) is a City status in Ireland, city in the West Region, Ireland, West of Ireland, in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Connacht, which is the county town of County Galway. It lies on the River Corrib between Lo ...

in the Semi-final of the Promotion Playoffs, although Desmond did win the Shelbourne Players' Player of the Year award after a very impressive first season in senior football.

St Patrick's Athletic

Desmond's impressive season with Shelbourne attracted interest from Shels'

Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...

rivals and

FAI Cup The Football Association of Ireland Senior Challenge Cup (FAI Cup), known as the Extra.ie FAI Cup for sponsorship reasons, is a knock-out association football competition contested annually by teams from the Republic of Ireland (as well as Derry ...

holders,

St Patrick's Athletic St Patrick's Athletic Football Club ( ga, Cumann Peile Lúthchleas Phádraig Naofa) is a professional Irish association football club based in Inchicore, Dublin, that plays in the Irish Premier Division. Founded in May 1929, they played origin ...

from the

. He was announced to have signed for the Saints on 11 November 2014, alongside

Jason McGuinness Jason McGuinness (born 8 August 1982) is an Irish footballer. Career McGuinness played at youth level for Tolka Rovers, Sheriff Y.C. and Bohemians before graduating to the Bohs first team, making his league debut as a substitute against UCD ...

and Ciarán Kilduff. Desmond featured throughout the season for Pats, mainly at centre-back but also at left or right back in the absence of

Ian Bermingham Ian Bermingham (born 6 June 1989 in Dublin) is an Irish former professional footballer that played 13 seasons with League of Ireland Premier Division club, St Patricks Athletic, where he was club captain and is the all-time appearance record ...

Ger O'Brien Gerard O'Brien (born 2 July 1984) is an Irish former professional footballer who played in the League of Ireland as a defender. He is the current Director of Football of St Patrick's Athletic, who he spent 5 seasons playing with. His former cl ...

. He started in many important games including playing in both legs of their

UEFA Europa League The UEFA Europa League (abbreviated as UEL, or sometimes, UEFA EL), formerly the UEFA Cup, is an annual football club competition organised since 1971 by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) for eligible European football clubs. It ...

games against

Skonto Riga Skonto FC was a Latvian football club, active from 1991 until 2016. The club played at the Skonto Stadium in Riga. Skonto won the Virsliga in the first 14 seasons of the league's resumption (15 in total), and often provided the core of the Lat ...

Latvia Latvia ( or ; lv, Latvija ; ltg, Latveja; liv, Leţmō), officially the Republic of Latvia ( lv, Latvijas Republika, links=no, ltg, Latvejas Republika, links=no, liv, Leţmō Vabāmō, links=no), is a country in the Baltic region of ...

. On 19 September 2015 he started at left back in the 2015 League of Ireland Cup Final against

Galway United Galway United Football Club (Irish language, Irish: ''Cumann Peile Ghaillimh Aontaithe'') is an List of association football clubs in the Republic of Ireland, Irish association football club based in Galway. They play in the League of Ireland Fi ...

and won his first winners medal at senior level, as the Saints won on penalties after a 0–0 draw. At the club's end of season awards he was voted as Young Player of the Year by the St Pat's supporters following a brilliant debut season. Desmond's second season at Pat's proved to be a more difficult one for him, as he lost his place in the centre of defence following some errors resulting in goals for the opposition. Midway through the season, he was deployed by

Liam Buckley Liam Buckley (born 14 April 1960), is an Irish former professional footballer. He made two appearances for the Republic of Ireland national football team. He was most recently the manager of League of Ireland Premier Division club Sligo Rover ...

as a defensive midfielder following poor performances by various regular choice midfielders and Desmond impressed supporters in games this role including a 4–1 win over

Limerick Limerick ( ; ga, Luimneach ) is a western city in Ireland situated within County Limerick. It is in the province of Munster and is located in the Mid-West which comprises part of the Southern Region. With a population of 94,192 at the 2016 ...

in the 2016 League Cup Final to help the Saints retain the trophy. The 2017 season saw Pat's involved in a relegation battle, with the team bottom of the table and struggling mid-season. Having played many games as a holding midfielder in the first half of the season, Desmond was returned to centre back and formed an excellent defensive partnership with mid-season signing

Jordi Balk Jordi Balk (born 26 April 1994) is a retired Dutch professional association football, footballer who played as a Defender (association football)#Centre-back, centre back during his career, for Ross County F.C., Ross County, FC Oss, St Patrick's ...

. The team's form also picked up in the second half of the season as they managed to finish in 8th position with Desmond contributing heavily, playing in all but one of the club's 33 league games. The 2018 season saw Desmond voted Player of the Year by the club's supporters. Desmond made his 200th appearance for the club on 23 April 2021 in a 2–0 win over

Finn Park Finn Park ( ga, Páirc na Finne) is a football stadium in Ballybofey, Ireland. The home ground of League of Ireland team Finn Harps, it has a 'safe capacity' of 4,200 with 351 seats. Facilities The ground is in a relatively dilapidated conditi ...

. On 28 November 2021 Desmond played the full 120 minutes of the

2021 FAI Cup Final The 2021 FAI Cup Final, known as the 2021 Extra.ie FAI Cup Final for sponsorship reasons, was the final match of the 2021 FAI Cup, the national association football cup of the Republic of Ireland. The match took place on Sunday 28 November at th ...

, beating rivals

Bohemians Bohemian or Bohemians may refer to: *Anything of or relating to Bohemia Beer * National Bohemian, a brand brewed by Pabst * Bohemian, a brand of beer brewed by Molson Coors Culture and arts * Bohemianism, an unconventional lifestyle, origin ...

4–3 on penalties following a 1–1 draw after extra time in front of a record

Final crowd of 37,126 at the

Aviva Stadium Aviva Stadium (also known as Lansdowne Road) is a sports stadium located in Dublin, Ireland, with a capacity for 51,700 spectators (all seated). It is built on the site of the former Lansdowne Road Stadium, which was demolished in 2007, and r ...

. This would prove to be his last game for the club as he departed at the end of the season.

Sacramento Republic

On 23 December 2021, Desmond signed for

club

on a two-year deal. Desmond made his debut for the club on 13 March 2022 in a 3–1 win over

El Paso Locomotive El Paso Locomotive FC is an American professional soccer team based in El Paso, Texas. Founded in 2018, the team made its debut in the USL Championship in 2019. Club crest and colors The Locomotive brand was unveiled on October 4, 2018, beating ...

Heart Health Park Heart Health Park is a sports venue located on the grounds of Cal Expo in Sacramento, California. The soccer-specific stadium has a capacity of 11,569 and includes a full-sized (120 x 80 yard) soccer field. Heart Health Park is the current hom ...

. Desmond featured in every round of the club's run to the final of the

U.S. Open Cup The Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, commonly known as the U.S. Open Cup (USOC), is a Single-elimination tournament, knockout cup competition in men's Soccer in the United States, soccer in the United States of America. It is the oldest ongoing nati ...

, including wins over

Major League Soccer Major League Soccer (MLS) is a men's professional soccer league sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation, which represents the sport's highest level in the United States. The league comprises 29 teams—26 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada ...

sides

San Jose Earthquakes The San Jose Earthquakes are an American professional soccer team based in San Jose, California. The Earthquakes compete as a member club of the Western Conference of Major League Soccer (MLS). Originally as the San Jose Clash, the franchise ...

Sporting Kansas City Sporting Kansas City, often shortened to Sporting KC, is an American men's professional Association football, soccer club based in the Kansas City metropolitan area. The administrative offices are located in Downtown Kansas City, Missouri, and t ...

and

LA Galaxy LA Galaxy, also known as the Los Angeles Galaxy, are an American professional soccer club based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Galaxy competes in Major League Soccer (MLS), as a member of the Western Conference. The club began pl ...

. On 7 September 2022, Desmond played in the 2022 U.S. Open Cup Final as his side were defeated 3–0 by Orlando City in front of a sold out crowd of over 25,000 at the

Exploria Stadium Exploria Stadium is a soccer-specific stadium in downtown Orlando, Florida. The stadium is located along West Church Street in the Parramore neighborhood west of Downtown Orlando. It is the home of Orlando City SC, which entered Major Leagu ...

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

. In September 2022, Desmond successfully underwent a procedure on his right leg to address lingering retrocalcaneal bursitis and

achilles tendinitis Achilles tendinitis, also known as achilles tendinopathy, occurs when the Achilles tendon, found at the back of the ankle, becomes sore. Achilles tendinopathy is accompanied by alterations in the tendon's structure and mechanical properties. The ...

, with the procedure ruling him out for the remainder of the season.

International career

Desmond was called up to the

Republic of Ireland under-21s The Republic of Ireland national under-21 football team, is the national under-21 football team of the Republic of Ireland and is controlled by the Football Association of Ireland. The team played its first match in 1978 and has competed in the U ...

shortly after he signed for

alongside fellow centre back

Sean Hoare Sean Matthew Hoare (1963 – c. 17 July 2011) was a British entertainment journalist. He contributed to articles on show business, from actors to reality television stars. He played a central role in contributing to exposing the News Internati ...

. Desmond, along with fellow

teammates Conor Kearns and Shane Griffin, was called up to train with the

Republic of Ireland Ireland ( ga, Éire ), also known as the Republic of Ireland (), is a country in north-western Europe consisting of 26 of the 32 counties of the island of Ireland. The capital and largest city is Dublin, on the eastern side of the island. A ...

senior squad on 31 August 2020, in what was new manager Stephen Kenny's first training session with the squad.

Career statistics

Honours

St Patrick's Athletic *

(1):

2021 File:2021 collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: the James Webb Space Telescope was launched in 2021; Protesters in Yangon, Myanmar following the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état, coup d'état; A civil demonstration against the October–November 2021 ...

League of Ireland Cup The League of Ireland Cup ( ga, Corn Sraithe na hÉireann), also referred to in Ireland as the 'League Cup', is an annual knockout competition in men's football in the Republic of Ireland. It is contested by League of Ireland clubs and invited c ...

(2):

2015 File:2015 Events Collage new.png, From top left, clockwise: Civil service in remembrance of November 2015 Paris attacks; Germanwings Flight 9525 was purposely crashed into the French Alps; the rubble of residences in Kathmandu following the Apri ...

2016 File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses during the 2016 Nagorno-Karabakh ...

Individual *

Player of the Year:

2018 File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the United ...

Young Player of the Year:

* Shelbourne Players' Player of the Year: 2014

References

External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Desmond, Lee 1995 births Living people People from Donaghmede Association footballers from Dublin (city) Republic of Ireland men's association footballers Republic of Ireland men's under-21 international footballers Newcastle United F.C. players Shelbourne F.C. players St Patrick's Athletic F.C. players League of Ireland players Men's association football defenders Republic of Ireland men's youth international footballers Cherry Orchard F.C. players Crumlin United F.C. players Malahide United F.C. players Republic of Ireland expatriate men's association footballers Irish expatriate sportspeople in England Sacramento Republic FC players Expatriate men's footballers in England Expatriate men's soccer players in the United States Irish expatriate sportspeople in the United States