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Lee Richard McEvilly (born 15 April 1982) aka 'The Sheriff' is a retired
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 played as a striker. Although born in England, he won one cap for the Northern Ireland national team in 2002 and also played for Northern Ireland at under-21 and under-23 levels. McEvilly had a
journeyman A journeyman, journeywoman, or journeyperson is a worker, skilled in a given building trade or craft, who has successfully completed an official apprenticeship qualification. Journeymen are considered competent and authorized to work in that fie ...
career, starting with
non-League Non-League football describes football leagues played outside the top leagues of a country. Usually, it describes leagues which are not fully professional. The term is primarily used for football in England, where it is specifically used to d ...
side
Burscough Burscough () is a town and civil parish in West Lancashire in the ceremonial county of Lancashire, England. It is located to the north of Ormskirk and northwest of Skelmersdale. The parish also includes the hamlet of Tarlscough and the Martin M ...
, rising through their youth ranks to the senior side, where he made 49 league appearances, scoring 28 goals. In December 2001, Third Division club
Rochdale Rochdale ( ) is a large town in Greater Manchester, England, at the foothills of the South Pennines in the dale on the River Roch, northwest of Oldham and northeast of Manchester. It is the administrative centre of the Metropolitan Borough ...
signed him for £20,000. From 2004 to 2009 he had spells in the
Conference National The National League, known as the Vanarama National League for sponsorship reasons, is the highest level of the National League System and fifth-highest of the overall English football league system. It is the highest league that is semi-profes ...
and
League Two The English Football League Two (often referred to as League Two for short or Sky Bet League Two for sponsorship purposes, and known as the Football League Two from 2004 until 2016) is the third and lowest division of the English Football Lea ...
with
Accrington Stanley Accrington Stanley Football Club is a professional association football club based in Accrington, Lancashire, England. The club competes in League One, the third tier of the English football league system. They have spent their complete history ...
,
Cambridge United Cambridge United Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Cambridge, England. They compete in EFL League one , the 3rd tier of the English football league system. The club is based at the Abbey Stadium on Ne ...
and
Wrexham Wrexham ( ; cy, Wrecsam; ) is a city and the administrative centre of Wrexham County Borough in Wales. It is located between the Welsh mountains and the lower Dee Valley, near the border with Cheshire in England. Historically in the count ...
. McEvilly subsequently struggled with injuries, and in the second half of his career he had brief spells at numerous
non-league Non-League football describes football leagues played outside the top leagues of a country. Usually, it describes leagues which are not fully professional. The term is primarily used for football in England, where it is specifically used to d ...
clubs in England and Wales, as well as a brief period at
League of Ireland The League of Ireland ( ga, Sraith na hÉireann), together with the Football Association of Ireland, is one of the two main governing bodies responsible for organising association football in the Republic of Ireland. The term was originally us ...
side
Sligo Rovers Sligo Rovers Football Club ( ga, Cumann Peile Ruagairí Shligigh) is an Irish professional football club playing in the Premier Division of the League of Ireland. The club is based in Sligo in the west of Ireland. The club was founded in 1928 ...
in 2010.


Club career


Early career

McEvilly started his career at
Burscough Burscough () is a town and civil parish in West Lancashire in the ceremonial county of Lancashire, England. It is located to the north of Ormskirk and northwest of Skelmersdale. The parish also includes the hamlet of Tarlscough and the Martin M ...
rising through the youth ranks, making his senior debut against
Southport Southport is a seaside town in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton in Merseyside, England. At the 2001 census, it had a population of 90,336, making it the eleventh most populous settlement in North West England. Southport lies on the Irish ...
in the
Liverpool Senior Cup The Liverpool County Football Association Senior Cup, commonly known as the Liverpool Senior Cup, is a Football (soccer), football knockout tournament involving teams from the city of Liverpool, England and surrounding areas. It is the County ...
final in August 1999. He went on to play 49
Northern Premier League The Northern Premier League is an English football league that was founded in 1968. It has four divisions: the Premier Division (which stands at level 7 of the English football league system), Division One East, Division One West and Divisio ...
games for Burscough, scoring 28 goals over two seasons.
Rochdale Rochdale ( ) is a large town in Greater Manchester, England, at the foothills of the South Pennines in the dale on the River Roch, northwest of Oldham and northeast of Manchester. It is the administrative centre of the Metropolitan Borough ...
manager
John Hollins John William Hollins (born 16 July 1946) is an English retired footballer and manager. He was initially a midfielder who, later in his career, became an effective full-back. Hollins, throughout his footballing career, featured for clubs such a ...
signed McEvilly in December 2001, for the Third Division club for a fee believed to be around £15,000 plus a sell-on clause. He made his debut for Rochdale in the Third Division against
Kidderminster Harriers Kidderminster Harriers Football Club is a professional association football club based in Kidderminster, Worcestershire, England. The team compete in the National League North, at the sixth tier of the English football league system. Formed in ...
on 26 December in the 4–1 away defeat, replacing
Clive Platt Clive Linton Platt (born 27 October 1977) is an English former professional footballer. A forward, he has made 618 appearances in the Football League, including 164 for Rochdale. In his 19-year-long playing career, Platt had played for Walsal ...
as a substitute in the 69th minute. McEvilly scored his first
Football League The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888 as the Football League, the league is the oldest such competition in the world. It was the top-level football league in Engla ...
goal, and his first for Rochdale against
York City York City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of York, North Yorkshire, England. As of the 2022–23 season, the team compete in the National League, at the fifth tier of the English football league sys ...
in their 5–4 home win on 5 February 2002. During McEvilly's first season with Rochdale, 2001–02, they reached the playoffs finishing fifth place. Rochdale were defeated by
Rushden & Diamonds Rushden & Diamonds Football Club was an association football club based in Irthlingborough, Northamptonshire, England. Nicknamed "The Diamonds", the club played at Nene Park. The club's main rivals were county neighbours Kettering Town F.C., Ke ...
in the playoff semi-finals 4–3 on aggregate over two legs. During the first leg away at
Nene Park Nene Park was a sports stadium situated at Irthlingborough, Northamptonshire, England, along the bank of the River Nene, which could accommodate 6,441 spectators, with 4,641 seated and 1,800 standing. It formerly hosted football matches but at ...
, McEvilly scored in the 2–2 draw. He made a total of 18 appearances in the Third Division, scoring four goals. The following season, 2002–03, McEvilly played 37 games in the Third Division scoring 15 goals. He started the 2003–04 season at Rochdale, making 16 appearances and scoring five goals in League Two. Rochdale's new manager Steve Parkin criticised McEvilly's fitness level to play and had described him as "too heavy", and that he needed "to get his physique down to an acceptable weight where he can get around the pitch".
Conference National The National League, known as the Vanarama National League for sponsorship reasons, is the highest level of the National League System and fifth-highest of the overall English football league system. It is the highest league that is semi-profes ...
club
Accrington Stanley Accrington Stanley Football Club is a professional association football club based in Accrington, Lancashire, England. The club competes in League One, the third tier of the English football league system. They have spent their complete history ...
signed McEvilly on a one-month
loan In finance, a loan is the lending of money by one or more individuals, organizations, or other entities to other individuals, organizations, etc. The recipient (i.e., the borrower) incurs a debt and is usually liable to pay interest on that d ...
in January 2004, making his debut in their 3–0 home win against Tamworth on 20 January. Despite playing out of position in wide right, McEvilly commented; "I was playing out of position but it was okay". He went on to describe the drop in level he said; "I have never played in the Conference but, from what I have seen, it is no different to Division Three." After a month at Accrington and making three appearances scoring one goal, his loan was extended in February for a further month, with manager John Coleman praising him as "a great acquisition to the squad". McEvilly went on to make a further three appearances, scoring once more before returning to Rochdale. On his return to Rochdale, he scored a further one goal in 14 appearances. At the end of the season, McEvilly was released by Rochdale on 10 May, signing a dater for Accrington Stanley on a permanent basis after a previous loan spell. On 13 November 2004, McEvilly scored a
hat-trick A hat-trick or hat trick is the achievement of a generally positive feat three times in a match, or another achievement based on the number three. Origin The term first appeared in 1858 in cricket, to describe H. H. Stephenson taking three wic ...
in Accrington's 5–0 home victory over
Northwich Victoria {{Infobox UK place , static_image_name = Northwich - Town Bridge.jpg , static_image_caption = Town Bridge, the River Weaver and the spire of Holy Trinity Church , official_name = Northwich , country ...
. During the 2004–05 season he made 39 appearances in the Conference National, scoring 15 goals.


Wrexham

Accrington Stanley accepted an undisclosed bid from
Wrexham Wrexham ( ; cy, Wrecsam; ) is a city and the administrative centre of Wrexham County Borough in Wales. It is located between the Welsh mountains and the lower Dee Valley, near the border with Cheshire in England. Historically in the count ...
in July 2005, which included a sell-on clause and a bonus if he returned to play international football. He scored on his debut in a friendly against
UEFA Champions League The UEFA Champions League (abbreviated as UCL, or sometimes, UEFA CL) is an annual club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and contested by top-division European clubs, deciding the competit ...
winners
Liverpool Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...
in the 4–3 defeat after he came on as a substitute. McEvilly suffered a
stress fracture A stress fracture is a fatigue-induced bone fracture caused by repeated stress over time. Instead of resulting from a single severe impact, stress fractures are the result of accumulated injury from repeated submaximal loading, such as running or ...
in a
metatarsus The metatarsal bones, or metatarsus, are a group of five long bones in the foot, located between the tarsal bones of the hind- and mid-foot and the phalanges of the toes. Lacking individual names, the metatarsal bones are numbered from the med ...
bone on his right foot in the 1–1 home draw with
Notts County Notts County Football Club is a professional association football club based in Nottingham, England. The team participate in the National League (division), National League, the fifth tier of the English football league system. Founded on the 2 ...
on 11 December, although he declared himself fit to play their following game against
Carlisle United Carlisle United Football Club ( , ) is a professional association football club based in Carlisle, Cumbria, England. The team compete in , the fourth tier of the English football league system. They have played their home games at Brunton Par ...
, he was substituted after 45 minutes after receiving a mouth injury which had required temporary
dental surgery Dental surgery is any of a number of medical procedures that involve artificially modifying dentition; in other words, surgery of the teeth, gums and jaw bones. Types Some of the more common are: * Endodontic (surgery involving the pulp or root ...
the same evening. His foot injury was later operated on and he received further dental treatment. His return to the Wrexham team following his injury was on 9 April 2006, in their 2–1 home defeat to
Shrewsbury Town Shrewsbury Town Football Club is a professional association football club based in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England. The team competes in League One, the third tier of English football. The club plays its home games at the New Meadow, having mo ...
when he came on as a substitute replacing Matt Crowell in the 45th minute. He made a further three appearances scoring one goal, before breaking the same bone again in mid-April sidelining him until the end of the season. During the 2005–06 season, McEvilly made a total of 23 appearances for Wrexham, scoring seven goals in League Two. In June 2006, McEvilly was set to join for
Bradford City Bradford City Association Football Club is an English professional football club in Bradford, West Yorkshire. The team competes in League Two, the fourth tier of the English football league system and are currently managed by Mark Hughes. Th ...
on a free transfer after agreeing a contract with the club. Despite McEvilly passing a medical, the move fell through as he was unwilling to train with Bradford during their
pre-season In an organized sports league, a typical season is the portion of one year in which regulated games of the sport are in session: for example, in Major League Baseball the season lasts approximately from the last week of March to the last week of Se ...
without guarantee of a contract. Bradford City manager
Colin Todd Colin Todd (born 12 December 1948) is an English football manager and former player. He was most recently the manager of Esbjerg fB. As a player, he made more than 600 appearances in the Football League, playing for Sunderland, Derby County, ...
explained; "We were concerned about an old injury to his foot which has resulted in it being pinned and we are not prepared to take a risk with him". McEvilly opted to sign a new two-year contract with Wrexham. During pre-season with Wrexham, McEvilly broke his other foot, having previously broke the same bone twice in four-months during the previous season. His first appearance of the 2006–07 season, was on 25 November at home against Lincoln City in the 2–1 win in League Two, when he came on as a substitute for
Kevin Smith Kevin Patrick Smith (born August 2, 1970) is an American filmmaker, actor, comedian, comic book writer, author, YouTuber, and podcaster. He came to prominence with the low-budget comedy buddy film ''Clerks'' (1994), which he wrote, directed, co ...
in the 80th minute. McEvilly went on to make 28 appearances in League Two, scoring eight goals and a further two appearances in the
FA Cup The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic English football. First played during the 1871–72 season, it is the oldest national football competi ...
, scoring once against
Championship In sport, a championship is a competition in which the aim is to decide which individual or team is the champion. Championship systems Various forms of competition can be referred to by the term championship. Title match system In this system ...
side
Derby County Derby County Football Club () is a professional association football club based in Derby, Derbyshire, England. In 2022, it was announced that DCFC was acquired by Clowes Developments (UK) Ltd, a Derbyshire-based property group. Founded in 1884 ...
in their 3–1 defeat at
Pride Park Pride Park is a business park on the outskirts of the city centre of Derby, England. Developed in the 1990s, It covers 80 hectares of former industrial land between the River Derwent and railway lines. Pride Park Stadium and Derby Arena are both ...
on 6 January. His contract was cancelled by mutual consent at the end of the season. Wrexham manager
Brian Carey Brian Patrick Carey (born 31 May 1968) is a former Irish international footballer who played in the Football League for Leicester City as well as Wrexham, whom he also served as manager. Since his playing retirement he has worked as the Assist ...
said that they are "well covered in terms of strikers" and "he is some way down the pecking order".


Return to Stanley

Accrington Stanley re-signed McEvilly on a one-year contract following his departure from Wrexham. On his return to Accrington he commented; "I am back here because I feel I have unfinished business. I played well for a year here and I want to do the same again". He had played 10 games in League Two and one game in the
League Cup In several sports, most prominently association football, a league cup or secondary cup generally signifies a cup competition for which entry is restricted only to teams in a particular league. The first national association football tournament t ...
failing to score, and picking up a
red card A red card is a type of penalty card that is shown in many sports after a rules infraction. Red card may also refer to: Art, entertainment, and media * ''Red Card'' (album), 1976 release by Streetwalkers * Red card, suit (cards) of hearts or d ...
for violent conduct after a stamp on
Peterborough United Peterborough United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, England. The team compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league system. Peterborough have a long-standing ...
winger Jamie Day in their 2–0 home loss on 1 September. However, McEvilly struggled to hold down a regular place in the Accrington side and was loaned out to former club, Rochdale in November 2007. On his return to
Spotland Stadium Spotland Stadium, known as the Crown Oil Arena for sponsorship reasons, in the Spotland area of Rochdale, Greater Manchester, is home to Rochdale A.F.C. and Rochdale Hornets R.F.L.C. and has a capacity of 10,249. History Spotland was origina ...
, he scored the only goal of Rochdale's 1–0 win over
Mansfield Town Mansfield Town Football Club is a professional football club based in the town of Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, England. The team competes in , the fourth tier of the English football league system. Nicknamed 'The Stags', they play in a blue and ...
on 24 November, with a shot from the edge of the
penalty area The penalty area or 18-yard box (also known less formally as the penalty box or simply box) is an area of an association football pitch. It is rectangular and extends 16.5m (18 yd) to each side of the goal and 16.5m (18 yd) in front of it. Wit ...
. McEvilly made a total of seven appearances for Rochdale scoring three goals, before returning in January 2008. He made one more appearance for Accrington, coming on as a substitute in the 73rd minute for Paul Mullin in the 2–0 defeat to
Stockport County Stockport County Football Club are a professional football club in Stockport, England, who compete in EFL League Two, the fourth tier of the English football league system. Formed in 1883 as Heaton Norris Rovers, they were renamed Stockport Co ...
on 12 January, before joining
Cambridge United Cambridge United Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Cambridge, England. They compete in EFL League one , the 3rd tier of the English football league system. The club is based at the Abbey Stadium on Ne ...
on loan on 18 January. McEvilly made 14 appearances and scored three goals for Cambridge, helping them finish second place in the 2007–08 Conference National, securing a place in the
playoffs The playoffs, play-offs, postseason or finals of a sports league are a competition played after the regular season by the top competitors to determine the league champion or a similar accolade. Depending on the league, the playoffs may be eithe ...
. In Cambridge's playoff semi-final first leg, they drew 2–2 with
Burton Albion Burton Albion Football Club is a professional association football club in the town of Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire, England. The team compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league system. The club moved its home groun ...
away at the
Pirelli Stadium Pirelli Stadium is an association football stadium on Princess Way in Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire, England. It was built in 2005 and is the current home of Burton Albion FC Burton Albion Football Club is a professional association foo ...
with McEvilly scoring both Cambridge's goals. Cambridge were 2–0 down and McEvilly came on as a substitute for
Mark Beesley Mark Anthony Beesley (born 5 December 1980) is an English former footballer who played as a striker. He is currently manager at Warrington Town having previously been assistant manager. Career Born in Burscough, Lancashire, Beesley began his ...
in the 74th minute.
Paul Hurst Paul Michael Hurst (born 25 September 1974) is an English football manager and former player who is the manager of club Grimsby Town. As a player, he was a defender from 1993 to 2008, notably playing his entire career at Rotherham United, b ...
was deemed to have handled in the penalty area, and four minutes later McEvilly converted the
penalty Penalty or The Penalty may refer to: Sports * Penalty (golf) * Penalty (gridiron football) * Penalty (ice hockey) * Penalty (rugby) * Penalty (rugby union) * Penalty kick (association football) * Penalty shoot-out (association football) A p ...
four minutes after coming off the bench. He scored his second goal from a
direct free kick A free kick is a method of restarting play in association football. It is awarded after an infringement of the laws by the opposing team. Direct and indirect free kicks Free kicks may be either direct or indirect, distinguished as follows: ...
. In the following leg, McEvilly started the game and had a shot within the opening 30 seconds which Rob Wolleaston managed to score from the rebound, before being replaced by
Leo Fortune-West Leopold Paul Osborne Fortune-West (born Leopold Paul Osborne West, 9 April 1971) is an English former professional footballer who played as a striker. He played in the Football League for Gillingham, Leyton Orient, Lincoln City, Rotherham Un ...
in the 77th minute. McEvilly played in the final, in which
Exeter City Exeter City Football Club is a professional association football club based in Exeter, Devon, England. The team play in , the third tier of the English football league system. Known as "the Grecians", the origin of their nickname is subject to ...
defeated Cambridge 1–0 at
Wembley Stadium Wembley Stadium (branded as Wembley Stadium connected by EE for sponsorship reasons) is a football stadium in Wembley, London. It opened in 2007 on the site of the Wembley Stadium (1923), original Wembley Stadium, which was demolished from 200 ...
.


Cambridge United

McEvilly signed a permanent two-year deal with Cambridge the following 2008–09 season, after being released on a free transfer from Accrington Stanley. On 10 October, he was sent off in the 87th minute of Cambridge's 1–0 win over Weymouth, for violent conduct after the referee deemed a tackle to be dangerous. He went on to make 18 appearances for Cambridge scoring eight goals in the Conference National, before returning to the Football League to rejoin Rochdale, initially on loan in November, with the possibility of a permanent transfer in January. McEvilly stated he was glad to be back "home" at Rochdale.


Return to Rochdale

He made five appearances, scoring twice on loan at Rochdale before signing permanently on an 18-month contract on 1 January 2009. McEvilly made 10 more appearances, starting just once and scoring three goals, before joining Barrow on loan in March, citing his friendship with joint-manager
David Bayliss David Anthony Bayliss (born 8 June 1976) is an English football scout. He previously played in defence, and was manager at Barrow. Career Born in Liverpool, Merseyside, Bayliss joined Rochdale and progressed through the ranks, making his Footba ...
as a key reason for his move. He scored seven his debut on 21 March at home against
Lewes Lewes () is the county town of East Sussex, England. It is the police and judicial centre for all of Sussex and is home to Sussex Police, East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service, Lewes Crown Court and HMP Lewes. The civil parish is the centre of ...
, which finished as a 2–0 victory. In Barrow's next match on 29 March, he was sent off against Weymouth for the second time that season after he received two
yellow cards Yellow card may refer to: * Yellow card (sport), shown in many sports after a rules infraction or, by analogy, a serious warning in other areas * Yellowcard, an American alternative rock band * Yellow Card Scheme, a United Kingdom initiative conce ...
in the 3–0 away win, picking up the first for kicking the ball away in the first half and then a second in the 69th minute for a foul on Gavin Hoyte, resulting his dismissal. He made six appearances in the Conference National for Barrow, scoring once. On 2 May, McEvilly made one last appearance for Rochdale in their 1–0 home defeat to Gillingham, replacing
Adam Rundle Adam Rundle (born 8 July 1984) is an English footballer who made nearly 300 appearances in the Football League. Career Darlington A left-sided midfielder who began his career in Newcastle United's youth team, Rundle was released by the club in ...
as a substitute in the 75th minute. Rochdale terminated his contract by mutual consent at the end of the season.


Non-league career

At the start of the 2009–10 season, McEvilly signed for
Grays Athletic Grays Athletic Football Club is a football club based in Grays, Essex, England. They are currently members of the and play at Parkside in nearby Aveley. History The club was established as Grays Juniors in 1890, before merging with former S ...
along with eight other players, turning down offers from
Northern Premier League Premier Division The Northern Premier League is an English football league that was founded in 1968. It has four divisions: the Premier Division (which stands at level 7 of the English football league system), Division One East, Division One West and Division ...
club
Marine Marine is an adjective meaning of or pertaining to the sea or ocean. Marine or marines may refer to: Ocean * Maritime (disambiguation) * Marine art * Marine biology * Marine debris * Marine habitats * Marine life * Marine pollution Military * ...
and
Maltese Premier League The Maltese Premier League, known as BOV Premier League for sponsorship reasons with Bank of Valletta (colloquially known as ''Il-Kampjonat Premjer''), is the highest level of professional football in Malta. Managed by the Malta Football Associa ...
club Hibernians. McEvilly picked up a long-term
shin Shin may refer to: Biology * The front part of the human leg below the knee * Shinbone, the tibia, the larger of the two bones in the leg below the knee in vertebrates Names * Shin (given name) (Katakana: シン, Hiragana: しん), a Japanese ...
injury delaying his debut for Grays, and he was eventually released by the club in November without making a single appearance. In January 2010, Marine announced that McEvilly had signed for the club. Marine chairman Paul Leary described McEvilly as a "massive signing" for the club. He played six matches during his spell in Crosby, scoring twice, before leaving to rejoin Barrow on a short-term contract until the end of the 2009–10 campaign. In the 2010 FA Trophy Final against
Stevenage Borough Stevenage Football Club (known as Stevenage Borough Football Club until 2010) is a professional association football club based in the town of Stevenage, Hertfordshire, England. The team competes in EFL League Two, League Two, the fourth tier o ...
, he replaced Gregg Blundell in the 72nd minute before scoring with his first touch to level the match at 1–1. Barrow went on to win the game 2–1 after extra time, but it proved to be the end of McEvilly's spell at
Holker Street Holker Street ( known as the SO Legal Stadium for sponsorship purposes), is a sports stadium in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, England. As well as being a football ground, it has also been used for motorcycle speedway. After leaving Barrow, McEvilly began training with
Sligo Rovers Sligo Rovers Football Club ( ga, Cumann Peile Ruagairí Shligigh) is an Irish professional football club playing in the Premier Division of the League of Ireland. The club is based in Sligo in the west of Ireland. The club was founded in 1928 ...
of 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 ...
in June 2010. He made only one league appearance for the side, coming on as a substitute in the 2–1 defeat to
Shamrock Rovers Shamrock Rovers Football Club ( ga, Cumann Peile Ruagairí na Seamróige) is an Irish association football club based in Tallaght, South Dublin. The club's senior team competes in the League of Ireland Premier Division and it is the most su ...
on 2 July 2010. In November 2010, he returned to his first senior club Burscough, signing a permanent contract with the
Northern Premier League The Northern Premier League is an English football league that was founded in 1968. It has four divisions: the Premier Division (which stands at level 7 of the English football league system), Division One East, Division One West and Divisio ...
outfit. He made his debut on 11 December 2010 as a second-half substitute in the 3–2 loss against Bradford Park Avenue. Three weeks later, he got on the scoresheet for the first time during his second spell at the club, scoring both Burscough goals in the 4–2 defeat to Kendal Town. McEvilly went on to stay at Victoria Park for three months before transferring to
Conference North The National League North, formerly Conference North, is a division of the National League in England, immediately below the National League division. Along with the National League South, it is at the second level of the National League Sy ...
side
Droylsden Droylsden is a town in Tameside, Greater Manchester, England, east of Manchester city centre and west of Ashton-under-Lyne, with a population at the 2011 Census of 22,689. Within the boundaries of the historic county of Lancashire, in the ...
along with goalkeeper Sean Lake in March 2011. McEvilly signed for Garry Flitcroft's
Chorley Chorley is a town and the administrative centre of the wider Borough of Chorley in Lancashire, England, north of Wigan, south west of Blackburn, north west of Bolton, south of Preston and north west of Manchester. The town's wealth came pr ...
at the start of the 2011–12 season. He scored his first goal in a 6–0 home victory over
Frickley Athletic Frickley Athletic Football Club is a football club based in South Elmsall, West Yorkshire, England. They are currently members of the and play at Westfield Lane. History Although the club itself claims it was formed in 1910, the team was activ ...
and went on to play 12 league games for the club, scoring four times. However, on 13 October, McEvilly was released after failing to hold down a first team spot. He subsequently joined
Colwyn Bay Colwyn Bay ( cy, Bae Colwyn) is a town, community and seaside resort in Conwy County Borough on the north coast of Wales overlooking the Irish Sea. It lies within the historic county of Denbighshire. Eight neighbouring communities are incorpo ...
on 27 October 2011. He signed for
AFC Fylde AFC Fylde is a professional football club based in Wesham in the Borough of Fylde, Lancashire, England. They are currently members of the and play at Mill Farm. Originally known as Kirkham & Wesham following a merger of Kirkham Town and Wesh ...
in February 2012 to work with
Dave Challinor David Paul Challinor (born 2 October 1975) is an English professional football manager and former player who played as a centre-back in the Football League for Tranmere Rovers, Stockport County and Bury. He is the manager of club Stockport C ...
again, but was released at the end of the campaign. In August 2012, McEvilly signed for Warrington Town, the fourteenth different club of his career. After being released by Warrington in December 2012 he spent time training with Barrow and officially joined the club on non-contract terms on 31 January 2013—the start of his third spell with the Cumbrian outfit. After 6 matches he dropped down a division, signing for Droylsden, leaving after the club was relegated from the
Northern Premier League Premier Division The Northern Premier League is an English football league that was founded in 1968. It has four divisions: the Premier Division (which stands at level 7 of the English football league system), Division One East, Division One West and Division ...
at the end of the 2012–13 season. After leaving Droylsden, McEvilly's career is not documented, but he is presumed to have continued playing in amateur football. In July 2018, he signed as a player-coach for Litherland REMYCA in the
North West Counties Football League Premier Division The North West Counties Football League is a association football, football league in the North West England, North West of England. Since 2019–20, the league has covered the Isle of Man, Cheshire, Greater Manchester, Lancashire, Merseyside, C ...
. The manager who had hired him, James Olsen, left Litherland in December 2018, and it is unknown how much longer McEvilly stayed at the club.


International career

Sammy McIlroy Samuel Baxter McIlroy (born 2 August 1954) is a Northern Irish retired footballer who played for Manchester United, Stoke City, Manchester City, Örgryte (Sweden), Bury, VfB Mödling (Austria), Preston North End and the Northern Ireland natio ...
called McEvilly up to the
Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...
squad to face
Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...
in an international friendly on 17 April 2002 at
Windsor Park Windsor Park is a football stadium in Belfast, Northern Ireland. It is the home ground of Linfield F.C. who own the land the stadium is built on, while the Irish Football Association own and operate the stadium and pay Linfield an annual rent ...
,
Belfast Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdo ...
. He earned his first
cap A cap is a flat headgear, usually with a visor. Caps have crowns that fit very close to the head. They made their first appearance as early as 3200 BC. Caps typically have a visor, or no brim at all. They are popular in casual and informal se ...
, replacing
Warren Feeney Warren James Feeney (born 17 January 1981) is a football manager and former Northern Ireland international footballer, who is currently manager of Welling United. In making his debut for the Northern Ireland national team, he became the third ...
as a substitute in the 63rd minute in the 5–0 defeat to Spain. He went on to play for Northern Ireland under-21, gaining nine caps scoring three goals between September 2002 and October 2003. On 27 April 2004, McEvilly played for Northern Ireland under-23 team in the 0–0 home draw against
Serbia & Montenegro Serbia and Montenegro ( sr, Cрбија и Црна Гора, translit=Srbija i Crna Gora) was a country in Southeast Europe located in the Balkans that existed from 1992 to 2006, following the breakup of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yu ...
. McEvilly was called up to the Northern Ireland national squad again in May 2006, to face
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
but he failed to make an appearance.


Playing style

Rochdale Rochdale ( ) is a large town in Greater Manchester, England, at the foothills of the South Pennines in the dale on the River Roch, northwest of Oldham and northeast of Manchester. It is the administrative centre of the Metropolitan Borough ...
assistant manager David Hamilton described McEvilly saying; "He's strong, powerful, can shoot with both feet and can score goals. He has good all-round ability and is tremendously tenacious". His aggressive and robust playing style earned him the nickname "Evil".


Personal life

Prior to playing professional
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
for
Rochdale Rochdale ( ) is a large town in Greater Manchester, England, at the foothills of the South Pennines in the dale on the River Roch, northwest of Oldham and northeast of Manchester. It is the administrative centre of the Metropolitan Borough ...
, McEvilly worked at
McDonald's McDonald's Corporation is an American Multinational corporation, multinational fast food chain store, chain, founded in 1940 as a restaurant operated by Richard and Maurice McDonald, in San Bernardino, California, United States. They rechri ...
fast food restaurant. He was born in
Liverpool Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...
, Merseyside, and is an Everton supporter.


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:McEvilly, Lee 1982 births Living people Footballers from Liverpool British people of Irish descent English men's footballers Men's association footballers from Northern Ireland Northern Ireland men's international footballers Men's association football forwards Burscough F.C. players Rochdale A.F.C. players Accrington Stanley F.C. players Wrexham A.F.C. players Cambridge United F.C. players Barrow A.F.C. players Grays Athletic F.C. players Marine A.F.C. players Sligo Rovers F.C. players Droylsden F.C. players Chorley F.C. players Colwyn Bay F.C. players AFC Fylde players Warrington Town F.C. players English Football League players National League (English football) players League of Ireland players