Lee Cattermole is a professional football player who was born on March 21, 1988 in Stockton-on-Tees, which is a market town in North East England. He is the cousin of English musician, Paul Cattermole who was previously a member of the pop group S Club 7. Lee Cattermole completed his primary education at Hartburn Primary and went on to pursue higher education at the Ian Ramsey Church of England School.
Lee Cattermole represented the England Under-21 team at the international level and received his first call to the squad for the October 2006 playoffs against Germany. He is considered to be the first-choice midfielder for the England Under-21 team and plays alongside Tom Huddlestone.
As a young boy, Lee Cattermole was a fan of Middlesbrough Football Club and idolized Roy Keane. His dad is the biggest influence in his career, and he admires Steven Gerrard for his power, pace, aggression and goal-scoring ability as a midfielder. He started his football career in 1998 with Middlesbrough’s youth team and played in the club till 2005.
On January 2, 2006, Lee Cattermole made his first appearance for this club in the Tyne-Tees derby against Newcastle United. He was on the field for the full ninety minutes and helped his team draw the match 2-2. For his impressive performance, he was awarded with ‘Man of the Match’ title. The club’s former manager, Steve McClaren, said that when the team needed people to stand up and be counted, it took a seventeen-year-old to bring everyone together. Lee Cattermole scored his first league goal for the club on April 2, 2006 in a 1-0 win over Manchester City.
Middlesbrough gave Lee Cattermole the honor of wearing the captain’s armband on May 7, 2006 in a match against Fulham, thus making him Middlesbrough youngest captain till date. This game was the club’s senior-most player, Colin Cooper’s last game before retirement and when he stepped on as a substitute, Lee Cattermole gave him the armband without any instruction. Following this match, he signed a new four-year deal with Middlesbrough on October 20, 2006 and this contract ensured his place in the club till 2010.
Wigan Athletic football club bought Lee Cattermole for a transfer fee of £3.5 million and on July 29, 2008, this defensive midfielder signed a three-year deal with the club. He made his first appearance for the Latics in a match against West Ham United and has played three games as of 2008.
Lee Cattermole looks forward to play the game at the highest possible level and his most memorable match so far was a game against Roma held at the Olympic Stadium. His best friend in the football world is Matthew Bates, and he likes to spend time with his close mates when he is not playing football.
