31
Jul
Harrogate Town sign former Leeds United defender
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Harrogate Town have announced the signing of former Leeds United defender Tom Lees.
Lees, 35, made more than 600 league appearances during his career, including spells with Leeds, Sheffield Wednesday and Huddersfield Town.
Speaking after signing for Harrogate, Lees said he turned down offers from EFL clubs to join the National League side.
He said:
I’m really happy to be here and meet everybody, it's been a great day.
I've had a few offers in the football league, but after sitting down and talking with the club, there's an exciting couple of years in store here and the start of a good project.
The 35-year-old started his career at Leeds United, making his Championship debut in August 2011 following loan spells in League Two with Accrington and Bury.
Lees would go on to establish himself as a regular at Elland Road making over 40 Championship appearances in each of his three senior seasons in West Yorkshire.
The centre back then joined Sheffield Wednesday, where Lees would make 249 appearances across seven seasons.
Four seasons at Huddersfield followed, before Lees opted to spend the 2025/26 season with Peterborough, making 33 League One appearances for The Posh.
Lloyd Kerry, head of recruitment at Harrogate Town, said:
He’s a proper leader so will come in and set the standards and guide some of the young lads.
To play that many games at a top level you have to be top professional and he’ll lead by example, you need leaders in the dressing room and in the team and Tom is definitely that.
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