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English footballer (born 1983)

Lee Anderson Grant (born 27 January 1983) is an English football coach and former professional footballer, who is a first team coach at EFL Championship side Ipswich Town. As a player, he was a goalkeeper and began his professional career with Derby County, making his Football League debut in September 2002. Grant spent five seasons with Derby, during which time he went out on loan to Burnley and Oldham Athletic. He joined Sheffield Wednesday in July 2007 and established himself as first choice goalkeeper, playing in 136 consecutive matches. He moved to Burnley in July 2010, where he made 126 appearances in three seasons, before returning to Derby County in May 2013. Grant joined Stoke City in August 2016, initially on loan, before a permanent transfer in January 2017. He spent two seasons at Stoke before moving to Manchester United in July 2018 where he remained before retiring in at the end of the 2021–22 season.

Grant began his career at Watford in 1998 but did not make any appearances and joined Derby County as a trainee in 2000. He made his debut for the Rams in the 2002–03 season in a First Division game against Burnley on 7 September 2002, replacing the injured Andy Oakes. He went on to win the club's Young Player of the Year award at the end of the season after playing a total of 30 games. By the end of the season, Grant had established himself as a regular in the England youth set up, and joined the under 21 team for a training session in Sardinia prior to the European Championship qualifying games against Serbia & Montenegro and Slovakia in June 2003. Grant finally made his debut for England under 21s on 9 September 2003 after Chris Kirkland injured himself during the pre match warm up prior to the European Championship qualifier against Portugal, and went on to make a further three appearances for the youth side. Meanwhile, a string of good performances for Derby following another injury to Andy Oakes earned him a three and a half year contract extension on 29 January 2004. Grant was voted into fourth place in the fan's Player of the Year award at the end of the 2003–04 season. Derby's young 'keeper Lee Camp was given a chance during the 2004–05 pre season after a highly successful loan spell at Queens Park Rangers the previous season. Camp impressed in the game and as a result Grant found himself on the bench at the start of the season despite his recent good form. The move led to press reports that Grant was surplus to requirements at Pride Park, however manager George Burley dismissed the story as "total speculation with no basis in fact". Around the same time, Grant also found himself ousted from the England under 21 squad by Camp. Grant would have to wait until 19 October to make his first appearance of the season for Derby, when he replaced Lee Camp in goal following Camp's sending off against Wolves. Grant went on to start the following match against Burnley whilst Camp served a suspension for the red card, but would not play another first team game for the remainder of the season. Lee Camp sympathised with Grant at the time, saying: "It's tough for Granty and I would be frustrated in his situation. He came in for the Burnley game and did nothing wrong but I think I've done enough this season to warrant my place in the side". Grant's woes were added to when he suffered a wrist injury in training in March 2005. The injury was followed by a shoulder problem the following month which required surgery and kept the goalkeeper out of action for several months. Grant was given a chance by new Derby boss Phil Brown during the 2005–06 pre season, but was again relegated to the bench by the start of the season. He played his first game of the season on 24 August 2005 as Derby crashed out of the League Cup at the hands of Grimsby Town. Another injury followed a fortnight later when Grant fractured his metatarsal during training, and was out of action for another two weeks.

After playing just three games in 18 months, Grant was allowed to join Championship club Burnley on a one month loan on 15 November 2005 as cover for the suspended Brian Jensen. Grant went straight into the team and made his debut for Burnley against Leicester City on 19 November, but despite a one month extension to the loan, Grant failed to force Jensen out as first choice 'keeper and did not play again for the first team before returning to Derby. Grant returned to his parent club on 14 January 2006 with Burnley manager Steve Cotterill claiming that the club were unable to continue to pay his high wages and that "he may go on loan somewhere else where he will play all the time".

On 31 January 2006 he was loaned by Derby to League One team Oldham Athletic on a deal until the end of the season. Oldham manager Ronnie Moore revealed at the time that he feared that the deal would collapse after being agreed by Phil Brown following Brown's sacking as Derby manager on 30 January, however Derby honoured the deal which had already been agreed and the transfer was completed. The deal forced Lance Cronin out of the club as Oldham were unable to pay the wages of three senior goalkeepers. Grant made his debut for the Lactics in the 1–0 home defeat to Port Vale on 4 February 2006. He quickly established himself as first choice goalkeeper and went on to make a total of sixteen league appearances for Oldham. In March 2006 Moore revealed that he was looking at making Grant's transfer permanent, but despite the player stating that he would like to make the switch permanent, no offer was made following Moore departing Oldham on 1 June 2006.

Grant was again given a chance during the 2006–07 pre season, and Derby manager Billy Davies awarded him with a starting place for the club's second league game of the season against Stoke City on 8 August 2006. However, the arrival of Stephen Bywater on 12 August 2006 further limited Grant's first team opportunities. Following Bywater picking up a thigh injury and Camp's loan move to Norwich City, Grant was able to string together six appearances in September and October 2006, but after Bywater's return to fitness he was again left out of the team until his final appearance for Derby against Ipswich Town on 14 April 2007 when he came on a substitute after Bywater had been shown a red card. Bywater was handed a one match ban, however Lee Camp was recalled from his loan and took his place in the following match. Grant's contract expired on 2 July 2007 and an extension was not offered by Derby.

Grant signed a three year contract with Championship club Sheffield Wednesday on 2 July 2007, joining at the same time as another young 'keeper, Robert Burch. Despite goalkeeping coach Billy Mercer stating that there would be "no number one or number two", Grant was given the number one shirt and, despite some poor early form, established himself as first choice goalkeeper. Grant was praised by Brian Laws after the Queens Park Rangers game on 24 November 2007 after making a string of excellent saves, with the manager stating "It was a performance which gives encouragement to everybody and shows what a good goalkeeper Lee Grant can be." Laws again heaped praise on his goalkeeper on 1 January 2008, claiming that he has "probably been the most outstanding keeper in the league in terms of current form." Grant played 130 times for Burnley in a three year spell and won the fans' player of the season award in 2012–13.