Portrait of Alan Lee (footballer)

Birthday profile

Alan Lee (footballer)

Alan Lee, Irish footballer and coach

Born
August 21, 1978
Age in 2026
48
Zodiac sign
Leo
Birth year
1978

About Alan Lee (footballer)

Alan Desmond Lee (born 21 August 1978) is an Irish former footballer who played as a striker. He scored 119 goals in 547 appearances in a 19-year professional career in the Football League and won 10 caps for the Republic of Ireland. He started his career with Aston Villa, also playing on loan at Torquay United and Port Vale. Following a season with Burnley, he signed with Rotherham United in 2000. He is considered something of a cult hero at the club, after helping the "Millers" to win promotion out of the Second Division in 2000–01. He was bought by Cardiff City and made almost 100 appearances for the Welsh side between 2003 and 2006. Then purchased by Ipswich Town, he made over 100 appearances for the club before earning a big money move to Crystal Palace. After returning from a loan spell at Norwich City, he wrote himself into the club's folklore by scoring in the final game of the 2009–10 season against Sheffield Wednesday, saving the Eagles from relegation and ultimately administration. Following these heroics, he moved on to Huddersfield Town and helped the "Terriers" to win promotion out of League One in 2012. He announced his retirement in 2014, having spent his final season as a player-coach at Ipswich Town. However, he never made his first-team debut at Villa Park. Making 11 appearances, he scored in draws with Bradford City and Tranmere Rovers, helping the "Valiants" to avoid relegation out of the First Division on goal difference.

Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.

The world when Alan Lee (footballer) was born

Alan Lee (footballer) was born in 1978. The year snapshot below places that birthday in its cultural and historical setting: the music and films people were following, the headlines shaping public life, and the everyday prices families encountered.

Culture in 1978

  • #1 song"Shadow Dancing" – Andy Gibb
  • Top movieThe Deer Hunter
  • Top TV showLaverne & Shirley
  • Best-selling bookThe World According to Garp – John Irving

Headlines and milestones

  • Major sports momentMuhammad Ali wins heavyweight title for the third time
  • Top headlineCamp David Accords — Egypt and Israel sign peace agreement
  • Technology milestoneFirst spam email sent
  • Defining fadDisco and Saturday Night Fever
  • Notable inventionGarfield comic strip debuts
  • World population4.30 billion

United States snapshot

  • U.S. leaderJimmy Carter
  • Sports championNew York Yankees (World Series)
  • Also wonWashington Bullets (NBA)
  • U.S. population222.6M

1978 versus 2026

These figures put everyday life in Alan Lee (footballer)'s birth year beside the site's latest United States snapshot.

Measure19782026
Gas$0.63$3.45/gal
Average home$55,700$435,000
Average income$17,730$67,500
Minimum wage$2.65$7.25/hr (federal)
Movie ticket$2.34$11.95
Postage stamp$0.15$0.73
Population222.6M341 million

Sources and editorial standards

This profile combines a biographical source with structured birthday and historical context. Sources recorded for this profile: Wikipedia, Transfermarkt, National Football Teams. See our editorial policy for sourcing, corrections, and review standards.

Read the source biography on Wikipedia. Wikipedia text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.