Joleon Lescott
Lescott in the 2012 European Football Championship
Joleon Lescott Patrick ( born August 16, 1982 in Birmingham) is an English footballer. Trained at the Wolverhampton Wanderers central defender, who sporadically on the outside position - left there as a rule - is used, since the end of August 2009 is under contract at Manchester City and is part of the English national team. His older by more than three years old brother Aaron is also a professional footballer, although only traveling in niederklassigeren leagues.
Sports career
Wolverhampton Wanderers (1998-2006)
Born in Birmingham Joleon Lescott visited in the west of the city in the suburb of Quinton the Four Dwellings School and was a supporter of Aston Villa since earliest childhood. At the age of five, he moved to a serious injury when a car hit him near his school and dragged along the road - still today the scars are clearly visible, especially on the head and there at the hairline.
As a nearly 16 -year-old talent it attracted Lescott - in contrast to his brother Aaron, who was active at Villa, but there was not successful to - in the youth academy of Wolverhampton Wanderers. Soon convinced the newcomer by his very mature and mellow acting performances at the center back position, which also helped him to international matches in the English U-18 selection. Three days before his 18th birthday, he made his debut in the second league start of the 2000/01 season in the A- team of " Wolves " against Sheffield Wednesday and as a regular player he won twice in 2002 to the Association's internal award for the best young rider in a row. Ultimately becomes the key player he matured in the season 2002 /03 when he missed only one game and not infrequently " tower in the battle" was as head of the defense. In the three successful play-off games available for promotion to the Premier League conceded "his" defense only one hit.
The anticipation of the English elite class, however, held only briefly. A serious knee injury made sure that the hopefuls waited in vain for his Premier League debut. His team was the failure of the defense, which also had to cope with the injury of goalkeeper Matt Murray, unable to compensate and rose in a direct way back from the Football League Championship. Slowly Lescott again worked closer to past achievements and for stable performances he agreed with the club's management of Wolverhampton Wanderers in October 2005 on a contract extension for a period of 2 ½ years. But the fact that he left the Wolves after the end of the season 2005/ 06, was the fact that its shape approximated to the again from 2003. His second division colleagues elected him after the round in the "Team of the Season " and because the rise was still missed, took the club's management in Wolverhampton in June 2006, the tantalizing transfer offer of Everton FC in the amount of five million pounds - divided into an immediate payment of two million, other rates in the same overall height and subsequent success fees in the amount of one million pounds.
Everton FC (2006-2009)
After an intensive medical examination in Liverpool, which took mainly Lescotts formerly bruised knee under the microscope, the changing clubs was perfect and after the " Toffees " previously sold in January 2006 Per Krøldrup and then sent on loan Matteo Ferrari returned to AS Roma had Lescott was one of four potential central defenders in the squad. Right off the bat, the new addition acclimatized in defense of Everton FC and there not only in the middle, but also often on the left -back position. Among the new teammates he quickly drew up a claim to leadership and was rewarded by those at the end of the 2006/07 season with the election of the best players in the last round.
Rumors of an imminent change to Chelsea or even Real Madrid had been shattered during the breakthrough at the highest national level and in the following two years until the end of the 2008 /09 remained Lescott the " Toffees ' faithful. With three goals in the first eight games of the season 2007/ 08 he also developed a short time top scorer and the " evergreen" in defense - 129 games played Lescott since his arrival at left-back or inside on the side of Phil Jagielka and Joseph Yobo for Everton in series - made specifically a good reputation in a duel with opposing Topstürmern. In the spring of 2009 expressed the emerging and equipped with lots of money Manchester City are interested in a transfer of business, the Everton same as twice publicity as opposed to state, as the subsequent application of Lescott even in August, 2009 - David Moyes designated Lescotts projects even as " disgusting " (English: " disgusting "). The negotiation poker ended on 25 August 2009, when Lescott signed a five -year contract with the "Citizens" and a transfer fee of € 22 to 24 million pounds flowed in the direction of Everton FC.
Manchester City (since 2009)
Lescott was in Manchester part of a major investment project, which also included the " high-caliber " Carlos Tevez of Manchester United and Emmanuel Adebayor from Arsenal FC. DC 18 times Lescott stood in his new team in the starting line before leaving him a knee injury from a match against Chelsea in December 2009, initially for two months and pause again later in March 2010.
England national team
Early Lescott acted on an international level for England youth teams, and so he came to the U-18, U-20 and U-21 selections to the course. After his successful debut season at Everton he was on 25 May 2007 from the 75th minute for the replaced Nicky Shorey in the B team that defeated Albania 3-1 in Burnley.
On October 13, 2007 Lescott was under Steve McClaren made his debut in the A-National team against Estonia as he came off the bench for the second half for Rio Ferdinand. Previously, he was first nominated for the European Championship qualifiers against Israel and Russia in the cadre of " Three Lions ". After the failed qualification for Euro 2008 - at the decisive defeats against Russia (1-2) and Croatia ( 2:3 ) he stood each in the starting lineup - Lescott came under new coach Fabio Capello in 2008 and 2009 sporadic operations, although not as a regular player since the Italians preferred in central defense, especially John Terry, Rio Ferdinand and Matthew Upson.
The player was in the squad for the 2012 European Football Championship ( UEFA EURO 2012) and was used in the first group game against France. As a defensive player, he scored the first goal for his team by having a free kick from Gerrard scored to make it 1-0 with a header in the 30th minute game.