Thanks – Lee Frecklington

He’s one of our own; that much is certain. How often we’ll see him in the red and white remains to be seen, but when Rotherham sold him back to us in January 2017 they facilitated the return of a proper Lincoln City hero.

He made his way through Lincoln City’s Centre of Excellence and was rewarded with a scholarship place in the summer of 2002. He made rapid progress in Lincoln’s youth set-up and in the 2003–04 season, making significant strides towards the first team. He particularly impressed in a friendly against Manchester City, and Keith Alexander gave him his full debut in the Football League Trophy against Telford United in October 2003.

He continued his progression in the final season of his scholarship and made his Football League debut as a substitute in the game at Rochdale on 12 February 2005

In January 2008 the Imps turned down two bids for Frecklington from Peterborough, and in his programme notes around that time manager Peter Jackson remarked; “I didn’t think it was the right offer or the right club for Freck, and we’re now in talks to keep him at the club because he’s a real asset for us. There’s only one or two midfielders in the division who can do what Lee does and we’ve come to expect it every game despite his age.”

The following season as his star continued to rise he seemed increasingly less likely to remain a Lincoln player. There was some surprise when he didn’t move on in the January 2009 transfer window, and even more surprise when just six days after the window closed he finally moved to Peterborough initially on loan.

He served them diligently, then did the same for Rotherham as they climbed from the fourth-tier to the Championship. When he did eventually return to Sincil Bank he proved to be part of history; his penalty against Chelsea Under 21s in the EFL Trophy semi-final sealed us our first-ever trip to Wembley.