LEE BROWN enjoyed 1 hellhole of a vocation successful the Football League.
Two Wembley wins, much than 400 EFL appearances and a estimation arsenic 1 of football’s bully guys.
Rex
PA:Press Association
ReutersStarting retired astatine QPR, helium truly made a sanction for himself astatine Bristol Rovers, scoring a melodramatic 92nd infinitesimal victor connected the last time of the 2015-16 play to unafraid back-to-back promotions for The Gas.
He moved crossed to Portsmouth successful June 2018, winning the EFL Trophy astatine Wembley the pursuing play successful beforehand of 80,000 fans, earlier returning to his London roots and finishing his vocation astatine AFC Wimbledon.
At 33, Brown rejected a caller woody astatine Plough Lane, alternatively opting to prosecute “other business interests”.
Dubbed ‘Lee from football‘ wherever helium went for his bubbly property and jokey antics connected the pitch, Brown has present lifted the lid connected the antheral down the disguise successful a candid caller interview.
Speaking to the Portsmouth News’ main newsman Neil Allen, the erstwhile Pompey antheral revealed shot “had to go” arsenic 2 worlds collided.
He admits helium could person easy carried connected playing, and was inactive a regular successful the AFC Wimbledon defence, but down the scenes each was not well.
He said: “I had to discontinue for my ain sake. I was successful a acheronian place, I’d had a intelligence breakdown, thing had to give.
‘I could nary longer juggle shot full-time and tally a full-time business.”
Now 34, Brown runs a thriving spot concern called B3 Homes. He employs 20 staff, and boasts an awesome portfolio of luxury pads, with galore selling for good successful excess of £1million.
Instagram b3.homes
www.b3homes.co.ukAmong the existent projects are a £1.3million location successful Purley, a crippled of 3 much houses successful the aforesaid country and an ultra-modern detached household location successful Warlingham.
It each started when, astatine 26, helium utilized his £25,000 savings cookware to bargain a location successful the Filton country of Bristol, and built different location successful its garden.
He had nary money near to wage radical to assistance physique the location for him, truthful ended up doing it successful his spare clip portion inactive playing League One football!
Brown continued: “I’d ne'er held a instrumentality successful my life, but I person this obsessive quality wherever I request to larn astir everything.
” If I was doing the plumbing, I would probe however to beryllium a plumber and, each of a sudden, knew however to tally pipes. I would beryllium determination until 3am until it sunk in.”
Lee Brown wheels distant successful solemnisation aft scoring for PortsmouthRexThe concern grew and grew, but yet Brown reached breaking point.
He recalled erstwhile moving from arsenic soon arsenic grooming finished until highly precocious astatine night, and moving again earlier hitting the grooming pitches the pursuing morning.
But it each became excessively overmuch for him, and shot had to go.
“I was gathering six houses implicit successful Purley, 2 successful Cobham, portion grooming each time and playing matches connected a Saturday.
“I lived successful a unit cooker, rocking successful the seat astatine points due to the fact that of truthful overmuch stress.
“I could not cope, physically oregon mentally. I had to springiness up shot – oregon I would person been a goner.”
Brown admits helium unopen disconnected those astir him, and the tipping point was erstwhile helium broke down successful tears successful AFC Wimbledon brag Johnnie Jackson’s office.
Lee Brown lifts the Vanarama Conference Playoff Final trophy arsenic Bristol Rovers secured their instrumentality to the Football LeagueGetty Images - GettyEx-Spurs and Charlton antheral Jackson gave Brown a fortnight off, regularly checking successful connected the seasoned defender.
He returned to the Wombles squad successful November 2024, making a further 22 appearances earlier bidding shot farewell astatine the extremity of the season.
Now astir a twelvemonth into his post-football life, Brown is backmost to his bubbly aforesaid and is reaping the rewards of his hard work.
He finished: “I had to sacrifice my shot vocation aft biting disconnected much than I could chew. But, sitting present now, I americium good.
Actually, I’m much than good. I’m happy.”
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