Huddersfield Town striker Alan Lee on tactics, Jordan Rhodes and being wanted

Sep 11 2010 by Dougie Thomson, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

ALAN LEE returns to London today with no regrets over his move North.

The frontline capture from Crystal Palace makes his third Town appearance at Leyton Orient already feeling settled.

“I left Ireland as a teenager to join Aston Villa, and I’ve been at eight other clubs, either on loan or permanently, so I’m used to moving around and having to make new friends,” explained the Galway-born Republic of Ireland international, whose previous stop-offs in a 12-year senior career include Burnley and Rotherham United.

“The boys here at Huddersfield have been as welcoming as any I’ve come across, and having been in the North before, I’m familiar with the scenery!”

Lee, who has also played for Cardiff City and Ipswich Town as well as Torquay United, Port Vale and Norwich City on loan, is also well aware of the attributes of Jordan Rhodes, with whom he has led the line in his two Town outings so far, the 3-1 Galpharm win over Charlton Athletic and 2-2 draw with AFC Bournemouth, also at home.

“I remember Jordan really well from my time at Ipswich, and we actually played alongside each other in the first team a few times,” added Lee, who was at Portman Road between January 2006, when he moved from Cardiff, and August 2008, when he joined Palace.

“He was a fantastic young talent – he just scored goals all the time – and I have to say I was astonished when Ipswich agreed to sell him to Huddersfield.

“The Ipswich fans were up in arms about it all and it was no surprise when he moved up here and started banging in the goals. It’s great that we’ve got him.”

The fact that Town have got 6ft 3in powerhouse Lee is down to Lee Clark’s ambition and Palace’s willingness to listen to an offer for a player who still had a year of his contract to run.

“I want to feel wanted,” explained the man who played a big part in the Selhurst Park club’s dramatic escape from relegation to League I under Paul Hart last season and scored one of his 12 goals for them in the crucial final-day 2-2 draw with Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough.

Hart’s successor George Burley fielded Lee in all four of this season’s matches before the Galpharm switch, and the player responded with goals in the opening-day 3-2 home win over Leicester City and 1-0 Carling Cup first-round victory at Yeovil Town.

Palace were still willing to listen to Town, and Lee continued: “Given what I contributed last season and the start I’d made this time, I just thought if they’re prepared to accept a bid, it was time to hear what the interested club had to say.

“I knew from the grapevine that Lee Clark had shown an interest in me previously, and I liked what he said about his plans and the role I could play.