855 Junior Lewis

Biography

The archetypal midfield engine room operative, whose work is valued by managers but often unseen by supporters, Junior Lewis was initially loaned from Leicester City in February 2004 to add steel to City’s midfield, making 13 starts and contributing a goal in April 2004 at Southend as manager Peter Taylor piloted the Tigers to League 2 promotion. The following season Lewis was signed on a one year deal and played a versatile role in midfield and defence as City again won promotion to the Championship. He left the club in the 2005 close season as Taylor assembled a new squad ready to take on the rigours of the Championship. Lewis was renowned for his organisational skills, foolhardily dismissed as “pointing” by his critics, and played a pivotal role in the club’s two promotions.

Hailing from Wembley in suburban London, Karl Junior Lewis was a youth team product at Fulham and made his senior debut for the Cottagers in October 1992 against Burnley. After seven senior appearances for Fulham Lewis was released in the 1993 close season and spent six seasons playing in the South East England non-league scene, spending three years at Kentish side Dover Athletic and a further three years at North London side Hendon after a short spell at Hayes. At Hendon he was deployed in a more attacking role and scored a goal every two games, form that attracted the attention of Gillingham manager Peter Taylor.

Signed for the Gills in August 1999, Lewis spent two years at Priestfield, starting regularly in the 1999/00 season that ended in promotion to League Division 1 and featured his first senior goal in October 1999 against Millwall. Junior stayed at Gillingham for the first half of the 2000/01 season, taking his tally to eight goals in 78 appearances, before transferring to Leicester City in January 2001 and reuniting with Peter Taylor, who had taken up the reins for the Foxes in June 2000. Lewis made his Premier League debut for Leicester against Southampton on the last day of January 2001 and made 15 starts as Leicester City avoided relegation. Lewis made 7 further appearances at the start of the 2001/02 campaign but a winless run saw Taylor sacked in September 2001 and Lewis out of the side.

In February 2002 Lewis moved to Brighton & Hove Albion on loan, who were now managed by Peter Taylor, and he made 15 appearances and scored three goals as the Seagulls won the League Division 2 title under Taylor’s guidance. Taylor left Brighton that summer and Junior returned to Leicester, who had by now been relegated to League Division 1. He made 12 appearances for the Foxes that season, taking his overall tally to 34 appearances and one goal, before spending the last weeks of the 2002/03 season on loan at Swindon Town where he made 9 appearances. Now fully ostracised by Leicester City in the 2003/04 season, Lewis made 4 appearances during a second loan spell at Swindon in October and November 2003 prior to his loan move to the Tigers in February 2004, which became a permanent transfer that summer.

On leaving the Tigers in 2005, Lewis continued his professional career with Brentford where he made 15 appearances in his one season at Griffin Park, then had a short and appearance-free spell at Milton Keynes Dons at the start of the 2006/07 season. Late in 2006 Lewis returned to the non-league scene with Edgware Town and Stevenage Borough.

Junior commenced his coaching career in 2008 at Wycombe Wanderers and Bradford City, again working with Peter Taylor – he briefly joined Welwyn Garden City in 2008 between these two coaching roles. He joined Hendon as player-coach in 2011 and served the club in that capacity for three years. In 2014 he came to wider prominence when he joined the coaching staff at Leeds United under newly appointed boss (and another ex-Tiger) Dave Hockaday, a role that lasted only 70 days. He spent the 2015/16 season undertaking coaching roles for Canvey Island and Boreham Wood and spent the 2017/18 season as assistant manager to Darren Currie at Dagenham & Redbridge. In the summer of 2018 Lewis followed Currie to Conference National side Barnet, where he was appointed assistant head coach – he left the Bees in the 2020 close season.

In September 2022 Lewis was appointed assistant manager at National League North side Gloucester City, working with gaffer Steve King. In June 2023 he joined the coaching staff at League Two side Sutton United, but left the club when they were relegated to the Conference National in May 2024. In July 2024 Lewis was appointed assistant manager at Northern Premier League side Hednesford Town, reuniting with Steve King. When King was dismissed in November 2024 Junior was part of a three man team that took temporary charge of the first team.

Details

Nationality: England
Date/Place of Birth: 9 October 1973, Wembley
Hull City First Game: 28 February 2004, Lincoln City A (League Division 3), 30 years, 142 days old
Hull City Final Game: 7 May 2005, Brentford A (League One), 31 years, 210 days old

Clubs

Fulham (1991-1993), Dover Athletic (1993-1996), Hayes (1996), Hendon (1996-1999), Gillingham (1999-2001). Leicester City (2001, loan), Leicester City (2001-2004), Brighton & Hove Albion (2002, loan), Swindon Town (2003, two loan spells), Hull City (2004, loan), Hull City (2004-2005), Brentford (2005-2006), Milton Keynes Dons (2006), Edgware Town (2006-2007), Stevenage Borough (2007-2008), Welwyn Garden City (2008), Hendon (2011-2014)

Hull City Record

Career: 55 apps, 3 goals

Junior Lewis
SeasonLGE
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2003/0413 (0)1--------
2004/0531 (8)21 (1)0----1 (0)0

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