Lee Dixon

Lee Michael Dixon (born 17 March 1964) is an English pundit and retired professional footballer who played as a right-back. Dixon was also capped 22 times for England. His father Roy was a goalkeeper with Manchester City and many of Dixon's formative years were spent on the terraces at Maine Road. But it was nearby Burnley he joined as a junior and he graduated to the senior team for a handful of games before John Bond released him to Chester City. After one and a half seasons there he signed for Bury before joining Stoke City where he instantly impressed, forging a fine defensive partnership with Steve Bould. The pair's potential and performances attracted the attention of George Graham when Arsenal beat Stoke 3-0 in a League Cup Fourth Round tie in November 1987 and two months later the Arsenal manager signed Dixon. Bould was signed five months later. The following season, as Dixon cemented his place in the team, Arsenal won their first league title in eighteen years in a dramatic final game of the season. A defensive mainstay in a successful Arsenal team until his retirement in 2002, Dixon's tenure at Arsenal saw him collect four league championship medals, three FA Cup winner's medals and a UEFA Cup Winners' Cup medal. He was named in the PFA Team of the Year twice, for the seasons 1989–90 and 1990–91. His retirement came at the end of Arsenal's domestic double-winning 2001–02 season, their second in his time at the club. At the time of his retirement, he had played at 91 out of the 92 Football League grounds – every one except Fulham's Craven Cottage. Since his playing retirement, Dixon has worked as a football pundit and columnist. He began his television career working for the BBC, primarily on their Match of the Day and Football Focus programmes, then moved to ITV Sport in July 2012. Starting in 2013, he provides commentary alongside Arlo White for NBC's Premier League coverage in the USA. He had also provided commentary in the FIFA 20 video game alongside Derek Rae. He has also done charitable work, joining Lawrence Dallaglio in a sponsored bike ride for Sport Relief which raised over £986,000 for the charity.