When it comes to sporting exports, the Isle of Wight might not be the first place that comes to mind. However, two footballers from the island have made a significant impact on the sport. Lewis Buxton and Lee Bradbury may not have the same level of fame as Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, but their achievements on the pitch are impressive. In this article, we’ll explore their careers and how they’ve made the Isle of Wight proud.
Lewis Buxton
Lewis Buxton was born in the town of Newport, and started his professional football career as a youngster with Portsmouth in 2001. He spent four seasons at the club however, he never truly got a run in the first team. He made back-to-back loan moves along the South Coast to current Premier League outfit Bournemouth throughout his latter years as a Pompy player. While betting websites have made The Cherries a 66/1 outsider for relegation this season, things were different back in the early 2000s, and the club was loitering in English football’s basement division. Those loan deals would end up being a success and they handed the right-back his first big break, securing a permanent move to Stoke City in 2005. After 53 Championship appearances, Buxton then made the move to Sheffield Wednesday. He spent six years at Hillsborough and made over 200 appearances for the club, even drawing slightly tongue-in-cheek comparisons to Brazilian legend Cafu before leaving the club on a free transfer to local rivals Rotherham United. He helped the Millers avoid relegation from the Championship in 2015 before leaving the club and winding down his career in League One with Bolton Wanderers. Throughout his career, Buxton was known for his versatility and consistency on the pitch. He was able to play both as a central defender and full-back and was often praised for his defensive abilities and work rate. Buxton made almost 400 appearances in his career and was a key part of the Sheffield Wednesday team that won promotion to the Championship in 2012. Though Buxton eventually retired in 2018, he remains one of the most successful footballers to come from the Isle of Wight. Source: Unsplash
Lee Bradbury
Lee Bradbury was born in Cowes but also started his career with Portsmouth almost a decade before Buxton arrived in the academy. He played for several clubs throughout his career including Manchester City, Crystal Palace, and Bournemouth, where he ended his career before embarking on a short stint as the club’s manager. The veteran striker was known for his goal-scoring abilities, finding the net over 100 times during his career and was often at the top of the goalscoring charts. Despite featuring for 12 clubs throughout his career, it was his stint on the South Coast that really stood out. He helped Portsmouth secure promotion to the Premier League for the first time in the club’s history back in 2003. Then throughout his time with The Cherries, he made over 150 appearances, leading the club to promotion from League Two as a player and then from League One as a manager. He remains a beloved figure at the Vitality Stadium for his contributions on and off the pitch and had it not been for his foundations, the club wouldn’t have found itself in the upper echelons of the Premier League, where it finds itself today.
