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Aaron Lennon is a pacy winger who plays for Tottenham Hotspur in the English Premier League. He is rated as one of the best young footballers in the United Kingdom today, and is expected to become a key member of the England squad in the future, along with the likes of Theo Walcott, Tom Huddlestone, Mark Noble and others.
Lennon was born on April 16, 1987 in the suburb of Chapeltown in Leeds. He shares his birthday with former Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez and former Arsenal midfielder Freddie Ljungberg. Lennon went to Blenheim Primary School as a youngster, and later enrolled at the City of Leeds School. As a child, young Aaron used to play football with his brothers Tony and Jordan in the park in the Little London area of Leeds. He caught the eye of Leeds United scouts while playing for Sunday League side Yorkshire Amateurs, and the Whites were quick to snap him up. He initially started out as a second striker, but then drifted out wide. At the age of 14, Lennon was given a football boots contract by Adidas, making him the youngest person to get his boots sponsored then.
Lennon rose through the ranks at the famed Leeds United Academy, which has also given the country players like James Milner, Alan Smith, Jonathan Woodgate and Scott Carson. At the age of 16 years and 129 days, he made his Premiership debut for Leeds against Tottenham Hotspur on August 23, 2003. Peter Reid sent on Lennon as a 78th minute substitute for Mark Viduka, but the teenager could do little to stop his team from losing 2-1 to Glenn Hoddle's side. Lennon became the then youngest player to ever appear in a Premier league game (a record which now belongs to Matthew Briggs)
Lennon scored his first goal for Leeds United in a Boxing Day 2004 game against Sunderland, which the Wearsiders lost 3-2. With Leeds facing grave financial problems, Tottenham made an £1m offer for him, and Lennon moved south to White Hart Lane in June 2005. He made his Spurs debut two months later against local rivals Chelsea.
Lennon made his first appearance for the England U-21 side against Austria in October 2005. The match in question was a European qualifier at Elland Road, which the young Lions lost 2-1. He scored his first goal for Spurs in a 2-0 win over Birmingham City in March 2006. The 2005-06 season went very well for Lennon, who was nominated for the PFA Young Player of the Year award. He also earned a shock place in Sven Goran Eriksson's side for the 2006 World Cup.
Lennon made his full England debut in their 6-0 win over Jamaica at Old Trafford in June 2006. He came on as a second half substitute for David Beckham. Lennon made three substitute appearances in England's World Cup campaign, first in the group game against Trinidad & Tobago, and then in the two knockout games against Ecuador and Portugal.
In January 2007, Lennon signed a new 5 and a half year contract and pledged his future to Spurs till 2012. He finished third in voting for the 2006-07 PFA Young Player of the Year Award, behind Cristiano Ronaldo and Cesc Fabregas.
What Lennon lacks in height, he makes up with pace. He is one of the quickest players in the Premier League, and can reportedly run 100m in a little over 10 seconds. His crossing has also improved with time, and he is now able to take full advantage of his darting runs down the flanks. He is comfortable on either foot, something that his father insisted upon when Aaron was young.
He became a regular in the Spurs team during the 2007-08 season, making 47 appearances for the Lilywhites. The next season was equally successful for him as he flourished under new boss Harry Redknapp, and he was named Spurs' Player of the Year for 2008-09.
Lennon gave Manchester United left back Patrice Evra a torrid time in the Carling Cup final, catching the eye of new England boss Fabio Capello, and was rewarded with a recall to the national team after a gap of two years.
He also signed an improved deal with Spurs in March 2009, and extended his contract to 2014. In the 2009 summer transfer window, Lennon was heavily linked with a move to either Liverpool or Real Madrid, but he ended up staying at Spurs.
Spurs beat London rivals West Ham in August 2009 to win their first three games of the new season. It was Lennon who scored the winner against the Hammers, thereby giving Spurs their best start to a season since the heady days of Bill Nicholson.
The best years of Aaron Lennon are yet to come. Watch out for this lad in the next few years!