Profile of Les Sealey on Famous Like Me

Les Sealey (29 September 1957 – 19 August 2001) was an English football goalkeeper who played for Coventry City, Luton Town, Manchester United, Aston Villa and West Ham and others.

From 1974 to 1983 he played for Coventry City, and then joined Luton Town. He was regular goalkeeper for much of his time at Kenilworth Road but missed their 1988 League Cup triumph due to injury. A year later Luton reached the final again and he was able to keep goal this time, but a last-minute goal gave the trophy to Nottingham Forest. Sealey then lost his place in the line-up to Andy Dibble.

In December 1989, Les Sealey was loaned to Manchester United and made two league appearances during the final weeks of the season. He was surprisingly named as goalkeeper for the 1990 FA Cup final against Crystal Palace, and made some impressive saves to help his side win 1-0. Sealey then gave his winner's medal to Jim Leighton, who had been dropped from the line-up in favour of Sealey. United then signed Sealey on a permanent basis and he was their regular goalkeeper throughout the 1990-91 season, keeping goal in their Cup Winners' Cup victory over Barcelona. He was hoping to get a two-year contract, but was offered just a one-year deal and turned it down in favour of a transfer to Aston Villa. For much of the first half of 1991-92, Sealey was Villa's first-choice goalkeeper but he then lost his place to long-serving Nigel Spink and never played for the club again. He had several games on loan at Birmingham City during the opening weeks of the 1992-93 season before returning to Manchester United on a free transfer, this time as Peter Schmeichel's understudy.

In his second spell at Old Trafford, Les Sealey made just two first-team appearances. The first came in the 1994 FA Cup quarter-final victory against Charlton Athletic, when Peter Schmeichel was dismissed for handling the ball outside the penalty area, Sealey took over in goal after full-back Paul Parker was withdrawn. When Schmeichel served his ban, Sealey kept goal for United in the League Cup final but they lost 3-1 to Aston Villa. At the end of the season he was given a free transfer and joined Blackpool, but within six months he had left Bloomfield Road and returned to the Premiership with West Ham United. During his 18-month spell at the Boleyn Ground he was understudy to Ludek Miklosko before joining Leyton Orient in Division Three, where he had far more first-team chances.

In December 1996, Sealey returned to West Ham in an exchange deal for 46-year-old Peter Shilton. He made his last first-team appearance on the final day of the 1996-97 season against Manchester United at Old Trafford. At the end of the 1997-98 season he was loaned out to Bury but never made a first-team appearance and on his return to West Ham he was appointed as the club's goalkeeper coach, although he was still registered as a player during the 1999-2000 season.

Les Sealey was still employed as West Ham's goalkeeper coach when he died of a heart attack on August 19, 2001 at the age of 43.

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