Leslie Jesse Sealey (29 September 1957 – 19 August 2001) was an English professional football player and coach.

He played as a goalkeeper, most notably in the top flight for Coventry City, Luton Town, Manchester United, Aston Villa, and West Ham United. He also played in the Football League for Plymouth Argyle, Birmingham City, Blackpool, Leyton Orient and Bury.

Following retirement, Sealey was appointed first team goalkeeping coach at West Ham United, a position he was in when he died of a heart attack on 19 August 2001.

Career

Sealey joined Coventry City as an apprentice in 1975 and made his debut as a 19-year-old on 11 April 1977, in a 1–1 draw at Queens Park Rangers. He spent the next five seasons at the West Midlands club before joining Luton Town in 1983 for £100,000. He was a regular in the team for much of his time at Kenilworth Road, but he missed their 1988 League Cup triumph due to injury, his place being taken by Andy Dibble. A year later, Luton reached the final again and he was able to keep goal this time in a 3–1 defeat to Nottingham Forest in which Sealey had a poor game, including fouling Steve Hodge to concede a penalty (converted by Nigel Clough). He was dropped from the team for Luton's next game and replaced by Alec Chamberlain. Sealey never played for Luton again.

In December 1989, Sealey was loaned to Manchester United and made two league appearances during the final weeks of the season. He was named as goalkeeper for the 1990 FA Cup final replay against Crystal Palace after a poor display from Jim Leighton in the preceding 3–3 draw, and made several saves to help his side win 1–0. He later offered his winner's medal to Leighton, who had played throughout the cup run, but the FA subsequently granted medals to both players, who remained friends thereafter.

United signed Sealey on a permanent basis, and he was their regular goalkeeper throughout the 1990–91 season, keeping goal in their League Cup Final defeat to Sheffield Wednesday (in which he was injured, but refused to leave the field)

In his second spell at Old Trafford, he made just two first-team appearances – once as a substitute when Schmeichel was sent off in the FA Cup Quarter-final against Charlton and the other in the League Cup final for which Schmeichel was suspended, which United lost 3–1 to his old club, Aston Villa. It meant his last four appearances for United were a Cup Winners Cup Final, two League Cup Finals and an FA Cup Quarter-final. He had, however, been an unused substitute for most of United's matches since his return to the club, though Gary Walsh was selected as substitute goalkeeper for the 1994 FA Cup final.

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 boyhood heroes West Ham.

He was the father of footballers Joe and George Sealey. Joe notably played as a goalkeeper for West Ham United but at the age of 21 was forced to retire through injury.

Death

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

Honours

Manchester United

  • FA Cup: 1989–90
  • FA Charity Shield: 1990 (shared), 1993
  • European Cup Winners' Cup: 1990–91
  • Football League Cup runner-up: 1993–94

References

  • Les Sealey at sporting-heroes.net