Lee is a hard-tackling midfielder who made his name with Middlesbrough, making 69 Premier League appearances in three seasons before switching to Wigan Athletic in 2008.
At the start of 2009-10 a further move saw him link up with Steve Bruce again at Sunderland.
An U16 cap against Wales in a Victory Shield fixture in 2003 started Lee’s England career and after games for the U17s, U18s and U19s, he made his Under-21 debut in a UEFA Championship qualifier against Bulgaria at Milton Keynes on 16 November 2007.
He was a regular Under-21 performer in 2008-09, scoring twice in ten games that included the European Final in Malmo, and captained the side in Greece in September 2009 before suffering an injury playing for Sunderland.