Portsmouth Wembley winner and ex-Bristol Rovers favourite in shock return to football - 12 months after retiring

A Pompey Wembley winner has made a shock playing return - 12 months after his sudden retirement.

AFC Wimbledon fans were stunned to see a familiar face trialling in Tuesday night’s friendly against Millwall - Lee Brown.

The 34-year-old was introduced off the bench in the 71st minute against their Championship opponents as Johnnie Jackson’s side slipped to a 3-0 defeat at Plough Lane.

Although not officially named, those Wombles supporters present instantly recognised Brown, who previously made 77 appearances during a two-and-a-half year spell after arriving from Pompey.

Last summer he rejected a new contract to instead retire at the age of 33 in favour of focussing on his thriving multi-million pound property business.

However, during an interview with The News in March, Brown exclusively revealed the decision to walk away from football was influenced following a mental breakdown brought on by the pressures of juggling football with his business commitments.

At the time, Brown said: ‘People wouldn’t know, they still ask “Why has Browny retired?”. They don't know the real reason. I could easily have played for another year or two, but I was on the edge - and football had to go.

‘With me, it’s not the case that I couldn’t get a club, I was offered a new contract at Wimbledon. But I had to quit for my own sake. I was in a dark place, I’d had a mental breakdown, something had to give.

‘I could no longer juggle football full-time and run a full-time business. The weight of it eats you up, mentally money is a killer, especially when things don’t go to plan. I had to put on a front. Lee Brown, he’s bubbly isn’t he. It’s an act really.

‘I was building six houses over in Purley, two in Cobham, while training every day and playing matches on a Saturday. I lived in a pressure cooker, rocking in the chair at points because of so much stress.

‘I could not cope, physically or mentally. I had to give up football - or I would have been a goner.’

Alan Knight’s charity match

However, after realising he missed football and the changing room atmosphere, Brown began training with his former club on Monday - and the following evening turned out at left-back for Wimbledon in a friendly.

Brown has maintained his fitness during his time away from the game, while featured in Alan Knight’s charity football match in May, helping raise money to benefit three cancer charities.

It now remains to be seen whether the comeback continues, with the Wombles travelling to Southend on Saturday for their latest pre-season friendly.

Two Wembley finals for Portsmouth

During his time at Fratton Park, Brown made 131 appearances and scored six times after joining on a free transfer from Bristol Rovers in June 2018.

He also has the distinction of scoring in successive EFL Trophy finals for the Blues, netting in the penalty shoot-out victory over Sunderland in March 2019 - and also the defeat to Salford in March 2021.

Brown, who also featured in two League One play-off semi-final campaigns for the Blues, left in January 2022 to link up with Wimbledon.

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