17 Dec, 2021 @ 15:00
2 mins read

Manchester United and Leeds star Lee Sharpe launches sports bar on Spain’s Costa Blanca

Lee Sharpe 3
Lee Sharpe in his new Sports Bar on the Costa Blanca

HE’S traveled the world as a professional footballer winning European trophies and Premier League titles.

Now Manchester United and Leeds legend Lee Sharpe is to open an exciting new business on the Costa Blanca.

The father-of-two, who is also a TV star and professional golfer, is launching his first Spanish sports bar in a matter of days.

Alongside his wife Lucy, the recently established expat, will open Sharpey’s Sports Bar in Javea next week.

After a year of settling into life on the Costa Blanca with his two young children, aged four and five, he finally spotted the perfect opportunity.

“It’s going to be a real community hub, high on service and atmosphere. And perfect for all the family,” he told the Olive Press.

With his wide network of contacts from sports and showbiz you can expect to find plenty of famous faces dropping in.

Lee, 50, made the decision to move to Spain during the COVID pandemic in the UK last year.

He revealed that he had moved to Javea in October with a new lockdown threatening in the UK last winter.

Renting a villa in the hills above the resort, he dedicated much of the winter working on his golf swing pursuing his new ambition to join the professional senior tour.

He also quickly realised that with the Brexit deadline looming they would need to get residency status set up.

“It took quite a while but we finally got it sorted and got the kids into school.

“The only thing I didn’t get done was swapping over my driving license… but I know it’s been extended and I hear the DVLA are hoping to sort this out. Can you imagine all those British pensioners here having to do the test in Spanish.”

Apart from that, settling in has mostly been plain sailing.

“I’m loving the Spanish lifestyle and the Javea area is a really cool place. It’s nicely understated and without too many knobs in Ferraris and Lamborghinis.

“It’s certainly a struggle to learn the language, but I’m trying. They speak so fast and often with Valenciano. But it’s great that our kids will be growing up bilingual. It’s a real skill.”

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Lee Sharpe with his partner Lucy and their two children.

The one thing he had missing was ‘having a good local pub’ to go to like he had back in Wetherby, near Leeds.

“I used to love Sunday afternoons down my pub watching the 2pm, then 4pm game followed by a Chinese and an early night,” he explained.

“My new place will fill that hole I hope.”

As well as all live sports, there will be quiz nights, live entertainment, including comedy, and even curry nights.

The official opening is planned for next Wednesday, with various local dignitaries and his two business partners.

“It’s been a real team effort and luckily Lucy has found her calling with all the creative bits. Painting, designing menus and logos and even the website.”

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Jon Clarke (Publisher & Editor)

Jon Clarke is a Londoner who worked at the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday as an investigative journalist before moving to Spain in 2003 where he helped set up the Olive Press.

After studying Geography at Manchester University he fell in love with Spain during a two-year stint teaching English in Madrid.

On returning to London, he studied journalism and landed his first job at the weekly Informer newspaper in Teddington, covering hundreds of stories in areas including Hounslow, Richmond and Harrow.

This led on to work at the Sunday Telegraph, Sunday Mirror, Standard and even the Sun, before he landed his first full time job at the Daily Mail.

After a year on the Newsdesk he worked as a Showbiz correspondent covering mostly music, including the rise of the Spice Girls, the rivalry between Oasis and Blur and interviewed many famous musicians such as Joe Strummer and Ray Manzarak, as well as Peter Gabriel and Bjorn from Abba on his own private island.

After a year as the News Editor at the UK’s largest-selling magazine Now, he returned to work as an investigative journalist in Features at the Mail on Sunday.

As well as tracking down Jimi Hendrix’ sole living heir in Sweden, while there he also helped lead the initial investigation into Prince Andrew’s seedy links to Jeffrey Epstein during three trips to America.

He had dozens of exclusive stories, while his travel writing took him to Jamaica, Brazil and Belarus.

He is the author of three books; Costa Killer, Dining Secrets of Andalucia and My Search for Madeleine.

Contact jon@theolivepress.es

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