ELLIOT Lee and his famous footballing father Rob are cut from the same cloth.
Both possess that innate inability to time runs into the box from midfield and finish moves off with unerring precision in front of goal.
Lee senior's numbers from his golden times at Newcastle United and Charlton Athletic in particular alluded to that and his son's aren't too shabby either.
In his time at Wrexham, the Doncaster Rovers loanee has scored 41 goals in 152 competitive matches and assumed legendary status for his part in three successive promotions.
Elliot Lee, who recently joined Doncaster Rovers from Wrexham. (Photo by Molly Darlington/Getty Images)placeholder image
Elliot Lee, who recently joined Doncaster Rovers from Wrexham. (Photo by Molly Darlington/Getty Images)
The similarities between father and son extend beyond their on-pitch prowess.
Both etched their names into the folklore of clubs. Lee senior will never had to put his hand into his pocket to buy a drink whether he frequents a hostelry in Tyneside in particular. Neither will his son in any watering hole in north Wales.
Lee is an an honorary Wrexhamite, just as his old man is an honorary Geordie.
Forever synonymous with the 'King Kev' era on Tyneside, Lee senior - who became an England international at St James' Park - was a Everyman terrace idol who mixed with black-and-white punters off it, just as his lad has done at Wrexham.
Lee has similarly invested himself in that town, even talking on a charity ambassadorial role to try combat food poverty in the community.
Lee said: "I might have got that from my dad because I know that in Charlton and Newcastle, he wanted to fully invest himself into the club and that's probably why he is a legend because it's not just the performances, it's the respect he has for people around the ground and the unsung heroes around the place.
"That's exactly how I've been brought up. When I joined Wrexham, I wanted to fully invest in the club and from the groundsman to the ladies in the canteen, chefs and cleaners. That club is very special to me and I have the utmost respect for everyone within it. Owners, staff, players and all the people in the community. It’s fantastic - I can't say how much I love that club."
Lee's depth of feeling to the Red Dragons is self-evident, but there has also been frustration on the professional front this season.
Despite being in the squad for the first half of 2025-26, the 31-year-old only featured in League Cup matches before undergoing knee surgery.
Lee, contracted at Wrexham until June 2027, had late window interest from 'three or four other clubs' ahead of his loan move to Rovers. The pitch of Grant McCann proved persuasive, alongside ringing endorsements from Wrexham team-mates Ryan Longman and Andy Cannon, who worked under him at Hull City.
He continued: "It's great to be back out there with the boys. I love being out there. I love how the manager wants me to play. He lets me play with freedom, create and just work hard.
"I think I played over 150 games in three years for Wrexham, so I wasn't used to being injured. I think if you ask my missus over the last three months, she's probably sick of me."
As a football man, Lee senior will have understood his frustrations better than most.
There have been times in the careers of his two footballing sons - Elliot's older brother Olly was a midfielder with the likes of Luton Town and Gillingham and has now gone into coaching - when he had dispensed with timely advice.
There have also been times when he has left things.
On the influence of his father, a regular at his games, Lee, set for a home debut in Rovers’ League One derby with Huddersfield Town on Tuesday night, added: "He probably knows if I've had a bad game and he knows that I know, so he won't say much.
"But he's always great to go to for advice. He's never been too hard on me. He's never pushed me to play the game or anything.
“Even when I was a kid, it was: 'When you stop enjoying it, you don't have to play.' But I always loved playing football. I always wanted to be like my dad.
"I was always playing football in the garden with my brother. He's been unbelievable for me and my brother. I wouldn't say he's been too harsh on us, but we definitely know when we could have done better!"
As for on-pitch similarities, well there's a few, according to Lee.
He continued: "In my dad's early days, he started as a striker and so did I. He gradually made his way back to centre midfield late on.
"I've watched some of my dad's old clips and seen his goals and similarities in how we make it into the box. Obviously in the position we played, my dad played striker/winger/centre midfield and I've sort of played similar; we like to attack.
"It was only until the later stage in his career that he dropped to a deeper midfield role. In his heyday, he was always known for scoring goals and stuff like that."