London-born Lawrence was a wing wizard who enjoyed arguably his most productive spell in the game with Bradford City, helping them to promotion to the Premier League for the first time and playing a key role in their survival the season after.
His stint at City came early in his career, although he was a relatively late starter to professional football owing to a spell spent in prison for his part in an armed robbery. Sunderland gave him another chance on his release before he made the switch to Doncaster Rovers.
Mark McGhee was impressed with Lawrence’s performances for the South Yorkshire club and he was his first signing as Leicester boss. Mainly a squad player, Lawrence’s first team chances were on and off but he was a useful weapon from the bench thanks to his speed and dribbling skills.
He struggled to adapt to life under incoming boss Martin O’Neill but he did win an extended contract and played a part in City’s League Cup triumph at Hillsborough before moving on to the Bantams in June 1997.
His form at Valley Parade caught the attention of Jamaica and he won a number of national caps. Spells with Walsall, Wigan Athletic and Grimsby Town followed before he enjoyed his first stint as boss with a player-manager role at Ashford Town.