Lee Grant was born on 27 January 1983 in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, and began his professional career at Derby County after joining as a trainee in 2000. He made his Football League debut in September 2002 and won the club's Young Player of the Year award at the end of that first season, also earning a handful of England under-21 caps during this period.
After loan spells at Burnley and Oldham Athletic, Grant moved to Sheffield Wednesday in July 2007, where he truly established himself. He played 136 consecutive matches for the club and was voted PFA Fans' Championship Player of the Month during the 2008–09 season, cementing a reputation as a reliable and composed shot-stopper.
A £1 million move to Burnley in 2010 followed, where he made 126 appearances over three seasons and won the supporters' Player of the Season award in 2012–13. He returned to Derby County before eventually joining Stoke City, first on loan in August 2016 and then permanently in January 2017 for £1.3 million. At Stoke, he delivered a standout man-of-the-match display against Manchester United and won the club's Player of the Year award for the 2016–17 season.
Grant signed for Manchester United in July 2018 on a two-year deal, taking the number 13 shirt. He served as a dependable back-up goalkeeper at Old Trafford, making his debut as a substitute in an EFL Cup tie against Derby County in September 2018. He remained at the club until retiring at the end of the 2021–22 season.