Ian Ashbee (born 6 September 1976) is an English former footballer who retired in 2012 having previously played for Preston North End, Derby County, Cambridge United and Hull City, and in Iceland, on loan to Íþróttafélag Reykjavíkur.

This was, however, due to his no-nonsense approach on the pitch and he soon became a firm favourite with Tigers fans and management alike, with both Mølby and Peter Taylor making him captain.

Ashbee was, however, cursed by an old injury in the subsequent Championship campaign, being diagnosed with an osteochondral defect, a degenerative bone condition in his femur.

[citation needed] The 2007–08 season saw vastly improved performances from the team as a whole, culminating in the club reaching its first ever Wembley Stadium final, taking on Bristol City for a place in the Premier League, a game which they won 1–0.

[4] Towards the end of the 2008–09 season, in a fixture against Aston Villa on 4 May 2009, Ashbee suffered another career-threatening injury, rupturing a posterior cruciate ligament in his knee.

It was initially thought that he would return to action in the Autumn, however on 18 August it was reported that Ashbee required further surgery on the knee and would likely miss the entire 2009–10 season.

[citation needed] On 13 January 2015, he came out of retirement by signing for a short time with Humber Premier League side Hull United.