The Premier League is arguably the greatest football league in the world. Yet the English leagues did not get to that point without help, and there have been plenty of players from across Northern Ireland, particularly Armagh, who have graced the English football league over the years. Below, we provide the three best Armagh athletes to ever play in English football.
Willie Graham
Willie Graham was born on the 14th of February 1959 and, as a result, was given the romantic middle name of Valentine. Yet his career was not romantic at all, as he started his football career in the tough lower leagues of English football playing for Northampton Town, later moving to another local club known as Stewarts and Lloyds Corby.
His career really began when he signed for the fourth-division club Brentford in 1977. He made 32 appearances for the team and was part of the squad that gained them promotion in the 1977-78 season. He helped with two goals. However, the next league proved tough, and he seldom made a spot on the team. In 1981, he left Brentford and moved to non-league football.
Brentford are now in the Premier League, the top level of English football. They gained promotion in the 2020-2021 playoffs, moving to the top flight for the first time in 74 years. Despite coming close to the relegation zone last year, the best Premier League betting odds are putting them around 500/1 to win. Of course, you don’t have to choose outside teams like this to win outright, placing bets that pay out for places, known as each-way bets. If you need to know how to calculate each way bets, there is plenty of information online that will provide prices and places for you.
Davy Cochrane
Davy Cochrane had a lot weighing on his shoulders when his career began. He was one of Northern Ireland’s youngest stars to play professionally. Playing for Leeds United, he was also one of their youngest proteges to have International caps to his name.
In stature, Cochrane was a mere 5’4 and was turned down by Arsenal for this very reason. Yet what he lacked in size he made up for in speed and pace. His first few appearances were fleeting, and he even had a spell in the reserves to help him acclimatise to the English game. Yet it was not long before he was permanent outside right for the first team. He played for the club between 1937 and 1951, gaining 12 caps for Ireland in that time.
Michael O’Neill
Few Armagh-born locals have the experience in football that Michael O’Neill has, particularly when it comes to the major teams. He has had stints for Newcastle United, Coventry City and Wigan Athletic. His tenure with Scottish football is also vast, having worked with Dundee, Hibernian, and Clydebank amongst others.
Arguably, his most successful run was his first season at Newcastle in 1987. Signed for £100,000, he managed to make 22 appearances and score 13 goals. Despite injury and a loss of form in the second season, he was transferred to Dundee United for a club record of £350,000.
There have been many great athletes from Armagh and will be many more to come. With football increasing in popularity, it won’t be long before even more stars from County Armagh grace the world stage.
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