MY ALL TIME FAVOURITE LEICESTER CITY TEAM

MY ALL TIME FAVOURITE LEICESTER CITY TEAM

Continuing with my all-time favourite Leicester City team and in this blog I will be choosing the centre back positions.

Once again I will be delving into my memory bank to try and choose the two centre backs who can take their place in my favourite team chosen from players I have seen play at Leicester over the past fifty years (am I really that old!) You may not all agree with my selections but here goes.

I can remember watching Ian King and Colin Appleton play at the heart of our defence in the early 1960’s also Frank McLintock, who was to return to City as manager for one disastrous season in the mid-seventies. (But more on that one in a later blog) But the first centre back partnership I can remember with distinction is the pairing of John Sjoberg and Graham Cross. These two played at the heart of City’s defence for many years and to my mind were probably the most successful centre backs I have seen play at Leicester City.

‘Big John’ Sjoberg and the ‘Tank’ Graham Cross were the ideal partnership and complemented each other well and they served for many years together in City’s defence.  Sjoberg has the distinction of being the only Leicester player to score two own goals in a game and Graham Cross has the distinction of making most appearances in a Leicester shirt. I watched these two for many years and it would be easy to name them both in my ‘dream team’

Next up as a serious contender would be John O’ Neill who played for Leicester during 1997/1987 and was given a debut by Jock Wallace. John played well over 300 games for City during his time with the club

Another contender is a player I always looked forward to watching at Filbert Street Russell Osman. Osman always appeared to have loads of time on the ball and was a classy centre back. He made his name at Ipswich playing alongside Terry Butcher but he also played over 100 games for City.

Tommy Williams is another one who has to be considered. Tommy was given his debut in the ill-fated 1977-78 season when City were relegated from division one! Tommy spent his time at City fluctuating between centre back and full back and he played over 260 games for City.

Matt Elliott is another player who will go down as a legend at City and when he arrived from Oxford for a club record fee I guarantee that a few eyebrows were raised, but Matt went on to be a key player under the guidance of Martin O’Neill and was worshipped at Leicester, and I may add he still is. Elliott formed a key partnership with Steve Walsh and he went on to play 281 games for City plus 9 as substitute. Elliott was also a prolific goal scorer and scored 33 times for City. When O’ Neill went to Celtic he made a bid of over three million pounds to try and secure Matt Elliot’s services, a bid that failed! That was how high O’Neill rated him.

Steve Walsh, what can you say about this man? ‘Captain fantastic’

Steve is one of the players who I will feature in a blog just for him, because it would take a lot of pages to write about this guy.

Walsh arrived from Wigan signed by his former manager Brian Hamilton for £100,000 and went on to become an enigmatic figure at Leicester playing 430 games for City with a further nineteen substitute appearances. Walsh also has the distinction of accumulating nine red cards while at Leicester.

Steve Walsh epitomises everything you would want in a player and his never say die spirit and his loyalty to Leicester has earned him a place as one of the biggest legends ever to play for City ( I have to say all these nice things because I see him every game at Leicester!). Walsh apart from being a prolific central defender also knew where the opposition net was, scoring a total of 62 goals for Leicester during a career that spanned fourteen years.  A true  legend.

Alan Woollett is another player that deserves recognition, he played 245 games for Leicester and if it was not for Sjoberg and Cross he would have played many more. Alan Woollett was under rated and at times not appreciated by the supporters but whenever he played he gave 100%

Tony James will go down in history as the man who scored the winning and only goal against Oxford at Filbert Street in the final game of the season of the 1990/91 season ensuring City kept their place in the second division. A feat that they couldn’t prevent in 2007/08. James played 107 games for City

It has not been easy to choose the central defenders because over the years I have seen so many, to many to mention them all, but others who deserve a mention are.

Larry May who played 200 games for City. Colin Hill played 167 games. Gerry Taggart played 117 games. Patrick Kisnorbo 126 games. Richard Smith 98 games.

Once again highlighted is the fact that for me, not since Steve Walsh and Matt Elliott have we had a commanding pair of centre backs that were going to form a long and fruitful partnership. I suppose in days gone by players were more loyal to the shirt.  Perhaps Wes Morgan and Sean St Ledger will be the next starring pair of centre backs to carry us forward.

I could name two pairings that would be worthy of a place in my dream team Sjoberg and Elliott would certainly be worthy of the places but the two that stand out for me and take their places are

STEVE WALSH and GRAHAM CROSS  

So we now have the defensive line up

Shilton, Whitworth, Walsh, Cross, Nish.

I wonder how many agree with me so far.

Until the next time.

Leicester till I die