It is a much more difficult task to come up with a list of Leicester City’s ten greatest ever defenders than it is for goalkeepers not least because there are more to choose from. That is not going to stop us. I started by identifying 50 possible names to go into our top ten which was further whittled down to about 15. Today, numbers 7-5.
7. John O’Neill, who played 345 games for the Foxes between 1978 and 1987, is number seven on our list. John spent five of his nine seasons with the club in the top-flight under the stewardship of Jock Wallace and then Gordon Milne and was twice a key member of Leicester sides that won promotion from Division Two. He also won 39 Northern Ireland caps and was a member of the international squad at the 1982 and 1986 World Cup finals. Although lacking pace and accused by some of being too casual, John was a classy centre half with excellent positional, passing and tackling skills. After leaving Filbert Street he played a handful of games for QPR and Norwich City. His last game was his debut for the East Anglian club where an appalling tackle by Wimbledon’s John Fashanu ended his career. The Irishman subsequently took legal action against Fashanu and Wimbledon before accepting an out of court settlement of £70,000 (about £250,000 in today’s money) - see the report in the Independent.
6. Richie Norman, at number six on our list, was a very consistent and reliable left back (a model professional who was a manager’s dream). The Geordie played 365 times for Leicester between 1960 and 1967 and spent virtually all of his career at Filbert Street. Richie was a member of the Foxes’ side that was well-established in the First Division, almost winning the title in 1963, and played in four cup finals picking up a League Cup winner’s medal in 1964.
5. Leicester born and bred, Graham Cross, the fifth greatest Leicester defender on our list, made more appearances for the club than any other player so far. If you include the Charity Shield game at the start of the 1971/2 season, Graham played 600 times for the Foxes between 1961-1975, and all but 84 of his 498 league games were in the top-flight. He was a stocky, tough-tackling and busy player who earned the nickname ‘The Tank’. Initially playing in a variety of positions he settled at centre-half when two central defenders became the norm. Graham played in four cup finals, won a Division Two Championship medal and was part of the victorious City side that beat Liverpool in the 1971 Charity Shield.
The fact that Brian Clough was a fan when manager of Derby County is an illustration of the esteem in which he was held. Many hold that he was unlucky not to receive a full England cap. Graham was one of the select few who also played professional cricket. An all-rounder for the great Ray Illingworth-captained Leicestershire side of the 1970s, it was his refusal to report back for pre-season training before the start of the 1975/76 season (because of his role in helping Leicestershire County Cricket Club win their first ever County Championship) that marked the beginning of the end for Cross at Filbert Street. More to come on Wednesday.