Frank Worthington must be regarded as the most valuable and iconic player in the recent history of this football club. Jamie Vardy is of course close and by many far above, but if you grew up with this player you could just give him the ball and he fixed the rest.
His last game for Leicester was a league meeting vs. local rivals Nottingham Forest. A disaster 0-3 defeat in that 77/78 season with Frank McLintock bringing in several new faces that never fit and surprisingly did let the clubs most important player leave.
Frank joined Leicester from Huddersfield in 1972 and when he left for Bolton, did return to play for his former boss Ian Greaves, who had also been his chief at The Terriers. A move that worked well for Frank and he just swopped places with Leicester as he the next season was back up in the top flight.
His great games were many and he scored a total of 72 goals in 210 league appearances for Leicester. During his time at Filbert Street he also added 8 England caps to his portfolio.
He was a real steady Eddie in his first years in football playing for his local club Huddersfield Town for six years, then spending the next five with Leicester. But after Leicester it became a nomadic life going to Bolton, Birmingham, Sunderland, Leeds and Southampton all top flight adventures and in his last season in top football he also picked up a runners-up medal surprisingly Saints ending in 2nd position.
Frank was active in the EFL until 1988 when he left Stockport County and continued playing in non-league at a few places abroad and one time also appearing in special games as a guest, once also turning out for the Welsh league club Cemaes Bay. He never got his chance at Liverpool and Anfield after that famous failed medical, but out in Wales as part of charity, he scored a hat trick and lined up alongside former Reds greats, Terry McDermott, David Johnson and Chris Lawler.
Another so called big football team that fielded Frank Worthington was Manchester United. This was during a tour of Australia in 1984. Frank made a few guest appearances with Ron Atkinson as boss. Tommy Hutchison was also a special guest star on the tour. Frank second to the left in back row on this special picture.
Frank Worthington never hit the big time in league football, did not win any major silverware, as he described it himself, but he had his special adventures and appeared with stars and in famous kits, both for Liverpool and Manchester United.
He wa a natural with special skills that made your team a dream act to watch.
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