Mick Mills
Ipswich's England regular
| Full name: | Michael Denis Mills |
|---|---|
| Date of birth: | January 4, 1949 |
| Clubs played for: | Ipswich, Southampton, Stoke |
| Clubs managed: | Stoke, Colchester |
Club Career
Mick Mills started out as a schoolboy at Portsmouth, but the club's decision to abandon their youth system meant he moved on to Ipswich in 1966. He made his debut for the club at the age of 17 and quickly earned a reputation as a solid, dependable defender at home in either full-back position.
He was awarded the captaincy by Town boss Bobby Robson in 1971 and would later enjoy major success with the club, tasting both FA Cup and UEFA Cup glory. After 16 years at Portman Road, Mills departed for Southampton in 1982 before ending his playing days with Stoke.
Club Stats
| Years | Clubs | App | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1966–82 | Ipswich | 591 | 22 |
| 1982–85 | Southampton | 103 | 3 |
| 1985–87 | Stoke | 38 | 0 |
International Career
Mills earned his first England cap in 1972 in a friendly against Yugoslavia at Wembley. He had to wait more than three years for a second call up but would go on to become a regular in the England set-up. He was appointed captain for the 1982 World Cup finals in place of the injured Kevin Keegan and in total won 42 appearances for his country.
International Career Stats
| Years | Clubs | App | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1973–82 | England | 42 | 0 |
Managerial Career
Mills was appointed player-manager of Stoke in 1985, but was sacked in November 1989. The following year, he had a brief spell in charge of Colchester.
Key Games
Ipswich 1-0 Real Madrid (UEFA Cup 1st round 1st leg, September 20, 1973)
Town were given little hope of reaching the second round after being drawn against six-times European champions Real Madrid. But Mills' deflected strike handed the Suffolk side a famous victory at Portman Road and left them with a fighting chance of winning through. Madrid were still favourites to progress but Mills marshalled his defence superbly in the return leg as Town battled to a goalless draw at the Bernabeu - securing their shock passage into the next round.
Ipswich 1-0 Arsenal (FA Cup final, May 6, 1978)
With the likes of Malcolm Macdonald and Liam Brady in their line up, Arsenal were favourites to lift the famous trophy. But Mills and his Ipswich team-mates hadn't read the script, totally outclassing their distinguished opponents. Roger Osborne's strike 13 minutes from time secured victory and meant Mills became the first, and so far only, Ipswich captain to lift the FA Cup.
Ipswich 3-0 AZ Alkmaar (UEFA Cup final 2nd leg, May 20, 1981)
Goals from John Wark, Frans Thijssen and Paul Mariner gave Ipswich a commanding lead over their Dutch rivals. Town's fine performance at Portman Road meant they could afford to crash 4-2 in the return leg and still lift the UEFA Cup as 5-4 aggregate winners. The historic European triumph meant Mills had become the most successful skipper in the club's history.
Did You Know...?
Mills holds the Ipswich record for the most number of appearances, having played 741 games for the club
Southampton's regular 1982-83 line-up included five players who captained England at some stage in their career. They were Mick Mills, Alan Ball, Mick Channon, Peter Shilton and Dave Watson.
Mills remains Ipswich's most capped player for England, having won all 42 of his caps while at the club
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