John Aldridge signed for Tranmere Rovers from Real Sociedad as a 32-year-old in 1991 for a fee of £250,000. Sociedad originally wanted double that amount; however, Rovers' manager Johnny King worked his magic.
Aldo had struggled with life in the Basque Region, even though he was doing the business on the pitch; his kids were suffering. So he wanted to move back near Merseyside.
So, even though he was in his prime, he moved down a level to accommodate his family.
He netted 174 goals in 294 games, including a remarkable 40 goals in his debut season — a club record.
Aldridge became player-manager in 1996 and led Tranmere to the 2000 League Cup final and two FA Cup quarter-finals.
He retired from playing in 1998, and after the 2001 relegation, he stepped down as manager. Across his English playing career, Aldridge scored 411 goals in 739 appearances — a stunning average of a goal every 1.8 games.
The man was a goal-scoring machine.
#ireland #legend
😲 Here's a genuine football fact that sounds fake...
Leicester City’s name is engraved on every major domestic trophy in England more recently than Arsenal:
🏆 League Cup
▪️ Leicester 2000 vs. Arsenal 1993
🏆 FA Cup
▪️ Leicester 2021 vs. Arsenal 2020
🏆 Premier League
▪️ Leicester 2016 vs. Arsenal 2004
They are now a League One club. 🤯