Mark Higgins (footballer)

Mark Nicholas Higgins (born 29 September 1958) is an English former footballer who played at centre back for Everton, Manchester United, Bury and Stoke City.[1]

Mark Higgins
Personal information
Full name Mark Nicholas Higgins[1]
Date of birth (1958-09-29) 29 September 1958[1]
Place of birth Buxton, Derbyshire, England[1]
Height 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)[2]
Position(s) Centre-back
Youth career
1975–1976 Everton
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1976–1985 Everton 152 (6)
1985–1987 Manchester United 6 (0)
1987 → Bury (loan) 0 (0)
1987–1988 Bury 68 (0)
1988–1990 Stoke City 39 (1)
Total 265 (7)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Career

Born in Buxton, Derbyshire, Higgins is the son of former Bolton Wanderers's centre-back John Higgins.[3] Higgins represented England schoolboys prior to signing for Everton.[4]

Higgins joined Everton as an apprentice and earned his first team debut for the Toffees on 5 October 1976. He made a total of 183 appearances for the club, scoring 6 goals.[5] Higgins later picked up a severe injury, which forced him to temporarily retire from the game in May 1984.

Defying all expectations, Higgins returned to the game 18 months later, when he joined Manchester United for £60,000 in December 1985. He made his Manchester United debut in a 2–0 home win over Rochdale in the FA Cup Third Round on 9 January 1986. However, he was unable to recover the form he had shown while with Everton and, after just eight appearances for United (six league, two cup), he was allowed to go on loan to Bury in January 1987 before the transfer was made permanent in February 1987 for a fee of £10,000.

At Gigg Lane Higgins played 82 times for the club in three seasons before joining Stoke City in September 1988.[1] He played 37 times for Stoke in 1988–89 scoring once against Chelsea.[1] In 1989–90 he played nine times for Stoke before being released at the end of the season. He then joined Burnley on trial but injured his back and decided to retire from playing.[1]

Career statistics

Source:[6]

Club Season League FA Cup League Cup Other[A] Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Everton 1976–77 First Division 2000000020
1977–78 First Division 261105000321
1978–79 First Division 201000020221
1979–80 First Division 190005020260
1980–81 First Division 2000000020
1981–82 First Division 293102000323
1982–83 First Division 391502000471
1983–84 First Division 140005000190
1984–85 First Division 0000000000
Total 152670190401826
Manchester United 1985–86 First Division 6020000080
Total 6020000082
Bury 1986–87 Third Division 220000020240
1987–88 Third Division 410105030500
1988–89 Third Division 5000300080
Total 680108050820
Stoke City 1988–89 Second Division 331300010371
1989–90 Second Division 6000201090
Total 391302020461
Career Total 26571302901103187
A. ^ The "Other" column constitutes appearances and goals in the Football League Trophy, Full Members Cup and UEFA Cup.

References
  1. Matthews, Tony (1994). The Encyclopaedia of Stoke City. Lion Press. ISBN 0-9524151-0-0.
  2. Dunk, Peter, ed. (1987). Rothmans Football Yearbook 1987–88. London: Queen Anne Press. p. 102. ISBN 978-0-356-14354-5.
  3. Tallentire, Becky (2002). Still talking blue : a collection of candid interviews with Everton heroes ([New ed.]. ed.). Edinburgh: Mainstream. ISBN 978-1840186642.
  4. "Mark Higgins interview". Blue Kipper. Retrieved 18 March 2014.
  5. "Everton Player Stats: Mark Higgins". Everton Stats. Everton FC. Archived from the original on 13 April 2017. Retrieved 15 September 2012.
  6. Mark Higgins at the English National Football Archive (subscription required)
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