Freddie the king of the great underachievers

SPORTS history is littered with names of unfulfilled talent and the underrated, those who did not win the honours their skill perhaps deserved. Over the past two months we have chosen the finest footballers in every position.

To conclude the series, we list a selection of players who were perhaps unlucky not to been more widely acclaimed.

As usual, it is a purely personal selection based on the indisputable evidence that they were all fine players for whatever reason.

And when it comes to the king of the unfulfilled talent, one stands out for me, - the man who in his sporting afterlife often jumped on stage to impersonate his hero, Elvis.

Freddie Willcocks was the king of entertainers.

Sadly, he also had a penchant for getting in trouble with referees.

So much so, in fact, he was banned, first for 14 days, then a year and then five.

Willcocks played just 107 senior matches over 20 years, from 1954 to 1973.

He scored 23 goals and made eight island appearances which yielded a further three goals.

His only Muratti appearance came in 1957 in the remarkable 6-4 win for the green-and-whites at the Track.

Only 19 and playing at inside right, the then Northerner was an integral part of a winning side.

He had trials with Spurs where, legend has it, his attempts to impress with tricks on the training field did not go down well with the club.

The story goes that the retort from a watching coach was: 'Who the hell do you think you are? Tommy Harmer?' - a very skilful Spurs player of the time.

To which, cocky Willcocks is said to have replied: 'Who the hell is Tommy Harmer?'

He had all the tricks in the trade and delighted in nutmegs and back-heels.

But his temperament was sadly lacking.

In the 58-9 season he was sent off against Bels and picked up a 14-day ban. The following season he was dismissed twice more. In days when dismissals were rare, he was banned for a year.

Many seasons later, in 67-8, he was in trouble again and this time banned for five years after an incident in a Sunday League game.

Staying with front men, Lee Luscombe was another whose football skills promised much than they realised.

Before he headed off to Southampton and a professional career, the young left-winger produced a scintillating display in his only Muratti, the 3-0 win over Jersey at the Track in 1991.

The Caesareans were ripped apart by the ginger-haired flier, who was to return years later as a highly capable centre back who was worthy of island recognition.

It never came.

Norman 'Milko' Millman is the third maverick on the list, a Corbet Field hero of the early stages of their dominant era.

'Milko' was the George Best of local football in the 1970s, his long, straight hair, shirt outside the shorts, charisma and no little skill making him a real star.

His long, loping stride masked real pace and in his 15-year career he scored 133 club goals in 242 appearances for Vale, as well as gaining just one Muratti cap.

Arguably, it should have been many more given his talent.

But nevertheless 'Milko' at least walked away with a winners' medal from the 1974 victory at Springfield.

In contrast to that wayward trio, Tony Vance and Keith Jeffreys had faultless temperaments.

Vance can consider himself not to have been included in the reviews of best wingers, best strikers and best passers.

The Sylvans stalwart was a player of varying talents and few have been more dedicated in modern times.

In his early 30s, he tried his luck in pro football and turned out for Wycombe Wanderers in the conference.

The one-time Manchester United triallist then moved to Enfield as a semi-pro before returning to the island to become the westerners' attacking cog as Sylvans enjoyed a decade at the top.

Jeffreys, sadly, saw his career wrecked by knee problems.

But in the short time he played goalscoring came easily. In 132 club games for St Martin's, but largely Bels, 'KJ' netted 127 times.

The island appearances were few, but in the single Muratti one he made, the Springfield replay of 75, he came off the bench to earn a penalty in a dramatic extra-time win.

In defensive terms, Jack Martel was an integral part of the great St Martin's sides until his career was effectively ended by a leg break, after which he walked off the pitch and drove himself to hospital.

In the 1966 Muratti, he broke ribs in the first five minutes but carried on until the final whistle and picked up his winners' medal.

The winner of four Muratti caps, he was tough and uncompromising midfielder with a good all-round game and tremendous energy.

When Colin Renouf was missing for Saints, he was the natural successor as captain.

To finish, four predominantly defensive but versatile performers, all of whom were capped at Muratti level but in the case of two of them, Martin Gauvain and Gary de Carteret, should have played many more times.

Gauvain's eight appearances is a decent return for any player, but does not match his talent.

First for North, then Sylvans, he was an outstanding right wing-back with a good engine, pace and fine delivery.

Perhaps it was his timidity that stood against him, but he was a vital outlet on the right for Sylvans and Renouf certainly knew how to get the best out of him.

For grace, style and versatility, surely Belgraves have had few if any player better than de Carteret.

A lovely player with the skill of making time and space for himself, his 10 Muratti caps saw him fill right back, centre back and central midfield roles, as well as much bench-warming.

Geoff Rowe was capped nine times and was another who filled every position across the back four.

Initially a Saint, he had a successful spell at the Corbet Field, but in terms of versatility few can touch Vale Rec stalwart Mick Marley.

No role, bar goalkeeper and left wing, was beyond 'Charlie' who spent his entire career combining football with a highly successful golfing one.

I could have included many more who fit the bill of underrated or unfulfilled, especially the latter.

The insular big-fish-in-a-small- pond ways of local football lends itself to a high percentage of footballers never truly achieving what they were capable.

Until the next series, here's leaving you with a few more names to jog the visual memory banks: Dave McGall, Neil Laine, Jackie Blackmore, Colin 'Big Fal' Fallaize, Brian Robson, Dave Cochrane, Ken Giles, 'Goosey' Gleeson, Martyn Loveridge and Nigel Le Page.