Willie Anderson

William John Anderson (born 24 January 1947) is an English former professional footballer who played as a winger. During his career, he made over 350 appearances in the Football League.

He began his career as a youth player with Manchester United, making his professional debut at the age of sixteen. However, he struggled to establish himself in the first team, largely due to the emergence of George Best in his position, and was sold to Aston Villa in January 1967 for £20,000. Relegated in his first season, he later helped the club win promotion back to the First Division and made over 200 appearances in all competitions before joining Cardiff City in 1973.

With Cardiff, he won promoted to the Second Division and reached three Welsh Cup finals, winning two in 1973 and 1974. During the English summer break in 1975, he joined Portland Timbers in the North American Soccer League on loan and enjoyed the experience enough to return to the club on a permanent basis in 1977. He went on to make over 150 appearances for the side, spending a season on loan with indoor side Wichita Wings, before retiring.

Early life Anderson was born in Liverpool and was raised as a Protestant. His father worked as a porter in a fruit and vegetable market. He had regularly trained under Alan A'Court for his school side and had been set to join the club before impressing scouts from Manchester United while representing Lancashire schoolboys. After being approached by representatives from United, he decided to join the club after fearing that Liverpool would not sign him, In later years, Anderson would meet Liverpool manager Bill Shankly who confirmed that the club would have made an approach to sign him if he had rejected United.

Of the three youth players, Anderson was the youngest to make his debut, He later became the first ever substitute used by the club when he replaced Best against Liverpool in the 1965 FA Charity Shield at the start of the following season. However, he struggled to break into the first team and gradually fell out of favour, making five appearances during the 1965–66 season followed by a single appearance the year after, as a substitute during a 2–2 draw with Liverpool in his final match for the club. Anderson later reminisced over his departure, stating "They always moved you on when you got to nineteen or twenty, because there were so many talented young kids coming up behind you."

Cardiff City

Having been virtually ever present for Villa over six years,

The following season, he scored his first goal for the club, during a 4–2 defeat to Oxford United. After sharing playing duties with Peter King and Tony Villars during the first half of the 1973–74 season, before becoming first choice and missing only one league match after December. He also helped the side to a second consecutive Welsh Cup victory after defeating Stourbridge 2–0 on aggregate.

In his third season, Anderson played a prominent role in a struggling side, appearing in 37 league matches as the club suffered relegation to the Third Division after finishing in 21st place. Despite their relegation, Anderson reached his third consecutive Welsh Cup final, but suffered a 5–1 aggregate defeat to Wrexham. Anderson became aware of the side after meeting with former teammate Brian Godfrey who had recently joined Portland. The team was managed by Anderson's former Aston Villa boss Vic Crowe and, after learning of Anderson's interest, Crowe contacted the winger who agreed to join despite not knowing the team's full name or where in the country they were based. He arrived after the start of the season after Cardiff reached the final of the Welsh Cup and, despite suffering jetlag after travelling to America two days earlier, he made his debut in a 2–0 victory over Vancouver Whitecaps. In his following match, he scored his first goal for the club, netting the game-winning goal in overtime against Rochester Lancers. The club were sponsored by an American alcohol company named Blitz who included a 24 pack of beer each week with each player's wages.

Career statistics

Honours Manchester United Charity Shield winner: 1965* (*=shared)

Aston Villa Third Division winner: 1971–72

Cardiff City Third Division runner-up: 1975–76 Welsh Cup winner: 1972–73, 1973–74 Welsh Cup runner-up: 1974–75

Portland Timbers North American Soccer League runner-up: 1975