Mark Higgins (footballer)

Mark Higgins

Personal information
Full name	Mark Nicholas Higgins
Date of birth	29 September 1958 (1958-09-29) (age 53)
Place of birth	Buxton, Derbyshire, England
Height	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Playing position	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)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

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.

Career

Born in Buxton, Derbyshire, Higgins joined Everton as an apprentice in 1975, before turning professional in August 1976. He made his first team debut for the Toffees on 5 October 1976, playing in a 2–2 draw at home to Manchester City. After making just two appearances for the club in the 1976–77 season, he then played 32 times as the team finished in third place in 1977–78. However, mainly due to competition from more experienced players, Higgins struggled to establish himself as a regular first team player. Then, during the 1982–83 season, after captain Billy Wright was dropped, Higgins was named as his successor to the captain's armband, and missed just three games that year.

Unfortunately, just when Higgins might have been expecting an extended run in the side, he suffered what was believed to be a minor groin injury in a League Cup Fourth Round replay against West Ham United. In actuality, Higgins had picked up a rather more severe pelvic disorder, 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.

Higgins played for Bury until September 1988, when he moved to Stoke City. After just over two seasons with Stoke, Higgins picked up a back injury while on trial with Burnley and finally retired from the game permanently.

External links

• Profile at evertonfc.com
• Profile at StretfordEnd.co.uk
• Profile at MUFCInfo.com

Persondata
Name	Higgins, Mark
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	29 September 1958
Place of birth	Buxton, Derbyshire, England
Date of death
Place of death