The Villans' cannonball strike hero

ONE of the most dangerous wingers I have ever seen, cutting through defences at tremendous speed and finishing with cannonball shots” was how Jimmy Greaves described Aston Villa legend Peter McParland.

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Away from Villa, he will best be remembered for the five goals he scored in the 1958 World Cup finals for Northern Ireland, as they made progress to the quarter-finals. He averaged a goal a game during the tournament in Sweden.

Only Pelé, West Germany's Helmut Rahn and France's Just Fontaine scored more goals than McParland at those finals. He also scored two goals in Northern Ireland's qualification campaign.

Following the death of Billy Bingham in June 2022, McParland, who was capped 34 times, was the last surviving member of the Northern Ireland team that played during the 1958 World Cup.