Sheffield United vs Millwall

76 UTB
Homegrown Heroes
Football historian LEIGH EDWARDS profiles eight notable players
who progressed through the ranks at Millwall...
CHARLIE HURLEY
BARRY KITCHENER
KEVIN O’CALLAGHAN
KEITH STEVENS
Central defender
Charlie Hurley gained
the first of his 40
Republic of Ireland
caps while at Millwall.
Signing professional
at The Den in October
1953, he scored twice
in 105 League games
for the Lions and
made his international
debut against England
shortly before sold
to Sunderland
for £20,000 in
September 1957.
‘King Charlie’ was
runner-up to Bobby
Moore as ‘Footballer
of the Year’ when he
skippered Sunderland
back to the topflight
in 1963/64
and was later voted
their ‘Player of the
Century’. Moving to
Bolton Wanderers in
June 1969, he then
managed Reading
between January 1972
and February 1977.
Long-serving central
defender Barry
Kitchener holds
Millwall’s appearance
record. A former
apprentice at The
Den, he turned
professional in August
1965 and made his
League debut in
Millwall’s 2-0 defeat
at Birmingham City in
February 1967. ‘Kitch’
was ever-present
in five consecutive
seasons including the
1971/72 promotion
near-miss, also
captaining successive
Cup runs and the
1975/76 promotion
triumph. Scoring 25
goals in a club record
523 League games,
he joined Millwall’s
coaching staff in May
1982 and became
caretaker-boss. He
then ran souvenir
shops in Caister and
Great Yarmouth and
died in March 2012.
Republic of Ireland
international winger
Kevin O’Callaghan
helped Millwall to win
the Second Division
title in 1987/88.
Signing professional
at The Den in
November 1978, he
was given his League
debut in Millwall’s 4-2
victory at Charlton
four months later. He
was sold to Ipswich for
£250,000 in January
1980 and joined
Portsmouth in January
1985. Starring in their
1986/87 promotion
success, he rejoined
Millwall in June 1987
and helped reach the
First Division play-offs
in 1990/91. He netted
17 goals in 96 League
games overall before
joining Southend
in July 1991, later
returning to Millwall as
youth team manager.
Long-serving rightback
Keith Stevens
featured as Millwall
qualified for the
promotion play-offs in
1990/91 and 1993/94.
A former apprentice
at The Den, he made
his League debut in
Millwall’s 1-0 defeat
at Oxford United two
months before turning
professional in June
1981. ‘Rhino’ starred
as the Lions won
promotion in 1984/85,
then were Second
Division champions
in 1987/88. Scoring
nine goals in 462
League games, he
became player-boss
in May 1998 and took
Millwall to the 1999
Auto Windscreens
Shield final. He left
in September 2000,
then managed Fisher
Athletic and now has
Subway franchises
in Australia.
SHEFFIELD UNITED vs MILLWALL