When the final whistle went, it was joy, joy, joy. I couldn’t wait to get up those stairs to collect the cup, but all the lads were behind the goal, celebrating with our fans. One of the UEFA delegates asked if I could gather the players together. I thought: ‘You must be joking!’ a b c d "Villa's Fab 50 top player countdown: 2 Dennis Mortimer". Aston Villa F.C. 24 July 2011 . Retrieved 24 July 2022.

Twenty-three year-old Spink replaced Rimmer to make three startlingly good saves and also to ridicule the fact that his experience this season totals only 36 reserve Central League games. Mortimer was capped by England at youth [7] and under-23 level [8] and captained England B, [9] [10] but was never capped for the full England team. [4] Post-playing career [ edit ] I regard Phil as one of the best possible examples of a true professional. His greatest asset as a player is his ability to read the game, he showed that gift even as a teenager.There's no closer community, when people would fall on hard times, people from Kirkby stepped forward."

At Anfield, Phil was under the tutelage of the likes of Reuben Bennett, legendary club stalwart George Patterson and Tom Bush. His first trial would end in heartbreak when the club didn’t take him on. However, there would be a glimmer of hope and an invite to return for a second trial in pre-season. Nobody could question Thompson’s career though. After all, none other than Bob Paisley would have this to say of him: He said: "Kirkby spawned many great players who went to on play professional football for all different clubs. Step forward Dennis Mortimer. The midfield maestro began his career with Coventry City, where he made more than 200 appearances. Kirkby was always a place that, after the Z-Cars era, would be bigged up as a tough place and really rough area, but people are really proud of it.At the end of the final players swapped shirts with the pre-match favourites Bayern Munich but Mortimer wanted to keep his number 6 on because of the cup presentation. He later gave it away in the Munich dressing room and his nephew is scouring Germany trying to locate it. Honorary Degrees & Fellowships". University of Worcester. 2011. Archived from the original on 12 May 2012 . Retrieved 24 March 2012.