Shrimps and Whites

Player Profile - Sammy McIlroy

Samuel Baxter (Sammy) McIlroy M.B.E. was born in East Belfast on 2 August 1954. He represented Northern Ireland Schoolboys as a 14 and 15 year old before joining Manchester United.

He signed professional form in August 1971 and made his United debut in the Manchester Derby, scoring in a 3-3 draw in front of 63,000 at Maine Road at the age of 17 on 6 November 1971. He was the last youth player to be signed by Sir Matt Busby.

He started first-team life as a striker following his dramatic Maine Road entrance did not win him a regular place and for a season and a half he remained on the fringe. Then a car accident sidelined him for several months and battled back into contention but it wasn't until the Second Division campaign of 1974/75 that he hit convincing form become an ever present during the season and scoring 7 goals as United won the Division Two title.

He formed an effective partnership with Stuart Pearson which lasted for two and a half years until Jimmy Greenhoff arrived. Then McIlroy moved to midfield, at the expense of Gerry Daly, and played the best football of his life. He was given a free role on the left where, despite being right-footed, he prospered for four years.

His best season in front of goal was in 1975/76 when he scored 10 goals with United finishing third. They also reached the FA Cup Final but were surprisingly beaten 1-0 by Southampton.

McIlroy only missed 9 league matches out of 210 between 1975/76 and 1979/80

A year later on 21 May 1977, McIlroy picked up a winner's medal as United beat Liverpool 2-1. A runners-up medal in the FA Cup followed on 12 May 1979.Although McIlroy equalised for United having been 2-0 down against Arsenal; Alan Sunderland scored a dramatic winner for Arsenal minutes afterwards for a 3-2 victory.

McIlroy made 342 league appearances for United, netting 57 goals before Ron Atkinson sold him to Stoke for £350,000 in February 1982, following the arrival of Brian Robson.

McIlroy scored on his Stoke debut as they beat Sunderland at Roker Park on 10 February 1982. His best season in front of goal was in 1982/83 when he netted 8 goals in 41 appearances. After 14 goals in 133 appearances he joined Manchester City on a free transfer in August 1985.

He scored once in 13 appearances for City before joining Swedish club FC Orgyte.

In March 1987 he joined Bury and scored 6 goals in 43 appearances. He then has a spell in Austria with VFB Modling. McIlroy returned to Bury in August 1988 to make a further 57 appearances, scoring twice for the Shakers.

In February 1990 McIlroy joined Preston and made his debut in a 1-0 home defeat against Bristol Rovers on 10 February 1990. He made a total of 20 appearances for the Lilywhites and made his last appearances on the final day of the season on 5 May 1990. He was replaced by Adrian Hughes as PNE lost 2-0 at Shrewsbury.

McIlroy won 88 caps for Northern Ireland and scored five goals. He played all the country's matches during both the 1982 World Cup, where defeating the host nation Spain as Northern Ireland advanced to the second round, and 1986 World Cup, during which tournament McIlroy captained the side.

McIlroy began his managerial career as player-coach under the late John McGrath at Preston. He then went on to manage Northwich Victoria in 1991/92 and Ashton United in 1992/93 before joining Macclesfield in 1993 for six and a half seasons.

His second season Macclesfield won the conference title, only to be denied promotion to the Football League thanks to ground regulations. The following season brought more silver to the club as the Silkmen beat Northwich Victoria 3-1 at Wembley to win the club's second FA Trophy. The 1996/97 season saw them achieve their dream as a final day, 4-1 victory over Kettering secured promotion to the Football League for the first time in 120 years. The following season in 1997/98 the Silkmen finished the season unbeaten at home and were promoted into the Second Division in second place.

But the 1998/99 season Macclesfield finished bottom and relegated to Division 3. McIlroy left the Moss Rose on 23 February 2000 to take up the position at his own national team. He remains a legend in Macclesfield and has a suite at the Moss Rose stadium named after him

He managed Northern Ireland for nearly three years, but the team won only five times in 29 matches, with all of the wins occurring in McIlroy's first year. The side failed to score even a single goal in 13 qualifying matches for Euro 2004. Upon completion of the qualifying matches, McIlroy resigned to re-enter club management with Stockport, whom he managed until November 2004.

On 17 November 2005 he took over as caretaker manager of Conference side Morecambe, stepping in for incumbent manager Jim Harvey who had suffered a heart attack. Having guided Morecambe into the Conference play-offs where they were beaten 4-3 on aggregate to Hereford he was appointed permanent manager in May 2006. In his first full season, Morecambe again reached the play-offs where they beat Exeter to win promotion in one of the first games played at the new Wembley Stadium.

The first league match at home was a 0-0 draw against Barnet 11 August 2007. They had a good run in the League Cup by reaching Round Three with victories at Championship sides Preston and Wolves. Both seasons in 2007/08 and 2008/09 saw Morecambe finished in eleventh position.

His overall managerial record at Morecambe up to 10 August 2009 is played 167 matches; won 67; drawn 51 and lost 51.