Photo: Stew jones / CC BY-SA 3.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Sammy McIlroy carries the romantic title of the last of the Busby Babes at Manchester United, and that lineage alone earns my affection. A Belfast-born Northern Irishman, he wound his way through Stoke, Manchester City, and clubs in Sweden and Austria before turning to management, even leading his national team. The MBE confirms his standing. What I admire is the single-minded devotion to the game across both playing and coaching careers. He never chased the glamour lane, yet grinding out success at Macclesfield Town reveals a craftsman's temperament. A man who shouldered Northern Irish pride deserves nothing but respect from me.
Overview
Samuel Baxter McIlroy (born 2 August 1954) is a Northern Irish retired footballer who played for Manchester United, Stoke City, Manchester City, Örgryte (Sweden), Bury, VfB Mödling (Austria), Preston North End and the Northern Ireland national team. After playing, he managed several English football teams and the Northern Ireland national team, gaining most success with Macclesfield Town.
Summary adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Sammy McIlroy
- Name (Japanese)
- サミー・マッキロイ
- Reading
- さみー・まっきろい
- Born
- August 2, 1954 (age 71)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Leo / Horse
- Origin
- Belfast, United Kingdom
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- 178 cm
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- association football player / association football coach
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Ashfield Boys' High School
- University
- Private
Awards & achievements
- Member of the Order of the British Empire
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
Association football player — see all → · Association football coach — see all → · More people from United Kingdom →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.