Manchester City legend Glyn Pardoe
Manchester City legend Glyn Pardoe

Glyn Pardoe: Manchester City's youngest ever player dies aged 73


Glyn Pardoe, Manchester City's youngest ever player and part of the club's legendary team of the late 1960s and early '70s, has died aged 73.

Pardoe, a left-back, made his City debut in 1962, aged 15 years and 341 days old.

He would go on to score 22 goals in 380 appearances, spending his entire playing career at Maine Road.

Under the management of legendary duo Joe Mercer and Malcolm Allison, Pardoe helped City win the First Division in 1968, the FA Cup the following year, and both the Cup Winners' Cup and League Cup in 1970 - scoring the winner in the latter.

He later spent 16 years as part of City's backroom staff after injury forced his retirement as a player in 1976.

Pardoe's grandson Tommy Doyle is captain of City's under-23s side and made his first-team debut in against Southampton in the League Cup in October.

"Glyn was our youngest ever player and he was a superb footballer," said Man City ambassador and Pardoe's former team-mate Mike Summerbee.

"Had he not broken his leg against Manchester United at Old Trafford, he would have won many England caps in my opinion, but the injury left him with a long uphill struggle to play again.

"He used to play as a forward because he loved scoring goals and in training he would always be up front.

"He was a wonderful person - very shy and quiet and he underestimated himself as a footballer and his contribution to this football club was outstanding.

"He made me a better player because I had to work so hard to get past him and it made work harder to improve and be the best I could.

"Of course, young Tommy can take it on from here and go and be really successful like his grandfather was."