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English Football Legends Series

"Dixie Dean belongs to the company of the supremely great, like Beethoven, Shakespeare and Rembrandt."
Bill Shankly

Dixie Dean

Clubs: Tranmere Rovers, Everton, Notts County

Position: Forward

Appearances*: 445

Goals*: 389

Honours: League Championship, 2
FA Cup, 1

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* League appearances and goals only

A goal-scoring phenomenon, arguably the greatest striker in the history of English football, his 60 league goals in the 1927/28 season is a record unlikely to ever be beaten.

Everton

An Everton fan as a boy, Dean got his dream move to Goodison Park in 1925, the Toffees paying Tranmere Rovers 3000 pounds for his signature.

Dean had started his career with Third Division Tranmere, but 27 goals in as many games soon had the big clubs sniffing around. Both Arsenal and Newcastle were interested, but once Everton entered the bidding, there was really only one choice.

The club he joined were an average mid-table outfit at the time, but within a couple of seasons Dean's exceptional strike rate had transformed them into title contenders.

Record-breaking Season

The 1927/28 title was already wrapped up when Arsenal were the visitors on the final day. Still 48,000 turned up to see if Dean, who already had 57 goals to his name, could beat George Camsell's 59 goal haul (set the previous campaign with Second Division, Middlesbrough).

Dean got a hat-trick, to reach 60 goals and guarantee a place in football folklore.

Relegation and Redemption

Just 2 years later Everton were relegated to the Second Division, but Dean stayed loyal as the club won the Division 2 title in 1930/31, then won the First Division again in 1931/32, with Dean contributing 44 goals.

More success followed in 1933 with the FA Cup - Dean scoring one of the goals in a 3-0 win over Manchester City.

Leaving Everton

However, the years and the physical demands of the game were taking their toll and in 1938, Dean was allowed to move to Notts County.

He finished his playing career in Ireland with Sligo Rovers, in 1939.

England career

At a time when international competitions were limited, Dean played just 16 times for England, scoring 18 goals. He got two hat-tricks - against Belgium and Luxembourg.

Life after football

After retiring, Dean ran the Dublin Packet pub in Chester, and also worked at Littlewoods Football pools as a porter.

He suffered ill-health in later life, and had to have a leg amputated due to a blood-clot in 1976.

Death and legacy

On 1 March 1980, Dixie Dean suffered a fatal heart-attack while watching a match between Liverpool and Everton at Goodison Park. He was 73 years old.

One year later he was one of four inaugural inductees into the English Football Hall of fame.

A statue of Dean was unveiled outside Everton's Goodison Park ground, in May 2001.

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