Eddie McCreadie

Who is Eddie McCreadie?

Edward Graham "Eddie" McCreadie is a former Scottish footballer who played at left-back, mainly for Chelsea. He later became a manager.

McCreadie started his footballing career with amateur Scottish side Drumchapel before moving to Clydebank Juniors and then East Stirlingshire. After turning down a move to Fulham, he was signed for Chelsea in 1962 by then-manager Tommy Docherty for £5000 to help the club's push for promotion from the Second Division. The club were promoted that year and McCreadie became a fixture in the Chelsea defence for the next decade.

A talented and pacy attacking full-back with impressive timing, McCreadie featured strongly in the flamboyant Chelsea sides of the 1960s and 1970s alongside the likes of Ron Harris, Bobby Tambling, Peter Osgood and Charlie Cooke. While he only scored five goals for the club throughout his career, McCreadie scored a memorable winner in the League Cup final of 1965 in which he dribbled 80 yards up the pitch before slotting the ball past Leicester City goalkeeper Gordon Banks to give his side a 3-2 first leg lead, which ultimately won the trophy for his club as the second leg at Filbert Street ended in a 0-0 draw.