Warren Aspinall

Born in Wigan, Aspinall began his career as a 13-year-old apprentice with hometown club Wigan Athletic. He signed a professional contract at the age of 17 and made his debut in March 1985 in an away game against Leyton Orient. He made 33 league appearances and scored ten goals for Wigan, before being sold to Everton in 1986 for £150,000. He was immediately loaned back to Wigan, scoring a further 12 goals in 18 league appearances. With Wigan's season completed, Aspinall returned to Everton, where he came on as a substitute for Gary Lineker in a 3–1 victory. After making only ten substitute appearances in all competitions for the Toffees, Aspinall transferred to Aston Villa for a then club record fee of £300,000, but could not help stop the club being relegated from the First Division. Manager Billy McNeill, who signed Aspinall, was sacked and replaced by Graham Taylor, as Villa bounced back immediately to the First Division, with Aspinall finishing as joint-top scorer. However, a poor disciplinary record prompted a warning from Taylor that this must improve or he would be sold. An incident away to St Mirren in a pre-season friendly involved Aspinall stamping on an opponent's foot led to him being sold to Portsmouth for a club-record fee of £315,000 in August 1988. He played in 44 league games and scored 14 goals for Aston Villa. In five years at Fratton Park, Aspinall made over 150 appearances in all competitions, scoring 28 goals, and under Jim Smith helped the club reach…

After leaving the game, Aspinall turned to drink and picked up a gambling addiction. His gambling cost him around £1 million that he had earned during his long career. On the verge of suicide, after narrowly avoiding death by train, saved only by last minute thoughts of his family, he checked himself into the Sporting Chance clinic. He has fronted a Samaritans campaign, "Men on the Ropes", that aims to reduce male suicides. In 2009 Aspinall was working in a Sainsbury's distribution centre in Basingstoke and scouting for League Two side Port Vale under manager Micky Adams. Since 2015 he has worked for radio station BBC Sussex as a summariser for Brighton & Hove Albion matches. His elder brother Wayne Aspinall also played briefly in the Football League, making a solitary appearance for Wigan Athletic in March 1984 against Preston North End.

Wigan Athletic

Associate Members' Cup: 1984–85 Aston Villa

Football League Second Division runner-up: 1987–88 Carlisle United

Football League Third Division: 1994–95 Football League Trophy: 1996–97 Brentford

Football League Third Division: 1998–99 Individual

PFA Team of the Year: 1996–97 Third Division All honours referenced by: