Willie Carlin

Having represented England at schoolboy level, Carlin began at his hometown club, and the club he supported, Liverpool, joining the side in 1956 before signing a professional contract two years later in May 1958. The following season, Carlin was handed his professional debut for the club in the Second Division at the age of 19, playing in a 2–2 draw with Brighton & Hove Albion on 10 October 1959. He remained at Anfield until 1962 but did not make any further appearances for the club and was sold to Division Three side Halifax Town in August 1962 for a fee of £1,500. At Halifax, Carlin was relegated for the first time in his career during his first season at the club, dropping into the Fourth Division, but made his name as a midfield schemer before joining Carlisle United in 1964 for a fee of £10,000. After initially clashing with coach Dick Young, Carlin soon settled with the Cumbrians and later credited Young with "making a real man of me". He helped Carlisle win promotion to the Second Division, despite suffering a broken leg during the 1965–66 season, before joining Sheffield United in 1967 for £40,000, signing a five-year contract with the Blades, where he spent one season before attracting the interest of Derby County, whose manager Brian Clough had followed his progress for several years and had previously attempted to buy Carlin during his time with Carlisle but had been charged by the Football Association after making an illegal approach to him. When Carlisle had…

After retiring from football, Carlin ran a bar in Majorca, Spain. He retired to the area of Allestree in Derby. In April 2011, Carlin's house was targeted by burglars who broke into his home using a spade and stole his winners medal from the 1968–69 season with Derby County and the gold commemorative bracelet that was awarded to each player. He died on 10 June 2024, at the age of 83.

Carlisle United

Football League Third Division: 1964–65 Derby County

Football League Second Division: 1968–69