He made his debut against Grimsby Town at the age of 16 years 214 days on 20 April 1971, becoming Colchester's youngest player to appear in the league, a record that stood until 2019.
Originally a spindly teenager, he was known for his dribbling skills, often coming on as substitute on the left wing.
However, as his body matured, he became strong in the air and he was used by Colchester as a central defender, and occasionally even as a target man up front.
His occasional forays up the left wing from his position in central defence caught many teams by surprise.
This biographical article related to association football in England, about a defender born in the 1950s, is a stub.