RIP Albert Quixall – A Sheffield Wednesday legend and a ‘Golden Boy’ of English football
The sad news was confirmed on Thursday evening that Quixall, who was at one point dubbed the ‘Golden Boy of British Football’, had passed away at the age of 87.
Quixall was born in Sheffield and came through the youth ranks at Wednesday, making his debut as a 17-year-old for Eric Taylor’s Owls against Chelsea in the winter of 1951 – it was the first of 260 appearances for the club.
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Hide AdThe talented inside forward made his England debut a couple of years later against Wales, and spent over a decade with his boyhood club before becoming Matt Busby’s first signing - for a British record fee of £45,000 – as he sought to rebuild Manchester United following the tragic Munich Air Disaster.
Blessed with quick feet and plenty of skill, Quixall once spoke of the faith he had in himself, saying, “If having confidence in my ability is big-headedness, I plead guilty to the charge. If I am perceived to be ‘cocky’ on the field, it is my everlasting habit of wanting to improve my game.”
For those that remember him, Quixall is certainly known as a Wednesday great and a true legend of the club, especially given that the attacker – who scored 65 goals for SWFC – was a real product of the city.
The former Owls, England, United and Oldham Athletic man has a hospitality suite named after him at Hillsborough, and goes down in history as one of the club’s best ever players,.