Playing Career
A midfielder, Talbot began his footballing career as an apprentice with Ipswich Town in 1968, turning professional in 1972; in the meantime he had spent two seasons on loan with Canadian club Toronto Metros. He made 227 appearances for Ipswich, and won the 1978 FA Cup with the club. In the 1978 FA Cup semi-final against West Bromwich Albion, Talbot scored the first goal eight minutes into the game. He was injured on the play when he collided head-to-head with Albion's skipper, John Wile. Wile played with a bandaged head for the remainder of the contest while Talbot was removed on a stretcher. In January 1979, Talbot moved to Arsenal for a fee of £450,000.
Talbot immediately became a first-team player at Arsenal. He played for the Gunners in the FA Cup final of that year, scoring a goal in a thrilling 3–2 victory over Manchester United; Talbot thus achieved the unique distinction of winning the FA Cup with two different teams in consecutive seasons. The following year he set a club record, as an ever-present in Arsenal's marathon 1979–80 season, when he played a total of 70 matches in a single season (the club reached the finals of both the FA Cup and the Cup Winners' Cup, but lost them both).
Talbot's impressive stamina and fitness meant he played nearly every Arsenal first-team game for the next five seasons, missing fewer than half a dozen League games. In all, the strong and sturdy midfielder played 327 first-team matches for the Gunners, scoring 49 goals. He also played for England, five times while at Ipswich and once as an Arsenal player.
After leaving Arsenal in June 1985 he went on to play for Watford, Stoke City, West Bromwich Albion, Fulham and Aldershot. From 1984 to 1988 Talbot was also chairman of the Professional Footballers' Association.
Read more about this topic: Brian Talbot
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