Playing Career
In his playing days he was a central defender, beginning his professional career in 1990 when Sunderland signed him from non-league Goole Town. He only made 21 appearances in four years however, before joining Northampton in 1994 after a successful loan spell. He played for the Cobblers for 10 years, making 449 appearances, placing him second in the list of appearance makers behind Tommy Fowler. Sampson retired from the game at the end of the 2003–04 season. He had a brief loan spell at Tottenham in 1995, featuring in their makeshift squad for the Intertoto Cup. He even managed to score during Spurs' only victory in the campaign against NK Rudar Velenje.
Read more about this topic: Ian Sampson
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