Billy Steel
Statistics
Biography
William Steel was born in Denny, Stirlingshire, on 1 May, 1923. He died on 13 May, 1982.
From juvenile football in Dunipace and Bo’ness, Billy Steel’s talents were recognised by Leicester City, who took him onto their ground staff early in 1939, but he returned to Scotland with St Mirren that summer as an amateur, turning professional with Morton in 1941. Despite the wartime conditions, he blossomed as an inside forward and by the time the war was over he was much in demand.
Derby County paid £15,500 British transfer record for his services in 1947; he would make 124 appearances for the Rams, scoring 35 times. Following his time in England, he returned to Scotland with Dundee for a Scottish transfer record on £22,500, helping them to League Cup success in 1952 and 1953.
Billy won 30 caps for Scotland, scoring 12 goals – including four in a 6-1 victory over Northern Ireland in 1950.