David McCreery, Manchester United player

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David McCreery was Manchester United’s first ‘super-sub’. Between 1974 and 1979 he made 110 appearances for the club, 53 of them as a substitute.

McCreery was born in Belfast in 1957. He was spotted, as a schoolboy footballer, by Manchester United’s Northern Ireland scout, Billy Behan. He joined the club in 1972 at fifteen and turned professional in 1974 at seventeen. He made two initial appearances in 1974-1975, when the club was in the Second Division, before then playing regularly in the First Division over the following four seasons. During the first two, under Docherty, he was mainly a substitute, during the next two, under Sexton, he made more starts. He could, more or less, play anywhere. He was originally a striker, but probably made most of his appearances in midfield. In two successive FA Cup Finals (1975-1976 and 1976-1977) he came on as a substitute for winger, Gordon Hill. At the end of the 1978-1979 season, McCreery was sold to Queens Park Rangers, where he played again for Tommy Docherty. He played for a number of other clubs before retiring, with his longest stay being at Newcastle United where, arguably, he played his best football.

McCreery was extremely fit. He gained the nickname ‘Roadrunner’ as a result of his apparently limitless stamina. Whether he played the whole of a game of just part of it, he always played with great energy and maximum effort. He was an honest and popular player who seemed to cope with regularly being only a substitute. He was an excellent ‘squad player’ in the days before clubs operated squads.

McCreery won more caps for his country than he made starts for Manchester United. He played 67 times for Northern Ireland, representing them at the World Cup in 1982 and 1986.

profile last updated December 2010