1995: Darren Huckerby, £400,000 (£847,500)
Destination: Newcastle United
Darren Huckerby was clearly destined for bigger things, and Newcastle United paid accordingly in November 1995. The £400,000 deal added £150,000 to City’s existing record in one move, despite Huckerby having made only 30 senior appearances in all competitions for the Imps. His pace and direct running had marked him out as a player with considerable potential, and Newcastle were prepared to take him from the bottom division straight into a squad challenging for the Premier League title.
His time on Tyneside was brief, but the career that followed justified the belief in his ability. After a loan spell with Millwall he joined Coventry City for £1 million, scoring 28 league goals and earning an England B cap before moving to Leeds United for a reported £6 million. He later won the First Division with Manchester City and Norwich City, becoming a particularly important figure at Carrow Road, where he made more than 200 appearances in all competitions and twice won the club’s Player of the Season award. Huckerby finished his professional career with San Jose Earthquakes in Major League Soccer, meaning that City’s £400,000 record sale had been the starting point for a career spent predominantly at a much higher level.
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