19: James Wilson
A product of the Bristol City academy, James Wilson made his senior debut in 2008 and also gained valuable experience across two loan spells with Brentford. His career became established at Oldham Athletic, where the Welsh international accumulated 100 league appearances and became a regular at the heart of their defence. Wilson later joined Sheffield United, collecting a League One title winner’s medal before spending part of the following campaign on loan at Walsall.
Wilson was a marquee signing, a centre-back who’d played League One before Christmas football moving into League Two. He was the sort of player who should have carried the Imps forward, but it never happened. A broken ankle against Cambridge didn’t help, and he eventually fizzled out, playing right back, and looking less than capable.
He was capable. After leaving Lincoln, he became Ipswich Town’s 2020/21 Player of the Year and then won another League One title with Plymouth Argyle. Spells with Bristol Rovers and Cheltenham Town followed, allowing him to continue playing regularly well into his thirties.
Comments Welcome!