After his local team, Portsmouth, had been forced to disband their
youth team as an economic measure, Mick Mills joined Ipswich Town in the
summer of 1965, a move that was to prove hugely beneficial to both club
and player. He made his debut, aged 17, at the end of the next season
in a 5-2 win against Wolves and began the 1966/67 campaign in the first
team. However, although he made a number of appearances in an Ipswich
side that was pushing for, and eventually achieved, promotion, he did
not fully establish himself in the team until Ipswich returned to the
First Division in 1968/69. Breaking into the side for the match against
Liverpool in September, he kept his place for the remainder of the
season and scored his first goal in a 2-0 home win against Burnley in
January 1969. Better known as a hard-tackling full-back, Mills was also
effective in midfield, and in 1969/70 his more advanced role brought him
four goals as he became a fixture in the team. Ever present in the
following campaign, Mills took over the captaincy in January 1971 after
previous skipper Billy Baxter fell out with manager Bobby Robson. This
was a role Mills was to keep for more than ten years. Ipswich enjoyed
their most successful season since promotion under Mills' leadership in
1971/72, finishing 13th, before truly flourishing the following year.
Once more playing in every game, Mills led the side to fourth place and
European qualification. At the end of the campaign, he lifted his first
trophy after Ipswich overcame local rivals Norwich City to claim the
Anglo-Scottish Texaco Cup. It was also during this season that Mills
made his England debut, in a 1-1 draw with Yugoslavia at Wembley. (Csaba Abrahall)
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