Ian James Muir (born 5 May 1963) is an English former professional football striker who scored 146 goals from 330 appearances in the Football League playing for

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and Darlington. He also played in the

Hong Kong First Division League The Hong Kong First Division League () is the second-highest division in the Hong Kong football league system. Established in 1908, it is the third oldest in Asia. The league was formerly the highest division in Hong Kong until the formation ...

for Sing Tao and Happy Valley, before returning to non-league football in England with Nuneaton Borough and Stratford Town. He is Tranmere's all-time record goalscorer, with 180 goals in all competitions.

Tranmere Rovers

Muir was signed to Tranmere Rovers by player-manager,

Frank Worthington Frank Stewart Worthington (23 November 1948 – 22 March 2021) was an English footballer who played as a forward. Worthington was born into a footballing family in Shelf, near Halifax, West Riding of Yorkshire. Both of his parents had pla ...

, who was his striking partner in his first season at the club. Despite his evident promise, he spent his early career at Rovers immersed in struggle, as the club languished in the basement of the league and Muir was part of the side that beat Exeter City 1–0 to save Rovers from automatic relegation from Division Four in 1987. He set up the crucial goal, headed in by Gary Williams in the 77th minute of the last game of that season. Muir prospered when new manager, John King, signed a big target-man, Jim Steel, as his strike partner in late 1987. Within four years, Rovers had been promoted twice and appeared at Wembley five times, with Muir scoring in the FA's centenary celebrations in 1988 and in Tranmere's Leyland DAF Trophy victory over Bristol Rovers in 1990. Injury prevented Muir partaking in the final strait of Rovers' promotion run in 1991 when they reached the second tier of English football for only the second time in their history. That summer, the signing of John Aldridge at Tranmere led to the marginalisation of Ian Muir, who remained a regular goalscorer when called upon for the remainder of his Tranmere career. To a generation of Tranmere Rovers fans, Ian Muir is remembered as a legendary player, who played the starring role in the greatest period of the club's history and also the finest centre forward not to have played in the top tier of English football.

Honours

Individual * PFA Team of the Year: 1988–89 Fourth Division, 1989–90 Third Division

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Muir, Ian Sing Tao SC players 1963 births Living people Footballers from Coventry English footballers Men's association football forwards Queens Park Rangers F.C. players Burnley F.C. players Birmingham City F.C. players Brighton & Hove Albion F.C. players Swindon Town F.C. players Tranmere Rovers F.C. players Darlington F.C. players Happy Valley AA players Nuneaton Borough F.C. players Stratford Town F.C. players English Football League players Hong Kong First Division League players Expatriate footballers in Hong Kong English expatriate sportspeople in Hong Kong English expatriate footballers