William Donald Grigg (born 3 July 1991) is a professional
footballer
A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby le ...
who plays as a
striker for
EFL League One
The English Football League One (often referred to as League One for short or Sky Bet League One for sponsorship purposes, and known as the Football League One from 2004 until 2016) is the second-highest division of the English Football Leag ...
club
Milton Keynes Dons
Milton Keynes Dons Football Club (), usually abbreviated to MK Dons, is a professional association football club based in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, England. The team competes in , the third tier of the English football league system. The ...
.
Grigg began his professional career at
Walsall
Walsall (, or ; locally ) is a market town and administrative centre in the West Midlands (county), West Midlands County, England. Historic counties of England, Historically part of Staffordshire, it is located north-west of Birmingham, east ...
and came to prominence during the
2012–13 season, winning the club's Player of the Season and Players' Player of the Season awards.
Early life and career
Grigg was born in
Solihull
Solihull (, or ) is a market town and the administrative centre of the wider Metropolitan Borough of Solihull in West Midlands County, England. The town had a population of 126,577 at the 2021 Census. Solihull is situated on the River Blythe i ...
, West Midlands. He was educated at
Solihull School
Solihull School is a coeducational Independent school (UK), independent day school in Solihull, West Midlands (county), West Midlands, England. Founded in 1560, it is the oldest school in the town and is a member of the Headmasters' and Headmi ...
and was signed by
Birmingham City
Birmingham City Football Club is a professional football club based in Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, it was renamed Small Heath in 1888, Birmingham in 1905, and Birmingham City in 1943. Since 2011, the first te ...
at the age of seven. He progressed through the club's
youth teams, but suffered a broken leg at age 15.
After his release by Birmingham in 2007, Grigg became a student at
Solihull College
Solihull College & University Centre, formerly called Solihull Technical College, is a further education college located in the Metropolitan Borough of Solihull, in the West Midlands, England. The College has two main campuses; the Blossomfield ...
of Technology and turned out for
Solihull Moors
Solihull Moors Football Club is a professional football club based in Solihull, England. The club currently competes in the National League, the fifth tier of the English football league system, after achieving promotion from the National Leag ...
' youth team.
Club career
Stratford Town
In September 2007, Grigg signed non-contract terms with
Midland Alliance
The Midland Football Alliance was an English association football league for semi-professional teams. It covered Leicestershire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire, West Midlands, Worcestershire and also southern parts of Derbyshire and Not ...
side
Stratford Town and made his first team debut in a 0–0
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic English football. First played during the 1871–72 season, it is the oldest national football competi ...
qualifying draw versus
Hednesford Town
Hednesford Town Football Club is a football club based in Hednesford, Staffordshire, England. They are currently members of the and play at Keys Park.
History
The club was established in 1880 as a merger of the Red & Whites and Hill Top. on 15 September. He started the replay and was substituted after 58 minutes for Steven Ruck. Grigg scored in a league match versus
Biddulph Victoria on 29 September and again versus
Racing Club Warwick on 7 October.
Walsall
Having courted interest from
West Bromwich Albion
West Bromwich Albion Football Club () is an English professional football club based in West Bromwich, West Midlands, England. They compete in the EFL Championship, the second tier of English football. The club was formed in 1878 and has pla ...
, Grigg signed a scholarship at
League One
The English Football League One (often referred to as League One for short or Sky Bet League One for sponsorship purposes, and known as the Football League One from 2004 until 2016) is the second-highest division of the English Football Leag ...
side
Walsall
Walsall (, or ; locally ) is a market town and administrative centre in the West Midlands (county), West Midlands County, England. Historic counties of England, Historically part of Staffordshire, it is located north-west of Birmingham, east ...
in the summer of 2008.
Assigned the number 24 shirt, he made his league debut as an 89th-minute substitute for
Dwayne Mattis
Dwayne Anthony Mattis (born 31 July 1981) is a former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. Born in England, he made two appearances for the Republic of Ireland U21 national team.
Career
Mattis began his career as a trainee with ...
in a 0–0 draw with
Cheltenham Town
Cheltenham Town Football Club is a professional association football club based in the town of Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England. From the 2021–22 season, the club compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league syst ...
on 20 December 2008.
Grigg was an unused substitute for a 2–1 defeat away to
Tranmere Rovers
Tranmere Rovers Football Club is a professional association football club based in Birkenhead, Merseyside, England. The team compete in , the fourth tier of the English football league system. Founded in 1884 as Belmont Football Club, they ado ...
on 28 December 2008 and made no further appearances in the first team squad during the
2008–09 season. Grigg made no appearances during the
2009–10 season, but was an unused substitute on 20 occasions. Grigg featured regularly as a second-half substitute during the
2010–11 season and made his first start for Walsall in a 1–0 FA Cup second round defeat at
Torquay United
Torquay United Football Club is a professional football club based in Torquay, Devon, England. The team currently compete in the , the fifth tier of English football. They have played their home matches at Plainmoor since 1921 and are nicknamed ...
on 27 November 2010. He made his first league start in a 1–0 away win against
Charlton Athletic
Charlton Athletic Football Club is an English professional football club based in Charlton, south-east London, which compete in . Their home ground is The Valley, where the club have played since 1919. They have also played at The Mount in C ...
on 12 December 2010. He scored his first senior goal in a 2–2 league draw against
Bristol Rovers
Bristol Rovers Football Club are a professional football club in Bristol, England. They compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league system.
They play home matches at the Memorial Stadium in Horfield, they have been c ...
on 11 January 2011. Grigg finished the 2010–11 season having made 30 appearances and scored four goals.
Grigg made 32 appearances and scored four goals during the
2011–12 season.
Grigg became a regular starter during the
2012–13 season and scored seven goals before the New Year, including a
brace
Brace(s) or bracing may refer to:
Medical
* Orthopaedic brace, a device used to restrict or assist body movement
** Back brace, a device limiting motion of the spine
*** Milwaukee brace, a kind of back brace used in the treatment of spinal cur ...
in a 4–2 away victory over
Milton Keynes Dons
Milton Keynes Dons Football Club (), usually abbreviated to MK Dons, is a professional association football club based in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, England. The team competes in , the third tier of the English football league system. The ...
on Boxing Day. Grigg started 2013 in style with a goal, an assist and his first professional Man of the Match award in Walsall's televised league match against
Portsmouth
Portsmouth ( ) is a port and city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. The city of Portsmouth has been a unitary authority since 1 April 1997 and is administered by Portsmouth City Council.
Portsmouth is the most dens ...
on 4 January. His impressive form continued as he scored his first hat-trick in a 3–0 victory at
Carlisle United
Carlisle United Football Club ( , ) is a professional association football club based in Carlisle, Cumbria, England. The team compete in , the fourth tier of the English football league system. They have played their home games at Brunton Par ...
on 26 February, bringing his season tally up to 14 goals. He finished the 2012–13 season with a run of 10 goals in 11 matches,
as Walsall mounted an unsuccessful challenge to qualify for the League One
playoffs
The playoffs, play-offs, postseason or finals of a sports league are a competition played after the regular season by the top competitors to determine the league champion or a similar accolade. Depending on the league, the playoffs may be eithe ...
. Grigg's form led to interest from
Championship
In sport, a championship is a competition in which the aim is to decide which individual or team is the champion.
Championship systems
Various forms of competition can be referred to by the term championship.
Title match system
In this system ...
side
Derby County
Derby County Football Club () is a professional association football club based in Derby, Derbyshire, England. In 2022, it was announced that DCFC was acquired by Clowes Developments (UK) Ltd, a Derbyshire-based property group.
Founded in 1884 ...
and
Premier League
The Premier League (legal name: The Football Association Premier League Limited) is the highest level of the men's English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Foo ...
sides
Aston Villa
Aston Villa Football Club is a professional football club based in Aston, Birmingham, England. The club competes in the , the top tier of the English football league system. Founded in 1874, they have played at their home ground, Villa Park ...
,
Southampton
Southampton () is a port city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. It is located approximately south-west of London and west of Portsmouth. The city forms part of the South Hampshire built-up area, which also covers Po ...
and
Norwich City
Norwich City Football Club (also known as The Canaries or The Yellows) is an English professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk. The club competes in the EFL Championship following their relegation from the Premier League in the 20 ...
. Grigg won the Walsall Player of the Season and Players' Player of the Season awards for the 2012–13 season,
having made 45 appearances and finished as the club's top scorer with 20 goals.
Grigg's contract expired at the end of the season and he left the club after turning down a new four-year deal.
He finished his Walsall career having made 109 appearances and scored 28 goals.
Brentford
On 1 July 2013, Grigg signed for fellow League One side
Brentford
Brentford is a suburban town in West London, England and part of the London Borough of Hounslow. It lies at the confluence of the River Brent and the Thames, west of Charing Cross.
Its economy has diverse company headquarters buildings whi ...
on a three-year deal. As Grigg was under 24 at the time of the transfer, the deal went to a
Football League
The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888 as the Football League, the league is the oldest such competition in the world. It was the top-level football league in Engla ...
tribunal
A tribunal, generally, is any person or institution with authority to judge, adjudicate on, or determine claims or disputes—whether or not it is called a tribunal in its title.
For example, an advocate who appears before a court with a single ...
and Brentford were ordered to pay an initial £325,000, plus add-ons. By July 2014, the fee had risen to £405,000. Grigg made his debut for the club in the first match of the
2013–14 season, a 1–1 away draw at
Port Vale
Port Vale Football Club are a professional football club based in Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, England, which compete in . Vale are the only English Football League club not to be named after a place; their name being a reference to the valley o ...
on 3 August 2013. On his next appearance, he scored his first Brentford goals, a brace in a 3–1 home victory over
Sheffield United
Sheffield United Football Club is a professional football club in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, which compete in the . They are nicknamed "the Blades" due to Sheffield's history of cutlery production. The team have played home games at ...
on 10 August. Injury, international call ups and being played out of position by manager
Uwe Rösler
Uwe Rösler (; born 15 November 1968) is a German football manager and former professional footballer.
As a player he was a centre forward, notably playing in the Premier League for Manchester City, where he was the leading goalscorer for three ...
led to Grigg enduring a stuttering start to his Brentford career and he admitted suffering a dip in confidence. He went 10 matches without a goal, until he was retrospectively credited with Brentford's second in a 3–2 win over
Peterborough United
Peterborough United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, England. The team compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league system. Peterborough have a long-standing ...
on 26 November. In the following match, he scored the winner in a 1–0 league victory over
Notts County
Notts County Football Club is a professional association football club based in Nottingham, England. The team participate in the National League (division), National League, the fifth tier of the English football league system. Founded on the 2 ...
. Grigg scored his fifth Brentford goal against
Port Vale
Port Vale Football Club are a professional football club based in Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, England, which compete in . Vale are the only English Football League club not to be named after a place; their name being a reference to the valley o ...
on 11 January 2014, scoring late in the second half after coming on for
Sam Saunders. In March and still behind
Clayton Donaldson
Clayton Andrew Donaldson (born 7 February 1984) is a professional footballer who plays as a striker for club Gainsborough Trinity. He has played in the English Football League and Scottish Premier League for Hull City, Hibernian, Crewe Alexa ...
and
Marcello Trotta
Marcello Trotta (born 29 September 1992) is an Italian professional footballer who plays as a striker for club Avellino.
Club career Early career
Born in Santa Maria Capua Vetere, Italy, Trotta began his career in the youth team at Serie A cl ...
in the pecking order, Grigg told the ''
Hounslow Chronicle
''The Hounslow Chronicle'' is a local weekly tabloid newspaper distributed in west London, England. It mainly covers stories from the London Borough of Hounslow
The London Borough of Hounslow () is a London borough in West London, England, for ...
'' "I haven't become a bad striker overnight. I've been training well, I'm confident and keep believing. If I get a run of games, I think I will always score goals". Grigg made regular appearances in the latter stages of a successful season in which Brentford secured automatic promotion to the Championship, but he was unable to find the net and finished the campaign with 36 appearances and 4 goals.
[ Grigg departed Griffin Park on ]loan
In finance, a loan is the lending of money by one or more individuals, organizations, or other entities to other individuals, organizations, etc. The recipient (i.e., the borrower) incurs a debt and is usually liable to pay interest on that d ...
for the duration of the 2014–15 season and left the club on 14 July 2015.
Milton Keynes Dons
On 18 July 2014, it was announced that Grigg had joined League One side Milton Keynes Dons from Brentford on a season long loan. Manager Karl Robinson
Karl Robinson (born 13 September 1980) is an English professional football manager and former player who is the manager of club Oxford United.
Playing career
Robinson was born in Rainhill, Merseyside. He played for Caernarfon Town, Bamber Bri ...
stated that Grigg is "a goalscorer at this level and he's a Northern Ireland international too. He's got the pedigree to come in and do well". Grigg scored on his debut for the club, levelling the score at 2–2 in an eventual 4–2 win over Gillingham on the opening day of the 2014–15 season. After three further appearances without scoring, Grigg put on a man of the match
In team sport, a player of the match or man of the match or woman of the match award is often given to the most outstanding player in a particular match. This can be a player from either team, although the player is generally chosen from the winn ...
performance in a League Cup
In several sports, most prominently association football, a league cup or secondary cup generally signifies a cup competition for which entry is restricted only to teams in a particular league. The first national association football tournament t ...
second round match versus Manchester United
Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of City of Salford, Salford to ...
on 26 August, scoring a brace in a shock 4–0 victory. The match kick-started Grigg's season and he went on to score three goals in his next six matches, to take his tally to five goals in seven matches. Grigg hit his next patch of regular goalscoring form in mid-March 2015, scoring nine goals in eight matches to help consolidate the Dons' third place in the table. His four goals in two matches over the Easter Weekend
Holy Week ( la, Hebdomada Sancta or , ; grc, Ἁγία καὶ Μεγάλη Ἑβδομάς, translit=Hagia kai Megale Hebdomas, lit=Holy and Great Week) is the most sacred week in the liturgical year in Christianity. In Eastern Churches, wh ...
saw him named in the Football League Team of the Week. On 28 April, Grigg was presented with the Dons' Goal of the Season and Top Goalscorer awards. He finished the season with a goal in a 5–1 rout of Yeovil Town Yeovil Town may refer to:
* Yeovil Town F.C., an English football team based in Yeovil, Somerset
* Yeovil Town L.F.C.
Bridgwater United Women's Football Club are an English women's association football club based in Bridgwater, Somerset who wer ...
, which confirmed a second-place finish for the Dons and automatic promotion to the Championship, ahead of fellow contenders Preston North End
Preston North End Football Club, commonly referred to as Preston, North End or PNE, is a professional football club in Preston, Lancashire, England, who currently play in the EFL Championship, the second tier of the English football league syste ...
. Grigg scored 22 goals in 50 appearances during the 2014–15 season.
Wigan Athletic
On 14 July 2015, Grigg signed for newly relegated League One club Wigan Athletic
Wigan Athletic Football Club () is an English professional association football club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester, England. The team competes in the Championship, the second tier of the English football league system.
Founded in 1932, ...
on a three-year contract for an undisclosed fee, reported to be "around £1 million". Grigg scored his first goal from the penalty spot in a 2–1 defeat to Bury
Bury may refer to:
*The burial of human remains
*-bury, a suffix in English placenames
Places England
* Bury, Cambridgeshire, a village
* Bury, Greater Manchester, a town, historically in Lancashire
** Bury (UK Parliament constituency) (1832–19 ...
in the League Cup first round. Grigg scored his first hat-trick for Wigan in a 3–0 victory over Port Vale
Port Vale Football Club are a professional football club based in Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, England, which compete in . Vale are the only English Football League club not to be named after a place; their name being a reference to the valley o ...
on 30 January 2016.
Grigg scored 25 League goals during the 2015–16 season, finishing as League One's top goalscorer, to help Wigan earn automatic promotion. His performances earned him a tied 25th place in the initial voting process for the UEFA Best Player in Europe Award
The UEFA Men's Player of the Year Award (previously known as the UEFA Best Player in Europe Award) is an association football award given to the footballer playing for a men's football club in Europe that is considered the best in the previous se ...
after the 2015–16 campaign.
On 19 February 2018, Grigg scored the only goal in Wigan's 1–0 home win against Manchester City
Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The tw ...
in the FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic English football. First played during the 1871–72 season, it is the oldest national football competi ...
fifth round. This brought his total FA Cup goals for the season to seven, including four goals against top-flight opposition, making him the leading scorer in the season's FA Cup (from the first round onwards).
Sunderland
Grigg signed for Sunderland
Sunderland () is a port city in Tyne and Wear, England. It is the City of Sunderland's administrative centre and in the Historic counties of England, historic county of County of Durham, Durham. The city is from Newcastle-upon-Tyne and is on t ...
on transfer deadline day, 31 January 2019 for a fee of £3,000,000, which remains the highest fee paid by a league one club. Grigg made his debut for the Wearside club on 9 February where they drew 1–1 away to Oxford United
Oxford United Football Club is a professional football club in the city of Oxford, England. The team plays in League One, the third tier of the English football league system. The chairman is Grant Ferguson, the manager is Karl Robinson and t ...
in the league. On the 19th Grigg scored his first goal for his new club in his 4th appearance slotting in a penalty to take Sunderland into a 3–2 lead over Gillingham. The match eventually finished 4–2. Grigg's goal put Sunderland 1–0 ahead of home side Bristol Rovers
Bristol Rovers Football Club are a professional football club in Bristol, England. They compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league system.
They play home matches at the Memorial Stadium in Horfield, they have been c ...
in the EFL Trophy
The English Football League Trophy, known for sponsorship purposes as the Papa Johns Trophy after restaurant chain Papa John's Pizza, is an annual English association football knockout competition open to all clubs in EFL League One and EFL Le ...
semi final on 5 March. Sunderland travelled to Wembley
Wembley () is a large suburbIn British English, "suburb" often refers to the secondary urban centres of a city. Wembley is not a suburb in the American sense, i.e. a single-family residential area outside of the city itself. in north-west Londo ...
for the final after winning 2–0. The other goal coming from Lewis Morgan. On 31 March Grigg started in the 2019 EFL Trophy Final
The 2019 EFL Trophy Final was a football match played at Wembley Stadium on 31 March 2019. It decided the winners of the 2018–19 EFL Trophy, the 35th edition of the competition, a knock-out tournament for the 48 teams in League One and League ...
against Portsmouth
Portsmouth ( ) is a port and city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. The city of Portsmouth has been a unitary authority since 1 April 1997 and is administered by Portsmouth City Council.
Portsmouth is the most dens ...
, he was substituted off in the 77th minute with Sunderland 1–0 up through an Aiden McGeady
Aiden John McGeady (born 4 April 1986) is a professional footballer who plays as a winger for Scottish Premiership club Hibernian. Born in Scotland, he represented the Republic of Ireland national team from 2004 until 2017.
He started his c ...
goal. However, the match finished 1–1, (2–2 AET) and Portsmouth won 5–4 on penalties.
Grigg struggled for form during the 2019–20 season, making 20 league appearances and scoring just one goal as Sunderland finished 8th and failed to qualify for the playoffs, after the League One season was ended due to the COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
. In an interview with ''Wigan Today'' in June 2020, Grigg hinted that he regretted leaving Wigan to join Sunderland, stating "I absolutely loved my time at Wigan and, in hindsight, I probably should not have moved".
Return to Milton Keynes Dons (loan)
On 1 February 2021, Grigg returned to Milton Keynes Dons
Milton Keynes Dons Football Club (), usually abbreviated to MK Dons, is a professional association football club based in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, England. The team competes in , the third tier of the English football league system. The ...
on loan for the remainder of the 2020–21 season. On 20 February 2021, he scored the first goal of his second spell at the club (and his first in over a year), in a 4–3 home win over Northampton Town
Northampton Town Football Club is a professional association football club based in the town of Northampton, England. The team plays in , the fourth tier of the English football league system.
Founded in 1897, the club competed in the Midland ...
. On 24 April 2021, Grigg scored four goals in a single match during a 5–0 home win over Swindon Town
Swindon Town Football Club is a professional Association football, football club based in Swindon, Wiltshire, England. The team currently competes in , the fourth tier of the English football league system. The club has played home matches at ...
, becoming the first MK Dons player to score four goals in a single game in the club's history.
Rotherham United (loan)
On 31 August 2021, Grigg joined Rotherham United
Rotherham United Football Club, nicknamed The Millers, is a professional football club based in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, England, which compete in the . The club's colours were initially yellow and black, but changed to red and white around 1 ...
on loan for the 2021–22 season.
Milton Keynes Dons
On 14 July 2022, Grigg joined League One club Milton Keynes Dons on a free transfer, returning on a permanent basis to a club he'd spent two previous spells with on loan. He made his third debut for the club on 30 July 2022 in a 1–0 defeat away to Cambridge United
Cambridge United Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Cambridge, England. They compete in EFL League one , the 3rd tier of the English football league system. The club is based at the Abbey Stadium on Ne ...
. On 27 August 2022, Grigg scored his first goals in his third spell with the club, scoring a brace in a 4–0 away win over Morecambe
Morecambe ( ) is a seaside town and civil parish in the City of Lancaster district in Lancashire, England. It is in Morecambe Bay on the Irish Sea.
Name
The first use of the name was by John Whitaker in his ''History of Manchester'' (1771), w ...
.
International career
Grigg was born in England but was eligible to play for Northern Ireland through a grandparent. He has represented Northern Ireland at U19, U21 and senior level. He scored on his U21 debut after coming on as a substitute against San Marino
San Marino (, ), officially the Republic of San Marino ( it, Repubblica di San Marino; ), also known as the Most Serene Republic of San Marino ( it, Serenissima Repubblica di San Marino, links=no), is the fifth-smallest country in the world an ...
in a UEFA U21 European Championship Qualifier on 3 September 2010 and earned his first senior cap in a 6–0 defeat to the Netherlands
)
, anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands
, established_title = Before independence
, established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
in a friendly on 2 June 2012, playing the full 90 minutes. After a further five friendly and 2014 World Cup qualifying appearances, Grigg failed to win a cap between October 2013 and March 2015, but his good form for Milton Keynes Dons earned him a start in a friendly versus Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...
. He played 58 minutes of the 1–0 defeat, before being substituted by Paddy McCourt.
On 18 May 2016, Grigg was selected as part of the provisional 27-man squad to represent Northern Ireland in the UEFA Euro 2016
The 2016 UEFA European Football Championship, commonly referred to as UEFA Euro 2016 (stylised as UEFA EURO 2016) or simply Euro 2016, was the 15th UEFA European Championship, the quadrennial international men's football championship of Europe o ...
competition. On 28 May, he was named in the final 23-man squad, but ended up not playing a single minute throughout the tournament.
Personal life
Grigg was born into an Aston Villa-supporting family and supported the club up until the age of seven, when he joined Birmingham City and changed his allegiances.
"Will Grigg's on Fire"
In May 2016, Wigan Athletic
Wigan Athletic Football Club () is an English professional association football club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester, England. The team competes in the Championship, the second tier of the English football league system.
Founded in 1932, ...
supporter Sean Kennedy uploaded a video to YouTube
YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...
titled "Will Grigg's on fire", which featured a song written in recognition of the recent goal-scoring feats of Grigg with the chorus to "Will Grigg's on fire, your defence is terrified" sung to the tune of "Freed from Desire
"Freed from Desire" is a eurodance song written and recorded by Italian singer and songwriter Gala. It was released in 1997 as the first single from her debut album, '' Come into My Life'' (1997). It was a hit in many European countries, reachi ...
" by Italian singer Gala
Gala may refer to:
Music
* ''Gala'' (album), a 1990 album by the English alternative rock band Lush
*'' Gala – The Collection'', a 2016 album by Sarah Brightman
*GALA Choruses, an association of LGBT choral groups
*''Gala'', a 1986 album by T ...
. Since it was uploaded, the song has become a very popular football chant and a national sensation.[ Kennedy received a free Wigan season ticket from the Wigan chairman David Sharpe for the 2016–17 season as a result of success of the chant.
On 31 May 2016, Electro duo ]Blonde
Blond (male) or blonde (female), also referred to as fair hair, is a hair color characterized by low levels of the dark pigment eumelanin. The resultant visible hue depends on various factors, but always has some yellowish color. The color can ...
released a version of the song and it entered the iTunes charts at number seven, as well as reaching number 76 on the Official UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
.
On 25 June 2016, DJ/Producer DJ B3LFAST reached number 17 on the iTunes Germany Top 100 chart with his own parody song "Will Grigg's On Fire" featuring new original lyrics
In 2021, Grigg spoke on the topic, noting that while "the song itself never annoyed me", he disliked how "some people only connected me with it and not with my goals".
Career statistics
Club
International
:''As of match played 8 September 2018. Northern Ireland score listed first, score column indicates score after each Grigg goal.''[
]
Honours
Brentford
*Football League One
The English Football League One (often referred to as League One for short or Sky Bet League One for sponsorship purposes, and known as the Football League One from 2004 until 2016) is the second-highest division of the English Football Leag ...
runner-up (promoted): 2013-14
Milton Keynes Dons
*Football League One
The English Football League One (often referred to as League One for short or Sky Bet League One for sponsorship purposes, and known as the Football League One from 2004 until 2016) is the second-highest division of the English Football Leag ...
runner-up (promoted): 2014–15
Wigan Athletic
*EFL League One
The English Football League One (often referred to as League One for short or Sky Bet League One for sponsorship purposes, and known as the Football League One from 2004 until 2016) is the second-highest division of the English Football Leag ...
: 2015–16, 2017–18
Sunderland
*EFL Trophy
The English Football League Trophy, known for sponsorship purposes as the Papa Johns Trophy after restaurant chain Papa John's Pizza, is an annual English association football knockout competition open to all clubs in EFL League One and EFL Le ...
runner-up: 2018–19[
Rotherham United
*]EFL League One
The English Football League One (often referred to as League One for short or Sky Bet League One for sponsorship purposes, and known as the Football League One from 2004 until 2016) is the second-highest division of the English Football Leag ...
runner-up (promoted): 2021–22
Individual
*Walsall
Walsall (, or ; locally ) is a market town and administrative centre in the West Midlands (county), West Midlands County, England. Historic counties of England, Historically part of Staffordshire, it is located north-west of Birmingham, east ...
Player of the Season: 2012–13
*Walsall Players' Player of the Season: 2012–13
*PFA Team of the Year
The Professional Footballers' Association Team of the Year (often called the PFA Team of the Year, or simply the Team of the Year) is an annual award given to a set of 55 footballers across the top four tiers of men's English football; the Premie ...
: 2015–16 League One, 2017–18 League One
*PFA Fans' Player of the Year
The Professional Footballers' Association Fans' Player of the Year (often called the PFA Fans' Player of the Year, or simply the Fans' Player of the Year) award is given to footballers in the top four flights of English football, the Premier Leag ...
: 2015–16 League One
*Football League One Player of the Month
The EFL League One Player of the Month is an association football award that recognises the player adjudged the best for each month of the season in EFL League One, the third tier of English football. Originally named the Football League One Pla ...
: April 2016, April 2018
*Milton Keynes Dons
Milton Keynes Dons Football Club (), usually abbreviated to MK Dons, is a professional association football club based in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, England. The team competes in , the third tier of the English football league system. The ...
Goal of the Season: 2014-15, 2020-21
References
External links
Will Grigg profile
at the official Wigan Athletic
Wigan Athletic Football Club () is an English professional association football club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester, England. The team competes in the Championship, the second tier of the English football league system.
Founded in 1932, ...
website
Will Grigg profile
at the official Irish Football Association
The Irish Football Association (IFA) is the governing body for association football in Northern Ireland. It organised the Ireland national football team from 1880 to 1950, which after 1954, became the Northern Ireland national football team.
...
website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Grigg, Will
1991 births
Living people
Sportspeople from Solihull
English footballers
Northern Ireland under-21 international footballers
Northern Ireland international footballers
Association football forwards
Stratford Town F.C. players
Walsall F.C. players
Brentford F.C. players
Milton Keynes Dons F.C. players
Wigan Athletic F.C. players
Sunderland A.F.C. players
Midland Football Alliance players
English Football League players
UEFA Euro 2016 players
English people of Northern Ireland descent
Rotherham United F.C. players