On this day in 2019, Will Grigg made his debut for us in a 1-1 draw against Oxford United. It was the start of what would be an ill-fated spell on Wearside for the man with the most famous song in football.
Sunderland had been linked with Grigg all January, and finally bit the bullet on deadline day, with our chairman at the time joking that he wouldn’t be able to pay for the pizzas being delivered. Despite Wigan initially asking for around £1 million, the club ended up paying three times that amount!
He missed an absolute sitter against Blackpool not long after joining. His confidence proably took a hit and he never really recovered from that point. Grigg’s first goal came as a penalty against Gillingham, where the lads won 4-2. The Northern Ireland man’s most important goal in red and white didn’t actually come in the league. It was the opener in a 2-0 win at Bristol Rovers; the semi-final of the Checkatrade Trophy, sending us to Wembley. Grigg played in the final, although he barely touched the ball and was subbed off in normal time.
The following season, Grigg really struggled with the long-ball style of Phil Parkinson, and was rarely given 90 minutes. He made 20 appearances but scored a solitary goal. When the season was ended prematurely due to COVID, Grigg did an interview where he claimed he didn’t want to leave Wigan and regretted the move.
This essentially ended his Sunderland career, before being sent to MK Dons on loan the following January. He impressed at his former club, as we all typically knew he would. Grigg finished the season with 8 goals in 20 appearances, including a four-goal haul at Swindon! The man with the most famous song in football is now playing where he belongs - the National League. He was signed by Chesterfield, linking up with former Wigan manager Paul Cook.
