A certain youngster named Jimmy Ross had come to attend English side Preston's match on 24th November 1883, as his brother Nick Ross was playing for the club. As destiny would have it, Preston were a couple of men short in their team, and this led to Ross being invited to play. What followed was nothing short of remarkable, as the younger Ross would go on to score 2 goals in Preston's 4-0 over Padiham. This was indeed just a sign of great things to come, and the birth of a future legend.
Ross would eventually establish himself as one of the finest forwards of his era, as he went on to score over 250 goals in 220 appearances for Preston. Those feats were achieved even before the formation of league football in England, in one of the earliest era's in football.
Let us now look back at the memorable career of one of English football's earliest superstars.
Domestic dominance with Preston
In addition to proving himself as a world-class player at Preston, Ross had also formed a devastating striking partnership with teammate John Goodall. The duo were immense in Preston's success at the time.
It was on 8th September 1888 that Ross made his Football League debut for Preston, as they faced Burnley in the competition's inaugural season. Preston ended up winning the match 5-2, with Ross scoring a brace.
This was just the beginning of a regular occurrence, as Ross ended up playing in 21 of Preston's 22 League Championship matches and scored 19 goals. His highlight performance of the season came against Preston's 7-0 win over Stoke, with Ross scoring 4 of those.
The English inside-forward was equally instrumental in the FA Cup, as he played in all 5 FA Cup fixtures and scored two goals. One of those came in the final, as Preston beat Wolves 3-0 to lift the FA Cup. They had already clinched the league that season as well, and thus became the first English club to achieve the double.
Ross stayed at Preston for over 11 years, during which he established himself as one of the finest players in world football.
The Liverpool years
1894 marked a new chapter in the career of Ross, as he was signed by Liverpool by the club's manager John McKenna for £75. His first with the Reds was a bittersweet one, as his impressive 12 goal haul went in vain with Liverpool being relegated.
The former Preston star however, continued his dominant goalscoring feats in the Second Division as well, scoring 23 goals in just 25 appearances. Those heroics meant that Liverpool were eventually back to the top tier of English Football.
Liverpool's return to the Football League saw them establish the club as a top half side, managing to finish the campaign in 5th place. However, it was a season to forget for Ross, who only scored 2 goals in 21 appearances.
The Scotsman left the Merseyside club after 3 years, scoring a commendable 37 goals in 73 appearances.
Final years
The next phase of Ross' career took him to Second Division side Burnley, who signed him in March 1897. Ross managed to score an impressive 29 goals in 51 appearances for the club. Those goals were absolutely vital for the club, as Ross helped his new side gain promotion for the 1898 First Division campaign. His time at Burnley only lasted for 2 years, but the Scotsman managed to make an ever-lasting impact during his short tenure at the club.
Ross had one final club left in him, as he joined Manchester City in 1899. The former Preston legend managed to score 21 goals in 67 games for the Citizens. He was forced to retire from football due to ill health after the 1900–01 season. The legendary Preston forward died on 12 June 1902, aged 36. Football lost one of its greatest stars at a heartbreaking early phase, but the legacy of this legendary Scotsman is bound to live on forever.
