Will Grigg is STILL on fire!
Northern Ireland striker became a global sensation thanks to famous terrace chant – now he’s plotting an FA Cup upset
AS the inspiration for football’s catchiest terrace anthem and slayer of Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City, it’s good to know Will Grigg is still on fire. Now 32 and leading the line for non-league Chesterfield, the Northern Ireland international is relishing the spotlight again with today’s televised FA Cup first round tie against Portsmouth.
Pompey are strong favourites, but so were City when they were beaten by League One Wigan in 2018. Grigg scored the only goal of that fifth-round tie to send David Silva, Sergio Aguero and Ilkay Gundogan packing.
‘It’ll be hard to replicate the excitement of that night again in my career, ’Grigg says. ‘City were 16 points clear at the top of the Premier League and picked a stronger team than we’d wanted.
‘After 20 minutes, we hadn’t had a kick. A red card for Fabian Delph helped us but it was still a major surprise. When I scored the goal after 79 minutes, I think it was only the second or third touch I’d had.
‘The final whistle was a blur. I wanted to swap shirts with Aguero, but he didn’t. I found out later he’d had an altercation with a fan who had been part of the pitch invasion at the end. so it was understandable.
‘I couldn’t sleep that night – I must have watched my goal a hundred times. My eldest daughter, Amelie, was centre of attention at her school in Wilmslow the next day. All the United fans in her class were singing the song to her!’
The song, to the tune of dance classic ‘Freed from Desire’, started out as a bit of fun by Wigan fan and Youtuber Sean Kennedy, but it became a global sensation once the player starting scoring for Northern Ireland and was part of their Euro 2016 squad.
Though he didn’t get off the bench in France, he was still a big attraction.
‘The most surreal moment came in Paris when we played Germany,’ he recalls. ‘As I warmed up, the tune got played over the Tannoy and they put the lyrics on the electronic screens for people to sing.
‘After the game, Mats Hummels took me into the German dressingroom. Thomas Muller and Bastian Schweinsteiger wanted a picture. I stood there thinking: “It really should be me asking you!”’
Grigg’s biggest move in club football took him to Sunderland in 2019, but last season was a struggle with MK Dons relegated from League One.
Then, he benefitted from an unexpected reunion. ‘The former Wigan chairman David Sharpe invited me to his wedding in Mallorca last summer and I ended up on the same table in this castle as Paul Cook, my manager when we beat City.
‘Cooky asked me about coming to Chesterfield. I’d always played above National League level so wasn’t sure, but when I visited the club and saw their ambition, I wanted to be part of it.
‘It’s been a fantastic move so far. We’re top of the division, get crowds of nine- and 10 thousand and I’m scoring goals.’ Grigg has eight so far this season. ‘I have a great relationship with Cooky. Kieron Dyer has also taken coaching sessions. Now he’s had his liver transplant, I think the plan is for him to return in December.’
The Portsmouth cup clash is fascinating. Cook used to be in charge at Fratton Park and Spireites captain Tom Naylor spent three years there as a player. A capacity crowd is expected and Grigg insists the underdogs shouldn’t be written off.
‘We’ve got players like Dobs, Armando Dobra, who can play at a higher level. He’s got this low centre of gravity which makes him so difficult to tackle. All the pressure is on Portsmouth. The Wigan-City game might get a mention, to show another upset is possible.’