Born: 30 July 1899

Born in: Bellshill, Lanarkshire

Died: 1972

Other clubs: Vale of Clyde, Clyde (1921-23), King's Park (loan 1922), Cowdenbeath (1923-26), Huddersfield Town (1926-27), Hearts (1927-28), Macclesfield (1928-29), Cowdenbeath (2 / 1929-30), Boston Swifts (1930), Mansfield Town (1930-31), Burton Town (1931), Shelbourne (1931-32), Bangor City (1932-33), Zurich (1933), Boston Town (1933-34), Ashton National (1934-35)

Signed from: Huddersfield Town

Joined Liverpool: 06.05.1927

Debut: 07 May 1927

Final appearance: 27 Dec 1927

Debut goal: 07 May 1927

Last goal: 05 Nov 1927

Contract until: 27.12.1927

League: Apps / Goals: 19 / 15

All Competitions: Apps / Goals: 19 / 15

Player Profile

Cowdenbeath's Devlin was top-scorer in the Scottish League from 1924-1926 with 33 and 40 goals respectively in 68 matches and earned himself a big-money £4,200 move to Huddersfield Town in February 1926. Huddersfield had won the League Championship for two consecutive seasons and Devlin contributed to their third by scoring four goals in four games in his debut season. He scored ten goals in 28 appearances as the Terriers failed to add to their fourth consecutive title, finishing second five points behind Newcastle in 1926/27. Dick Forshaw had been controversially sold from Liverpool to Everton in March 1927 and the Reds needed a replacement. Devlin was given his Liverpool debut in the final fixture of the 1926/27 season in a visit to West Ham and scored the second goal in a 3-3 draw. He was picked for the first 15 first division matches the following year and scored 14 times, that figure included four strikes against both Bury (5-1) and Portsmouth (8-2). He then missed three matches before being recalled for a further three, in which he failed to score and Tom Reid took over as centre-forward for most of the rest of the season.

Devlin, who could shoot on the run with either foot, scored well over 250 goals in his eventful career. After stints in various local amateur leagues he joined the French exodus in their newly-formed semi-professional national league. Devlin only had a month's trial at Marseille before departing to Switzerland. William's brother, Tom Devlin, played for Liverpool's reserves in the 1926/27 season and featured later for Switzerland's Zurich just like his sibling.