2. Lee Frecklington
192 appearances, 30 goals
Unknown fee
Frecklington was a dynamic midfielder who brought energy, goals, and leadership to Lincoln City during two separate spells. He defined ‘one of our own’ as a Lincoln lad who has family entrenched in the local non-league scene.
Initially breaking through in the early 2000s, he became a key player before leaving for Peterborough United, initially on loan. If I recall correctly, he left after the permanent window shut, and we had to get Michael O’Connor in on loan to cover. That’s ironic, as he was later a teammate of O’Connor upon his Imps return.
He later captained Rotherham United, playing a central role in their back-to-back promotions. Frecklington returned to Sincil Bank in 2018 and scored the penalty against Chelsea under-21s that sent us to Wembley for the first time ever. He was then a key part of our League Two title-winning campaign. For both spells, he has to be considered as one of our best ever academy graduates – with 30 goals in just under 200 appearances, he was both productive and passionate.
His treatment at the end under Michael Appleton was one of the dark shadows of the former Manchester United man’s reign.
1. Darren Huckerby
31 appearances, 7 goals
£400,000 transfer fee
Darren Huckerby’s impact at Lincoln City was short but spectacular, and when I first started talking about academy graduates, I didn’t count him due to so few matches.
A lightning-quick forward with natural flair, he burst into the first team in the mid-1990s and quickly caught the eye with a series of explosive performances. Just 31 appearances and seven goals were enough to secure a £400,000 move to Newcastle United, where Steve Wicks had gone as a scout or something after his awful stint at Lincoln (see Dean West). That money enabled John Beck to bring in Gareth Ainsworth, so Huckerby’s contribution was impactful.
That alone might have seen him hit the top five, but he went on to have a magnificent career. Although he didn’t make a league appearance for the Magpies, his career skyrocketed with brilliant spells at Coventry City (they paid £1m), Leeds United (reportedly paid £6m), Manchester City (£4m), and Norwich City (£750,000). He appeared for England’s B team, and given his later success, is probably our best-ever academy graduate. He didn’t impact the first team for long, but like Hobbs, he commanded a history-defining fee for the Imps, and unlike Hobbs, he enjoyed Premier League success.
We also got a high-profile friendly which put the eyes of the world on Sincil Bank, as the world’s most expensive player, Alan Shearer, made his Newcastle debut. Some legacy, that.