Rejected by his local club West Ham, Micky Lill made his name as a goalscoring winger with Wolverhampton Wanderers in the late-1950s.  Attracted by his prowess Johnny Carey made him a £25,000 signing in February 1960.  With Tommy Ring acquired just weeks earlier it meant that Everton had one of the most attractive wing pairings in the First Division.

Ring fitted into his new surroundings immediately and was a popular member of the Everton dressing room.  He was, recalled Brian Labone, ‘ a very nice man indeed.’ The Everton captain recalled: ‘He fitted the bill of a stereotypical cockney: always friendly, chirpy and had a very sharp dress sense. He was a handsome fellow as well - I think a few of the lads in the squad were quite envious of him. In fact, we used to joke that he turned up to training the way most of us would dress for a wedding! On the pitch, he was lively, very quick - and scored a fair few goals.’

Indeed he did: seven from the first eight games of the 1960/61 season.  Alas he was quickly undermined by injuries and a mysterious leg infection kept him out of action, with the club even sending him to a Harrogate sanatorium in an attempt to clear it up.

He was given another chance by Harry Catterick in the 1961/62 season, but the new manager seemed to prefer alternatives. Lill asked for a transfer and joined Plymouth Argyle for £12,500, later immigtaing to South Africa, where he ended his career.

‘He was quite a slight fellow - and he wasn't helped by the injuries he had,’ recalled Labone ‘But he did have talent.’