Ian Brightwell
Brightwell became known as a versatile player who played at every single outfield position during his career at the club; however, he was most commonly used either as a right-back or on the right side of midfield.He did not score many goals but did memorably shoot into the top corner from 25 yards (23 m) on 3 February 1990 to earn City a draw with rivals Manchester United at Old Trafford.New manager Brian Horton led the club to disappointing 16th and 17th-place finishes in 1993–94 and 1994–95; Brightwell did not feature in the first-team however, as he snapped his patella tendon, and was sidelined for more than a year.He did eventually recover and returned to the City line-up for the 1995–96 campaign under Alan Ball, but could not prevent the "Sky Blues" from being relegated in 18th spot, finishing behind Southampton due to their inferior goal difference.He was given a testimonial match and a free transfer, having made 382 league and cup appearances, scoring 19 goals, in an 18-year association with the Maine Road club.Despite Walsall's relegation, Brightwell had impressed manager Ray Graydon during his time at the Bescot Stadium and joined the club permanently in the summer of 2000.[5] In August 2002 Brightwell moved on to local rivals Port Vale, who were back in the Second Division under the management of his former boss at Manchester City, Brian Horton.