'Trailblazer': First black player for Everton Cliff Marshall dies at 66

Cliff Marshall was Everton's first black player. Credit: Everton Football Club / Twitter

Former Everton player Cliff Marshall has died at the age of 66.

Born in Liverpool in 1955, he came through the ranks to become the first black player to appear in the First Team when he made his debut at Goodison Park against Leicester City in 1975.

The winger made eight appearances for the Blues before moving across the Atlantic in 1976 to play for the Miami Toros. He returned to the UK for a season with Southport in the Football League.

Marshall retired from the sport at 22, settling in his hometown, where he forged a career in licensing trade.

In a statement the club said: "His legacy as an Everton trailblazer and pioneering figure in English football is secure, following a debut for the Club three years before Viv Anderson broke new ground as the first black man to represent the England national team.

"The thoughts of everybody at Everton are with Cliff’s family and friends."