RUSSELL COUGHLIN

Born: 15 February 1960

Came from: Carlisle United   Went to: Blackpool

First game: 25 August 1984   Last game: 05 December 1987

Appearances: 152 (149/3)   Goals: 22

Swansea-born Coughlin was a Welsh schoolboy international, who was both skilful and tough in the middle of the park, with a knack of scoring goals. The moustachioed midfield maestro joined Argyle from Carlisle United in 1984 and was an integral part of Dave Smith's 1985-86 promotion-winning side.

He had begun his career as a trainee at Manchester City but despite failing to make the grade there, he would go on to have a career that spanned nearly 600 Football League games. Moving to join Blackburn Rovers in 1978 he made 24 appearances across two years at Ewood Park before moving north for £20,000, embarking on a a four-year spell at Carlisle United under Bob Stokoe, where he played 130 times, scoring 13 goals - they became one of four clubs for whom he made over a century of appearances in his career. At Brunton Park, he was an integral member of their 1981-82 promotion-winning side that finished as runners-up in Division Three under Stokoe.

Coughlin then made the long move to the south-west for a reported £30,000 fee in 1984, when he was signed by John Hore. However, it was under his successor, Dave Smith, that he would enjoy a pivotal spell for both him and the club as he became a midfield lynchpin in the Ciderman's promotion-winning side. He scored 10 goals in that 1985-86 season, including a remarkable seven in the last 14 games with the last of those coming in the seminal 4-0 win over Bristol City in front of a packed Home Park, as Argyle clinched promotion. He stayed a regular into the following season but in December 1987 was sold at a profit, for £75,000 and returned north to join Blackpool after 152 games in green and 22 goals.

The Tangerines were to prove the third club at which he clocked up a century of games, playing 101 times and scoring 8 goals across three years at the club, which included a five-game loan spell to Shrewsbury Town in 1990.

Coughlin joined his hometown club, Swansea City, for the 1990-91 season, and went on to make 101 league appearances for the Swans, scoring twice, before heading to Alan Ball's Exeter City in 1993. He made 68 appearances in a struggling City side that was relegated from the third tier, before then finishing bottom of the Football League at the conclusion of the following season. In October 1995 he moved to Torquay United, joining a select band of players to have played in the Football League for all three Devon clubs. He made 25 appearances in total for the Gulls.

Coughlin wound down his career with a move to Dorchester Town at the start of the 1996-97 campaign before heading back to live in the Carlisle area where he briefly played for Gretna whilst working as a driver for Royal Mail.

Sadly, Russell Coughlin died in Carlisle in August 2016 after a medical episode led to a car accident, in which he tragically lost his life. He was just 56 years old.