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Northampton Town

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You have voted in your thousands for the best player to wear a Northampton Town shirt and the winner is .... Ian Sampson.

We asked fans of each of the 92 English League teams and Scottish Premier League sides to nominate their all-time favourite footballers and no-nonsense defender Ian Sampson topped the poll.

Decorated full-back Phil Neal came in second while popular striker Trevor Morley was third in the voting.

Ian Sampson

Second on the club's all-time appearances list, Sampson was a hugely popular defender who spent a decade as a player at Sixfields.

He joined the Cobblers on a permanent basis in 1994 from Sunderland, having previously impressed during a loan spell.

Fiercely committed in the challenge, Sampson was a steadying influence at the back for Northampton and also featured prominently in some of the club's recent successes.

Sampson played in two play-off finals for the club, including when Northampton were promoted from Division Three in 1997.

And Sampson's qualities as a central defender were also recognised at a higher level as he had a brief spell on loan at Tottenham Hotspur in 1995 to provide cover for their Intertoto Cup campaign.

That sojourn aside, Sampson stayed loyal to Northampton en route to making 449 appearances, which places him behind only Tommy Fowler on the club's all-time list.

He is now enjoying his second spell as caretaker manager at Sixfields following the recent departure of Stuart Gray from the League Two club.

Phil Neal

Before Neal went on to become one of the most decorated players in English football, he made a name for himself at Sixfields.

The right-back was a steady performer during six seasons with the Cobblers, making almost 200 appearances before leaving for Liverpool in 1974.

He was Bob Paisley's first signing as Liverpool manager, and though many considered his move to Anfield a surprise, he more than justified the faith, winning a string of major honours in addition to 50 England caps.

Trevor Morley

A firm fans' favourite during his time at Sixfields in the 1980s, Morley displayed a keen eye for goal in a Northampton shirt.

He was a key figure in the club's Division Four title-winning campaign in 1986/86 and went on to play at a much higher level with the likes of Manchester City and West Ham United.