Description
Great Barr, Birmingham born goalkeeper Joseph Merrick started his senior football career after the First World War with Queen’s Park Rangers before spending 1920-21 on the books at Birmingham, for whom he never made a first team appearance. He joined Walsall in the 1921 close season and made his Football League debut at Lincoln City the same August, playing 34 times for The Saddlers during 1921-22 as they came 8th in the Third Division (North).
He left a year later to play for non league Nuneaton Town before he joined Manchester United in 1923, where he was understudy to Alf Steward and Jack Mew during 1923-24, and never played for their first eleven before leaving the professional game.