Billy McDevitt
Birthdate: 5 January 1898
Birthplace: Belfast, Northern Ireland
Other clubs: Glentoran, Swansea Town (1920-23), Exeter City (1925-31)
Bought from: Swansea Town
Signed for LFC: 1923
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Liverpool debut: 17.11.1923
Last appearance: 18.10.1924
Contract expiry: 22.05.1925
Win ratio: 25% W: 1 D: 1 L: 2
LFC league games/goals: 4 / 0
Total LFC games/goals: 4 / 0
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Player profile
McDevitt arrived as an inside-forward from Belfast, but was transformed into a centre-half at Liverpool. Three of McDevitt's appearances came in the 1923/24 season when Walter Wadsworth was unavailable. In his fourth and last game McDevitt was a centre-forward in a 4-1 home win over Sheffield United on 18 October 1924 when all four of Liverpool's goals were scored by Dick Forshaw. When Forshaw headed his fourth he crashed through United's Milton and McDevitt, who both had to be carried off the park semi-conscious. McDevitt sported a nasty cut above his eye. He joined Exeter City for a club transfer record in 1925, and was appointed the club's manager four years later. He kept on playing for the club until the 1930/31 season and served them as manager until 1935. He was said to be one of the most popular players ever associated with the club and took Exeter to second place in Third Division South in the 1932/33 season, just missing out of promotion, the best achievement in its history. McDevitt headed back to his hometown, Belfast, to take over as manager of Distillery in February 1938.