Here's six footballers through history who have played for Macclesfield, and in the Premier League.

While most of the entries on this list our loanees, you might have forgot that they played for Macclesfield Town or Macclesfield FC.

Please note: Loanees who came to a football club in Macclesfield on the books of a Premier League side, but never made a Premier League appearance, do not count on this list. (E.G Jack Sampson or Shilow Tracey.)

Here's six professional footballers who have played in the top flight, and for a football club in Macclesfield.

Rickie Lambert

The last footballer to be capped for England who had played for Macclesfield Town, Rickie Lambert played for the Silkmen between 2001 and 2002, over a decade before the first of his eleven caps for the Three Lions. Our town's defunct football club gave Lambert his first chance at professional first team football. Lambert was working at a beetroot bottling plant until The Silkmen called, who he would score a goal in every four games for. In total, Lambert netted 10 goals in 40 appearances across all competitions. He also took his first ever career penalty for our club, missing in an 11-10 FA Cup win against Forest Green Rovers in November 2001. Macclesfield Town received a record transfer fee from local rivals Stockport County in April 2002, joining The Hatters for £300,000. He'd then move his way up the football league netting in double figures for Rochdale and Bristol Rovers, before scoring 106 goals for Southampton between 2009 and 2014, that would then attract the interest of Wembley Stadium and Anfield. Lambert even made a cameo at the pinnacle of the game, making one appearance in the ill-fated 2014 World Cup for England. The Kirby-born forward returned to Macclesfield Town in 2019 for current Macclesfield FC boss Danny Whitaker's testimonial. Alex Bruce

The most recent entry and our list and the only one to currently be playing football in Macclesfield, Alex Bruce joined Macclesfield FC in August 2021.

The son of Manchester United legend Steve Bruce first played Premier League football for Birmingham City in 2005-06 under his dad, but he barely made a whiff of appearances.

But his real spell as a defender in the Premier League came in 2016-17, in the heart of Hull City's defence, as well as scoring thrice in 36 appearances. Also at the top of the game, Alex is one of the few players to have played international football for both Northern Ireland the the Republic of Ireland.

In 2014-15, he even mentored a young current Manchester United captain Harry Maguire. Alex is currently a regular starting centre back as Macclesfield FC push for promotion from the North West Counties Premier League.

Asmir Begovic

Here's one you may have forgot played for The Silkmen. Asmir Begovic has been on the books of a Premier League team since 2005. But before making his top flight debut in the 2008-09 season, the Bosnian actually went on loan to Macclesfield Town in late 2006.

The goalie made his debut in a closely fought draw with Stockport County as a surprise 80th minute substitute when Johnny Brain was injured. He'd make four appearances in blue and white, when a knee injury cut his time at the Moss Rose short.

He made 171 appearances for Portsmouth and Stoke City, and while both of those teams were relegated, Begovic remained in the Premier League. He did have to settle for being a reserve keeper for Chelsea, but in return he won the Premier League. Asmir Begovic is also the only former Macclesfield player to have won the Azerbaijan Premier League - an honour he secured after Chelsea - there's one for your next pub quiz.

Another who played in the 2014 World Cup, Begovic has been capped 63 times by his country and is still playing for them today. At club level, he was recently relegated with Bournemouth, but once again didn't play in the Championship, and would later return in the Prem as a back-up keeper for Everton.

Paul Ince

The oldest entry on the list, but also the most fleeting, as a player at least. Paul Ince, now 54, ended his playing days as a player-manager for Macclesfield Town. Incey made just one appearance in January 2007. The Londoner couldn't focus on picking himself much though, as he had a relegation battle to fight. Just securing survival for The Silkmen on the last day of the season, and later leaving to manage MK Dons. As a player, the midfielder made 53 caps for England and played for four clubs in the Premier League. Making a handful of appearances for West Ham United in the First Division in the late 1980s, Ince played in the first Premier League season for Manchester United in 1992-93. Like Begovic, Ince is a Premier League winner, having two Premier League winner's medals before his time in Macclesfield. The former Silkmen would make 306 Premier League appearances, before dropping down to League Two with Macclesfield Town. The 54-year-old is now a football pundit. Boaz Myhill Born in America, raised in England, and capped for Wales, Boaz Myhill was already well-travelled before he came to Macc's football stadium on London Road. You may remember him from making 16 appearances for Macclesfield Town in late 2003, with the 2003-04 season being the final time the league was called the Third Division. He was brought in for three months as The Silkmen only had one senior keeper at the time. Myhill secured three clean sheets between the sticks for Macc Town, however, only one resulted in a win. Later in 2003, Boaz would then go on loan to Stockport County, before joining Hull City, the club that would give him his first Premier League appearance. He represented The Tigers in all four Divisions of English football, before making his Premier League debut in the 2008-09 season. He then moved to West Bromich Albion in the 2010-11 season. Playing in 118 Premier League matches before retiring in 2019. He's now a goalkeeping coach at West Brom. Mike Pollitt

Currently a goalkeeper for Preston North End, only diehard Silkmen fans of the 1990s will remember Mike Pollitt.

Loaned out to a non-league Macclesfield Town in 1991 from Sir Alex Ferguson's Manchester United, Mike Pollitt let in one goal in his only Macclesfield appearance in a 1-1 draw against Boston United. This was an away game, so he is the only player on this list to have played for Macclesfield, but never at a home game in our town.

As the years progressed, the Farnwouth goalie was regarded as the best shot-stopper outside the Premier League. A title made redundant by helping Wigan Athletic to be promoted to the Premier League for the 2005-06 season.

Despite working hard to get The Latics into the top flight, he would only make 36 Premier League appearances between 2005-2014, as an ageing benched goalkeeper. Macclesfield Town was the third of 17 clubs he would be signed to.

And that was our list one-time Macclesfield footballer to have played in the Premier League.

Would you like to see another list of this kind? Let us know and join in the conversation on our social media!

UPDATE: We have since made two sequels to this article with 1. Macclesfield Football: Six more Silkmen to have played in the Premier League.

1. ANOTHER six footballers to have played in Macclesfield and the Premier League.

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