Edgar Chadwick was the last man to participate on the first day of the Football league to still be playing at the highest level.
Having played as a professional for his hometown clubs, Blackburn Olympic and Blackburn Rovers, Chadwick featured at inside left in Everton's 2-1 win over Accrington at Anfield on September 8th 1888. His last league appearance came in a division 2 fixture on 28th April 1906. Chadwick was in the Glossop team that lost 2-1 at home to Leeds City.
In addition to Everton and Glossop Chadwick had played for Liverpool, Burnley and Blackpool, making a total of 413 League appearances (127 goals) and 41 FA Cup appearances (16 goals). During his time at Everton Chadwick won the Football League championship (1890-91) and was on the losing side in the 1893 and 1897 FA Cup Finals.
His League career was punctuated by a spell at Southampton in the Southern league where he tasted defeat in a third FA cup Final (1902).
Chadwick played until he was 39, finishing his career with Darwen in Lancashire Combination 1908
A compact (1.67 m) inside forward Chadwick also made 7 appearances for England, scoring 3 goals.
On his retirement Chadwick moved to Germany to coach- employing retired English pros was en vogue on the continent at the time- and it was in the Netherlands that he found his niche. Chadwick coached Vitesse, Sparta Rotterdam (winning the national championship) and HVV. In addition to this he coached the Netherlands national team on 24 occasions , taking bronze at the 1908 and 1912 Olympics. He was also at the helm when England Amateurs were beaten 2-1 in 1913.