Alex James

Alex James was born on September 14, 1901, in Mossend, Scotland. During his youth, he became friends with Hughie Gallacher, another great prospect of Scottish football. He began playing football at a young age, appearing for local clubs.

His football career finally began in 1922, when he joined Raith Rovers at the age of 21. At a club that wasn't competing for the title, he excelled as an individual, already demonstrating excellent skills in dribbling, passing, and finishing.

It was therefore only natural that he was spotted by an English club, Preston North End, where he signed in 1925 for £3,000. Playing in the English second division, he continued his slow rise to the elite of world football. His time with the club ended after a dispute with the club over his salary, which could be as low as £8 a week, and also over his national team selections, with the club refusing to let him play for the national team on several occasions.

Alex James eventually joined Arsenal FC, one of the best clubs in the world, led by one of the greatest managers of all time, Herbert Chapman, and his famous World Cup. The transfer cost the London club £8,750. He made his debut on August 31st against Leeds United.

To circumvent the then-maximum salary rules, the club offered him a second job, that of a "sports demonstrator," with an annual salary of £250. His first season wasn't entirely successful, as the player was hampered by several injuries he had picked up during his time at Preston North End. But collectively, the results were there. In his first season, he helped the club lift its first trophy in seven years, scoring a goal in the FA Cup Final against Huddersfield, a 2-0 victory.

The player quickly became the playmaker of one of the best teams of his time. If not the best. Accompanied by brilliant strikers such as Joe Hulme, David Jack, and Cliff Bastin, to name a few, Arsenal FC would become a dominant team in English football, and Alex James would become one of the strongest and most famous players in the world.

With their playmaker of genius, Arsenal went on to win 4 championships between 1931 and 1935, a total domination of English football. The 1931-32 season was undoubtedly the least successful for the club, with James finishing runner-up in the English league and losing the FA Cup final to Newcastle United, while he was injured, regularly suffering serious ligament damage.

However, he came back stronger in the 1932-33 season, which was the best of his career and undoubtedly the best a playmaker has ever achieved in the history of the sport in terms of his ability to help his team-mates make decisive moves. In fact, during that famous season, he played 43 games for just 3 goals - a meagre ratio, not to mention an all-time record number of assists, with no fewer than 50! A staggering statistic that bears witness to the player's style of play during his time at Arsenal, which was to put his team-mates first for the good of the team as a whole.

Unfortunately, the series of injuries continued the following season, preventing the player from playing in every match. But there was no need to panic, as Arsenal were a winning machine and continued to win the English league. In the end, the Scottish player stayed with the club until 1937, bringing his career to an end at the age of 35.