Wilbraham had a career few can match in the EFL. He started his career at Stockport, scoring on his senior debut at Maine Road against Manchester City – the club he supported and was previously on the books of – back in 1998.
Fast forward to 2020 and he was still leading the line for Rochdale in his forties, scoring against Premier League opponents Newcastle in the FA Cup, which made Wilbraham one of a select group of players to have scored in four different decades.
Within that remarkable journey were two seasons at Selhurst Park, the first of which ended in a dramatic, unforgettable play-off promotion. To this day, Palace have a place close to Wilbraham’s heart.
“Palace are still a club I feel close to and - like with Stockport - I always keep an eye on their results and see how they’re going,” he said.
“It’s class that they have managed to become a solid Premier League club and still be there now. We were saying at reunion a few years ago that not many teams stay up for 10 years after promotion these days. Palace have now done 12.
