The 53-year-old enjoyed a 16-year professional career that saw him start at Colchester United before reaching the heights of the top-flight with the Blues. However, Grainger is best remembered for his thunderous 30-yard free-kick he scored for Birmingham against Manchester United in April 2004 in what was his last ever game in football. Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT"Having had the surgery to scrape all the rubbish out, unfortunately I had all sorts of complications with infections so I ended up having three ops to get it cleaned up." He ended up returning three months later and played three more games before being sent out on loan to Coventry. I remember taking a free-kick and I felt the knee just pop.

Source: Express February 22, 2026 14:56 UTC