At 17 years and 45 days old Ricky Hill made his debut in a Football League Division Two (now "Championship") match for Luton Town against Bristol Rovers. Some Hatters fans may not have heard of this young player previously, especially as he'd only signed professional terms the previous month, but he was soon to become a household name and a bona-fide Luton Town Legend. 

His first touch on 19th April 1976 saw him assist Brian Chambers to make it 2-1, and his second touch, just a minute later saw him score himself with a terrific strike to confirm the win. 

It was certainly a debut that was long to be remembered by the 7,646 that were in attendance, and to this day Hill is still the youngest Luton player to have scored a Football League goal.

Hill was to become a mainstay in the Luton midfield and was pivotal in the Club's success when winning the Division Two title in 1981/82, still whilst just 23 years of age, and at the same time he'd also picked up consecutive player of the year awards.

Hill made his debut for England in a European Championship qualifier against Denmark in September 1982, thus becoming the first British South Asian to have represented the Three Lions, and soon made his first start, at Wembley, against Germany just a month later. 

From humble beginnings to featuring on the World stage - Hill was very unlucky to miss out on the World Cup squad for Mexico 1986 having made the provisional 26 man squad he was one of those disappointed as it was reduced to 22 players for the Finals.

It is often discussed amongst football fans of that era that Hill wasn't rewarded with the number of caps for England that his performances for Luton deserved, as he was a mesmeric midfielder with such skill, flair intricate control and exceptional all round ability, he was often worth the admission fee alone.

Hill was a creative genius in a Luton side that arguably played some of the best football Hatters fans have ever seen.

Ricky Hill was to go on to make 508 appearances for Luton during over a decade at Kenilworth Road, scoring 65 times in all competitions, his sheer brilliance on the field made him one of those heroes of whom we are all rightly so proud to have seen in Luton, and England, colours.

In 1977 Ricky answered a question, "My aim is ......", for a Luton matchday programme with the answer, "To be successful", given that 50 years on we are acknowledging and celebrating the Golden anniversary of his debut it feels like a complete understatement to just say that he certainly achieved this aim!

Congratulations Ricky on a very successful career!

Ricky Hill is proud to support Ameina Centre CIC, a Luton-based community organisation working to reduce loneliness and isolation, tackle health inequalities, and help children, young people and families thrive.

Having broken down barriers throughout his own career, Ricky is passionate about supporting organisations that create opportunities, build confidence and make a lasting difference within the local community.

Ameina Centre CIC supports disadvantaged and hard-to-reach communities in Luton through advice, guidance and practical support.

Their work helps local people build confidence, independence and a stronger sense of belonging.

• Ameina Website