Will Grigg

William Donald Grigg (born 3 July 1991) is a professional footballer who plays as a striker for National League club Chesterfield.

After his release by Birmingham in 2007, Grigg became a student at Solihull College of Technology and turned out for Solihull Moors' youth team.

In September 2007, Grigg signed non-contract terms with Midland Alliance side Stratford Town and made his first team debut in a 0–0 FA Cup qualifying draw versus Hednesford Town on 15 September.

He started the replay and was substituted after 58 minutes for Steven Ruck.

Grigg scored in a league match versus Biddulph Victoria on 29 September and again versus Racing Club Warwick on 7 October.

Having courted interest from West Bromwich Albion, Grigg signed a scholarship at League One side Walsall in the summer of 2008.

Assigned the number 24 shirt, he made his league debut as an 89th-minute substitute for Dwayne Mattis in a 0–0 draw with Cheltenham Town on 20 December 2008.

Grigg was an unused substitute for a 2–1 defeat away to Tranmere Rovers on 28 December 2008 and made no further appearances in the first team squad during the 2008–09 season.

Grigg made no appearances during the 2009–10 season, but was an unused substitute on 20 occasions.

Grigg featured regularly as a second-half substitute during the 2010–11 season and made his first start for Walsall in a 1–0 FA Cup second round defeat at Torquay United on 27 November 2010.

He made his first league start in a 1–0 away win against Charlton Athletic on 12 December 2010.

Grigg finished the 2010–11 season having made 30 appearances and scored four goals.

He scored his first senior goal in a 2–2 league draw against Bristol Rovers on 11 January 2011.

Grigg made 32 appearances and scored four goals during the 2011–12 season.

Grigg began his professional career at Walsall and came to prominence during the 2012–13 season, winning the club's Player of the Season and Players' Player of the Season awards.

Since then, he has played for a number of clubs, including Brentford, MK Dons, Wigan, Sunderland, and Rotherham.

Grigg became a regular starter during the 2012–13 season and scored seven goals before the New Year, including a brace in a 4–2 away victory over Milton Keynes Dons on Boxing Day.

He finished the 2012–13 season with a run of 10 goals in 11 matches, as Walsall mounted an unsuccessful challenge to qualify for the League One playoffs.

Grigg's form led to interest from Championship side Derby County and Premier League sides Aston Villa, Southampton and Norwich City.

Grigg won the Walsall Player of the Season and Players' Player of the Season awards for the 2012–13 season, having made 45 appearances and finished as the club's top scorer with 20 goals.

Grigg's contract expired at the end of the season and he left the club after turning down a new four-year deal.

He finished his Walsall career having made 109 appearances and scored 28 goals.

Grigg started 2013 in style with a goal, an assist and his first professional Man of the Match award in Walsall's televised league match against Portsmouth on 4 January.

His impressive form continued as he scored his first hat-trick in a 3–0 victory at Carlisle United on 26 February, bringing his season tally up to 14 goals.

On 1 July 2013, Grigg signed for fellow League One side Brentford on a three-year deal.

As Grigg was under 24 at the time of the transfer, the deal went to a Football League tribunal and Brentford were ordered to pay an initial £325,000, plus add-ons.

Grigg made his debut for the club in the first match of the 2013–14 season, a 1–1 away draw at Port Vale on 3 August 2013.

On his next appearance, he scored his first Brentford goals, a brace in a 3–1 home victory over Sheffield United on 10 August.

Injury, international call ups and being played out of position by manager Uwe Rösler led to Grigg enduring a stuttering start to his Brentford career and he admitted suffering a dip in confidence.

He went 10 matches without a goal, until he was retrospectively credited with Brentford's second in a 3–2 win over Peterborough United on 26 November.

In the following match, he scored the winner in a 1–0 league victory over Notts County.

By July 2014, the fee had risen to £405,000.

Grigg scored his fifth Brentford goal against Port Vale on 11 January 2014, scoring late in the second half after coming on for Sam Saunders.

In March and still behind Clayton Donaldson and Marcello Trotta in the pecking order, Grigg told the Hounslow Chronicle "I haven't become a bad striker overnight. I've been training well, I'm confident and keep believing. If I get a run of games, I think I will always score goals".

Grigg made regular appearances in the latter stages of a successful season in which Brentford secured automatic promotion to the Championship, but he was unable to find the net and finished the campaign with 36 appearances and 4 goals.

In 2016, a Wigan Athletic supporter created the song "Will Grigg's on fire" as a tribute to Grigg, sung to the tune of "Freed from Desire" by Italian singer Gala.

It has become a popular football chant.

Grigg was born in Solihull, West Midlands.

He was educated at Solihull School and was signed by Birmingham City at the age of seven.

He progressed through the club's youth teams, but suffered a broken leg at age 15.