Glentoran pay tribute to 'true icon' Trevor Thompson after club's all-time leading goalscorer passes away

Thompson represented the Glens between 1956 and 1968, scoring a remarkable 375 goals in 463 appearances – a record which still remains unmatched throughout the club’s history.

His goals helped The Oval outfit secure two Irish League titles, an Irish Cup, three Gold Cups, three City Cups and one Ulster Cup while Thompson was also named Ulster Footballer of the Year in 1964, the same year in which he netted four times in a memorable 8-1 triumph over rivals Linfield.

In 1967, Thompson was part of the famous Detroit Cougars squad, representing Glentoran on a tour of North America.

Glentoran chairman Colin Jess paid tribute to Thompson, saying: "Although I only caught the tail end of Trevor Thompson’s incredible career, I grew up hearing stories of his incredible goalscoring exploits as part of an outstanding Glentoran team.

"He was more than just a prolific striker - he was a true icon of this club, a player whose legacy is woven into the very fabric of Glentoran’s history.

"His remarkable talent and deep love for the club gave supporters memories that will be cherished for generations and his name will forever be synonymous with success at Glentoran.

"On behalf of everyone at Glentoran, I extend our deepest condolences to Trevor’s family, friend and former teammates at this incredibly sad time. He will always be remembered as one of the greatest to ever wear the red, green and black."

A further club statement read: “Trevor Thompson will forever be remembered as a Glentoran great, a record-breaker and a true club icon.

“Everyone at Glentoran extends their heartfelt sympathies to his daughter Caroline, his sons Ian and Nigel, his wider family, friends and all who knew and loved him.”

After his passing, Glentoran republished an in-depth interview with Thompson which featured in the ‘Glentoran Gazette’ in 2000 where he reflected on his career.

When asked who the best player he played with was, Thompson answered: “Without doubt, the best I played with at the Oval was Walter Bruce.

"However, I was also privileged on one occasion to play with the man I regard as the best player ever, George Best.”

The famous 8-1 win over Linfield was the highlight game for Thompson, who said: “We went a goal down early on, but I grabbed the equaliser, Sammy Hatton scored an own goal, and Sammy Pavis scored to give us a 3-1 lead at half-time.

"I got my second and Glentoran’s fourth just after the break, Tommy Brannigan got the fifth, and the sixth gave me my hat-trick.

"Gerry Green got number seven and I finished the scoring with number eight. I almost scored five that day but was denied by the crossbar!

"The only disappointing thing about that day was that Billy Neill wasn’t there to witness it. Billy had gone on a trip to Blackpool with one of the supporters' clubs and missed the game.

"I was pleased to score four goals in one game, especially against Linfield at Windsor Park, but for me, this game was the turning point for Glentoran; it was so central to everything that was to unfold over the next four years.

"We hadn’t beaten Linfield at Windsor for 17 years, so this result was remarkable.

"It also meant that we went from also-rans to League Champions in the space of a month! I suppose it gave us all a belief in ourselves and we went on to greater things over the coming seasons.”