He spent eighteen years as a centre-half at Stoke City between 1960 and 1978, helping them to lift the League Cup in 1972, before spending a brief association with Port Vale as a player and manager between 1978 and 1979. He also briefly played for American club Cleveland Stokers in 1967. He is fifth in Stoke's all-time appearances list, and was nicknamed "Bluto" by the club's supporters.