Jimmy Carter

James William Charles Carter (born 9 November 1965) is an English former footballer. Playing as a winger, Carter featured for Crystal Palace, Queens Park Rangers, Millwall, Liverpool, Arsenal, Oxford United and Portsmouth throughout his career. Early life Carter was born on 9 November 1965, of mixed ancestry. His British surname came from a 17th-century ancestor who moved to India and married an Indian woman. His father Maurice originated from Kanpur in India, and was brought up in Lucknow. After being orphaned at 14, Maurice joined the merchant navy, came to England, and married Jimmy's English mother. When they divorced, Maurice brought up Jimmy and his brother 'as Indian kids'. Maurice (who died in January 2009) encouraged Jimmy to make it as a footballer, waking him early on frosty mornings to train. Career Carter began his professional career aged 14 at Crystal Palace, who released him when 19, and then had a brief spell with Queens Park Rangers, but failed to make a league appearance for either club. Millwall bought Carter from QPR in 1987 for £15,000 and gave him his Football League debut in a 0–0 draw with Oldham at The Den in the Second Division. He quickly established himself in the first team and was an integral part of the team which gained promotion to the top flight in 1987–88, the first time ever in Millwall's 100-year history. In December of that season, Sheffield United defender Chris Wilder was sent off for a crude tackle on Carter.