Bert Freeman was one of the most prolific strikers of his generation.
Aston Villa's loss was Woolwich Arsenal's gain in November 1905 after the youngster had struggled to make an impact in the West Midlands.
Freeman made a goalscoring debut as Arsenal lost 3-1 to Nottingham Forest in November 1905 and played intermittently as the Gunners finished 12th in the First Division.
His brace against Manchester United in round four of the FA Cup put the Gunners in the semi-finals, where they lost to Newcastle United.
During the 1907/08 season he scored seven goals in a match for the reserves in the London League.
But despite his excellent goalscoring record, Freeman was never a regular in Arsenal’s first team.
The striker scored 24 goals in just 49 starts over three seasons before new manager George Morrell sold him to Everton with the Club in need of funds.
This time it was Arsenal who felt the loss. He was even more prolific on Merseyside to earn himself a move to Burnley, where he continued to find the net and picked up more England international honours.
Freeman was the First Division's top goalscorer in 1908/09 and led the way in the Second Division in both the 1911/12 and 1912/13 seasons.
He later played for Wigan Borough and Kettering Town before retiring.
Bert Freeman
