He arrived at Filbert Street in July 1944 as a 17-year-old inside-forward from City’s nursery club, Middlesbrough Swifts.
After playing in a practice match at Filbert Street, and on the advice of the ex-England international Sep Smith, Don was signed by Leicester as a professional in August 1944. The Club found him a job as a bricklayer at Sheriffs. This enabled him to train in the evening and play on Saturdays.
Revie established himself in Leicester’s first team in 1945/46, when he made 31 appearances in the Wartime Football League South. He was an established first-teamer in Leicester’s Second Division side when League Football was resumed in 1946/47.
His progress was interrupted by a broken ankle in November 1947, but he was the star of the City side which, struggling at the bottom of the old Second Division, improbably fought its way to the FA Cup Final against Wolverhampton Wanderers in 1949.
His two goals in the semi-final at Highbury against Portsmouth, who were to become league champions that year, are among the most famous goals ever scored by a Leicester player.
Nine days before the final, Don burst blood vessels in his nose and this injury developed into a life-threatening condition, forcing him to listen to City’s 3-1 defeat at Wembley on the radio from a hospital bed. Losing their star player for the final was a huge blow to Leicester.
Seven months later, after having played a total of 143 games for City between 1944 and 1949, Don transferred to Hull City, before moving on to Manchester City, Sunderland and Leeds United.
He was Footballer of the Year in 1955 at Man City (with whom he won the FA Cup in 1956 after having been a beaten finalist in 1955). At Maine Road, he became an England international. He was also central to the innovative Revie Plan in which he played as a deep-lying centre forward.
Revie went on to manage Leeds and England. At Elland Road, after promotion in 1964, he led the Yorkshire outfit to two league titles, as well as wins in the FA Cup, League Cup and FA Charity Shield (now FA Community Shield).
When he broke his England contract to accept a lucrative offer from the United Arab Emirates, he was widely condemned and his reputation never fully recovered. However, his achievements, first at Leicester City and then in his subsequent career, can’t be denied.