Career
Fagan started his career as a teenager at Celtic and moved on to Preston where he would link up with future Anfield managerial great Bill Shankly who was playing for the club at the time. Liverpool manager George Kay then took Willie to Anfield where he made his debut, along with John Shafto, on 23 October 1937 in a 1-1 league draw with Leicester at Anfield. While playing at Liverpool, Fagan went straight into the line-up in his favoured inside-left position, although he did appear as a centre-forward for the club, he end his initial season at the club with nine goals in 36 matches.
He followed this up by scoring 15 times, one behind top scorer Berry Nieuwenhuys and missing only just three matches of the 1938-1939 campaign.
The Second World War interrupted Fagan"s career for six years and it took away the majority of his best years. Willie played as a wartime guest for Aldershot, Leicester, Northampton, Newcastle, Chelsea, Millwall and Reading.
He also gained his only international recognition during World War Two when he appeared for Scotland, unfortunately these appearances are regarded as "unofficial" internationals. Injury made his appearances during the 1947-1948 and 1948-1949 seasons very irregular but he bounced back in the 1949-1950 season as he helped the Reds to their very first Wembley cup final on 29 April 1950.
Willie made just four appearances during the following campaign and three during the first half of the 1951-1952 season.
Fagan was allowed to leave Liverpool in January 1952 and he joined Northern Irish club Belfast Distillery where he played for a short time. Willie then headed back to England where in took on a player/manager role at Weymouth. After hanging up his boots, Willie became a Borstal officer, an occupation he held until his retirement in 1982.
Willie died in February 1992 in Wellingborough.
He was 75 years old. Honours.