Will Grigg was once voted the 25th best player in Europe ahead of Kevin De Bruyne and Jan Oblak

He never made it off the bench for Northern Ireland at Euro 2016 but Will Grigg was voted the 25th best player in Europe after a stellar season in League One.

The Solihull-born striker, who was blessed with one of the catchiest chants of all time in 'Will Grigg's on fire, your defence is terrified', made a real splash during the 2015/16 campaign.

He helped Gary Caldwell's Wigan earn automatic promotion to the Championship after scoring an impressive 25 league goals, finishing as League One's top scorer.

As a result of his fine efforts, Grigg was named alongside some of the world's best after a vote was conducted by journalists from all 55 of UEFA's member associations.

Those involved submitted a list of their five best-ranked players in Europe and, to the surprise of pretty much everyone, Northern Ireland's number nine was tied on points with then-Manchester United transfer target Paul Pogba.

Will Grigg was once voted the 25th best player in Europe…

How did I not know this??? 🤣😅 pic.twitter.com/b1a8P4gRsp

— Second Tier podcast (@secondtierpod) March 22, 2024

In fact, his performances earned him a tied 25th place in the initial voting process, which placed him ahead of Kevin De Bruyne, Blaise Matuidi and Jan Oblak.

Seven years on from Grigg's achievement as the only player from outside a major top division to appear on the 37-man list and some fans are only just discovering the slightly bizarre turn of events.

Here's how fans on social media reacted.

One said: "Amazing what happens when you have a half decent song. Nicola Berti was a Ballon D’Or contender in the 90s," while another wrote: "Will Grigg’s on fire hype in 2016 was unbelievable."

A third commented: "He didn't even play at that Euros... that's incredible."

A fourth wrote: "The song gave him status," and a fifth added: "Needs to be on the list this year again for his goal scoring record so far."

Grigg has certainly been on fire for National League side Chesterfield this season.

He has netted 25 league goals for Paul Cook's men, who are flying high at the top of England's fifth tier with 29 wins from a possible 40. The Blues are 21 points ahead of second-place Barnet.