It is no secret that County Durham is home to some impressive sporting talent.

From football legends, to notable cricketers, locals from the region have some seriously impressive sporting accolades behind their name.

While you might have heard about some of these sports pros, did you know that they hailed from County Durham?

Here are seven sports stars that were raised in a County Durham town near you.

Steph Houghton

The Northern Echo: Steph Houghton (PA Wire/PA Images, Nick Potts)Steph Houghton (PA Wire/PA Images, Nick Potts)
(PA Wire/PA Images, Nick Potts)

Durham-born, Steph Houghton, has made quite a name for herself in the world of female football.

She both plays for and captains the Manchester City and England national team.

In 2015, she lead the England Women’s team to third place in the World Cup and received an MBE for her contributions to sport.

Ralph Coates

This professional footballer was born in Hetton-le-Hole; his primary position was a winger.

Early in his career, he played for Burnley after his talent was spotted at the age of 16.

He went on to make more than 200 appearances for the Turf Moor club and was called up for the first of his four England caps, before a then-record £190,000 transfer to Tottenham Hotspur in May 1971.

Sadly, the football star passed away in 2010 at the age of 64.

Paul Collingwood

Paul Collingwood is a former English Cricketer who played for Durham County Cricket Club and the England national team.

(Instagram/paulcollingwood5)

He was captain of the historic team 2010 that led England to victory at the ICC World T20.   

In total, he played 68 tests and was part of three Ashes-winning teams.

Bobby Robson

Football icon, Bobby Robson, was born In the County Durham village of Sacriston and spent a lot of his life in Durham.

He embarked on his football career in 1950 when he signed for Fulham.

Robson would later move to West Bromwich for a club record of £25,000 and became club captain.

He didn’t make his England debut until 1957, when he scored twice in a 4-0 vistory against France.

He later became a successful manager for several football clubs and appointed the England manager in 1982.

Sadly, he passed away in 2009 at the age of 76.

Glenn ‘The Gentleman’ McCrory

If you are a fan of boxing, you might recognise this name.

Stanley man, Glenn McCrory, is a former professional boxer who was the first world boxing champion from the North East.

One of the most notable matches in his career was in 1989 at the Louisa Centre against Patrick ‘Killer’ Lumumba- which he won.

Bryan Robson

(Instagram/bryanrobson)

Bryan Robson was born in Chester-le-Street and has a notable career as a footballer and manager.

He started at West Brom, where he made more that 200 appearances, but he later went on to play for Manchester United where he was the longest serving captain in club history.

Robson also played for England over 90 times in his career.

He went on to manage Bradford, West Brom and Sheffield United and left his final position as Thailand boss in 2011.

For his contribution to sport, Robson received an OBE in 1990.

Arthur Wharton

Arthur Wharton is regarded as somewhat of a forgotten footballer- but he has an impressive sporting legacy.

Born in Ghana, he came to Darlington in the 1880s where he eventually launched a career in football.

He was the world’s first black professional footballer and also regarded as the best goalie in the country at the time.

Wharton also became the first man in the world to run 100 yards in exactly 10 seconds.

Who do you think is the greatest sports star to ever come out of County Durham? Let us know in the comments.​​