Alvin MARTIN

West Ham United's classy central defender Alvin Martin was still playing a Second Division game when Ron Greenwood gave him his England debut against mighty Brazil in May 1981. A clutch of young centre backs were coming to the fore, and Martin was one of the many whom Greenwood needed to see in an international arena with thoughts turning to the second part of England's tight qualifying campaign for the following summer's World Cup. Martin enjoyed a good debut and seemed a prime candidate for a healthy England career with the main stopper, Dave Watson, now in his mid-30s and unlikely to go beyond that World Cup in Spain should England get there. Martin's second cap came as a sub for Watson during a shocking 1-0 reversal against Scotland at Wembley. He then had to watch as Ipswich's pairing of Terry Butcher and Russell Osman, plus Brighton captain Steve Foster, all got nods for England, with Osman reaping some benefit by appearing in two of the last qualifiers.

Sadly for him, England lost both and Martin's third cap couldn't have been more crucially timed, given that England had to beat Hungary at Wembley (the photo above is during the game) to guarantee qualification - anything else would see a third consecutive World Cup slip-up. Martin marshalled the line superbly alongside Liverpool's Phil Thompson as a disciplined England won 1-0 and ensured that, at last, they would be featuring in a World Cup finals once more. With West Ham back in the top flight, Alvin's case for a place strengthened but his form dipped subsequently and he only won one more cap prior to the tournament as England destroyed Finland 4-1 at Wembley. Greenwood decided against taking Martin and Osman to Spain (and Watson, whose England career ended there and then with 65 caps), with Foster getting the nod as reserve behind the established duo of Thompson and Butcher. (Matthew Rudd)

Bobby Robson's subsequent elevation to England duty after the 1982 World Cup could have spelled bad news for Martin, given that Osman and Butcher were players he had nurtured through the ranks at Ipswich, but when the first qualifier for the 1984 European Championships came round, Robson put Alvin in the team. The subsequent goalless bore draw against Greece (see photo above) didn't dent Martin's personal hopes of further recognition, with Robson keeping him in the team as England hit Luxembourg for nine. Indeed, Alvin looked a settled and comfortable international defender for a handful of games thereafter, despite some mixed results, but Robson reverted to his old Ipswich pairing for the vital visit of Denmark to Wembley in a crunch qualifier, and England lost 1-0. Martin was back, winning his tenth and eleventh caps as England put seven past Hungary and Luxembourg without reply, yet the damage had been done and England missed the finals. Alvin played as England lost 1-0 to Wales in the 1984 Home Internationals, but this was his only international outing of that calendar year as Robson tested out Graham Roberts and the other Dave Watson, plus there was a debut for young Southampton prodigy Mark Wright.

Martin's 13th cap came in a successful World Cup qualifier in Northern Ireland and he hung on the periphery for the rest of that year, despite Wright and latecomer Terry Fenwick's claims to be the established Butcher's main partner. Alvin, blessed by West Ham's best season in the First Division for some time, won two caps in the run up to the 1986 World Cup, for which England had qualified with some ease, and was delighted to be named in Robson's final squad for the tournament in Mexico, though Butcher and Fenwick seemed certain to open in defence. That pairing was indeed Robson's first choice although Martin did get a run out in the 3-0 second round victory against Paraguay and he came close to his first England goal with a towering diving header which just went wide. Despite England's 3-0 win, Robson recalled Fenwick for the quarter-final against Argentina, aware that the QPR defender's pace and slightly more uncompromising manner off the ball might deal best with Diego Maradona. The Argentine skipper got one elbow in the throat from Fenwick but still won the game pretty much single-handedly. After the World Cup, the emergence of Tony Adams and the constant high form of Wright rendered Martin surplus to requirements, and he won his 17th and final cap in September 1986 as England lost 1-0 in a friendly against Sweden. (Matthew Rudd)