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Centre backs invariably are gangly players of varying weight, but Colin Todd of Derby County (he is pictured above playing for the Rams) had to rely on pace and timing rather than height when he embarked upon a fine career which would achieve much, despite his lack of feet and inches. Within little more than a year of joining an upwardly mobile Derby County side under Brian Clough, Todd had a League championship medal and an England cap, as Alf Ramsey put him into the back four for what turned out to be a disastrous 1-0 defeat at Wembley to Northern Ireland in the Home Internationals. It took almost three years before Ramsey recalled Todd and that second cap came in a team full of debutants in a makeshift team cobbled together by a coach who felt the pressure on his back after not reaching the World Cup. The friendly in Portugal ended 0-0 and Ramsey was sacked shortly afterwards. However, Todd's career blossomed thereafter.
Caretaker boss Joe Mercer picked him at centre back alongside Dave Watson for all seven of his games in charge, including a couple in partnership with his Derby cohort Roy McFarland. Don Revie's arrival and his slipshod way of chopping and changing the team also didn't affect Todd's standing, and he started every match in 1975 - including four European Championship qualifiers, and featured in two of the 1976 Home Internationals the following year. Revie then switched Colin to right back for the start of the qualification campaign for the 1978 World Cup, and he responded with some gutsy performances as England twice beat Finland to top the group. Revie then infamously lost his head, succumbed to media pressure to change the formation, and Todd lost his place for the huge trip to Rome in which Italy won 2-0 and England looked all at sea. The beginning of Revie's end marked the end for Todd as well - his 27th and last cap came in the 1977 Home International victory over Northern Ireland. Approaching 30 and in a Derby side which was declining, he wasn't chosen for the summer tour of South America and was not re-summoned by Ron Greenwood after Revie's unceremonious resignation the same summer. (Matthew Rudd)
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