The youngest FA Cup final captain when he led Leicester out in 1969 prior to his 21st birthday, left back David Nish had
to wait another three years and for a big-money move to champions Derby County (he is pictured above playing for the Rams)
before his country called. After his first season at the Baseball Ground, Alf Ramsey - still not fully convinced by playing right-footed
central defender Emlyn Hughes at left back - gave Nish a run-out in the first Home International fixture, which England won 2-1 a
gainst Northern Ireland, while Hughes was engaged in that season's UEFA Cup final. However, the Liverpool skipper returned to
the No.3 shirt for the remaining brace of fixtures and Nish had to wait almost a whole year for a recall, when he featured in a
highly inexperienced side in Ramsey's uneventful final game in charge. It ended goalless against Portugal, but caretaker boss
Joe Mercer kept David in the team - at right back this time - for all three of the Home Internationals which followed. In the third
and final game of the tournament, Nish scored an own goal in a rotten 2-0 defeat against Scotland, deflecting a Kenny Dalglish
slot past Peter Shilton, and was not recalled again. He was in good company on that score, as that awful game also heralded
the end of Martin Peters' international career. Nish returned to life as a respectable club full back, winning the League
championship with Derby in 1975. (Matthew Rudd) |