Peter SHILTON

When the campaign to reach the 1980 European Championships got underway, Clemence was still top dog but Shilton's club form - he was now at Nottingham Forest and had immediately won the League title - was prompting strong calls for his reinstatement to the England team, even though Clemence was doing little wrong. Greenwood gave Shilton caps in friendlies against Czechoslovakia and Sweden and Peter kept clean sheets in both. Then, at the end of 1979 (with Shilton now joining Clemence as a European Cup winner), Peter was selected for his first competitive game since the Macdonald-inspired win over Cyprus four and a half years earlier. Shilton produced a splendid display of goalkeeping as England trounced Northern Ireland 5-1 to take them a step closer to the European Championship finals in Italy, and shortly afterwards Greenwood admitted, infamously, that he now couldn't choose between Shilton and Clemence - something which brought him criticism from each player's club manager - and so would make a point of alternating them as best he could. Peter played just once in 1980 prior to being named in the squad for the European Championship finals - a 2-0 friendly win over Spain in which Forest team-mates Tony Woodcock and Trevor Francis were the scorers - and then passed the gloves to Clemence and Corrigan for the Home Internationals as he was preparing for another European Cup final. In Clemence's favour was his ability on crosses; Shilton was more known for his shot-stopping and talent for clinging on to the ball. Greenwood had a choice to make, and when England got their tournament underway against Belgium in Turin he picked Clemence, duly switching to Shilton after the 1-1 draw for the trickier prospect of hosts Italy at the same stadium (the photo above is during the game). Peter was powerless to stop Marco Tardelli's late goal giving Italy the points, and his status wasn't helped later by Clemence saving a penalty in England's last game as they beat Spain 2-1, although it wasn't enough to progress. Still, Shilton had made his debut in the finals of a major tournament at last, after nearly ten years, 31 caps and at the age of 30, and he was still in the kind of form and mood to get to finally get to a World Cup, with the 1982 finals in Spain not far away. (Matthew Rudd)

For the World Cup qualifiers, which were a mixed bunch of matches with highs and troughs, Greenwood selected Shilton for four of them. These were the very first one - a 4-0 cakewalk against Norway; the third - a tight 2-1 win over Switzerland; the fourth - a goalless draw against Romania; and the eighth and last - a must win 1-0 success over Hungary at Wembley which sealed England's place in the finals. Clemence had presided over the other four, three of which had ended in defeat, and this was perhaps in Greenwood's thinking (along with Clemence's move down a level from Liverpool to Tottenham Hotspur) when he was putting together his plans for the finals. He still alternated them in the early part of 1982 (Shilton captained his country for the first time in a 2-0 win over Holland at Wembley, his 36th cap - the photo above is during the game) and gave valuable caps to the ever-patient third-choice Corrigan to keep him sharp in the event of a crisis, but Greenwood was aware that a World Cup needed consistency and familiarity within its playing ranks. He finally made his big decision when he gave Shilton the shirt for the opening group game against France in Bilbao and told him it was his to keep for England's whole tournament for as long as his performances earned it. Peter duly was on top form as England beat France 3-1, Czechoslovakia 2-0 and Kuwait 1-0 to go through to the strange but winnable second group phase. Two more clean sheets followed but England couldn't score against either West Germany or Spain and they were eliminated, undefeated and with only one goal against them. Shilton was, for the first discernible time in his international career, the undisputed goalkeeping number one, a viewpoint endorsed by new coach Bobby Robson when he took over the job and selected Peter in all bar two of his opening 15 matches. In Bryan Robson's injury-enforced absence, Robson also gave Shilton - who by now had moved from Forest to Southampton - the captaincy on seven of these occasions and Clemence, who appeared in the other two games, retired from the England scene at the end of 1983. Shilton was in command, earning his 50th cap in the 1983 Home International win over Scotland, but the downside of this new era was England's form, as they failed to get to the 1984 European Championships thanks to a woeful Wembley draw with Greece and then a dire home defeat to Denmark. (Matthew Rudd)

Unlike his predecessor, Bobby Robson was in no doubt as to who his best goalkeeper was during his tenure in charge of the England team and Peter Shilton was a grateful and worthy recipient of his manager's faith. He featured in every game of 1984 - even though there was no European Championship finals to look forward to - which ended with two stylish wins over Finland and Turkey in England's opening brace of games to reach the 1986 World Cup. The matches ended 5-0 and 8-0 respectively - Shilton's fifth and sixth international clean sheets of the year - and the momentum continued into 1985 as England beat Northern Ireland 1-0 in their third qualifier. Peter's run of games ended when Robson gave a debut to Manchester United's Gary Bailey in a friendly against the Republic of Ireland, and later Norwich City's Chris Woods also got a go in the gloves. In between Shilton saved a penalty from Andreas Brehme as, in style, England beat West Germany 3-0 during the summer mini-tournament in Mexico. When Peter then returned to the team after Woods' debut, it was for a World Cup qualifier against Romania which ended 1-1 and earned Shilton his 73rd cap, equalling Banks' record for a goalkeeper.

Naturally he immediately set a new record when playing in England's 5-0 win over Turkey a month later and had dual cause for celebration as this win sealed England's place in Mexico for the World Cup. Robson chose not to give starts to his back-up keepers in the six games of 1986 which teased the start of the tournament, just sub appearances in Shilton's place, so he was 81 caps into his international career by the time England took to the Monterrey field for the opening game of their group against Portugal (the photo above is during the game). Peter's defence left him horribly exposed for a simple winning goal for England's otherwise mediocre opponents, and it could have got worse but for Shilton's goalkeeping when England lost Bryan Robson to injury and Ray Wilkins to a red card against Morocco, drawing 0-0. Peter was given the captain's armband for the all-crucial third group fixture against Poland and his team-mates responded to the rocket from their boss and the sweeping changes he made to the team, winning 3-0 and leaving Shilton with not a lot to do except wryly reflect on the last time he played against Poland in a crucial World Cup game. Revenge earned, 'Shilts' made one memorable fingertip save in the early stages of England's second round clash with Paraguay before England ran out clear 3-0 winners, and duly prepared for the quarter-final, which would be his 86th England appearance. Waiting for Shilton and England was Diego Maradona and Argentina. (Matthew Rudd)

The two captains exchanged handshakes and pennants at the outset (see photo above) but would later meet again in combat in one of football's most infamous incidents. More than a dozen years after "the perfect save", Shilton was about to experience the second definitive moment of his international career. England's quarter-final clash with Argentina at the 1986 World Cup was a fascinating battle between Argentina's flamboyant attacking instincts and and occasionally brutal defensive methods, and England's more considered and meticulous approach. In the first half, Peter Shilton made a number of bread-and-butter saves but was not severely tested and hope remained high as the half-time whistle sounded, even though England's own attacking had been limited. Shortly after the second half began, however, the deadlock was broken and Shilton was under the most glaring of spotlights. The impish Maradona had cut in from the right flank and attempted a one-two with Jorge Valdano but the return ball fell short, with England's Steve Hodge the likely recipient as Maradona maintained his chase. Hodge tried to hook the ball clear but it sliced off the outside of his boot towards his own net as Maradona continued his charge, and suddenly Shilton had to come out of goal to meet the spinning ball. Peter seemed a little slow to react, possibly because it was an unintentional and highly unexpected backpass from Hodge, but his towering frame plus his fully-stretched reach length made it obvious that he would beat the diminuitive Maradona to the ball as it dropped.

The two leapt together - and the ball ended up in the net. Shilton had not mispunched; indeed he had felt no contact with the ball. Maradona was clearly physically incapable of getting his head to such a high ball, despite the speed of the run he gave himself, and in the second it took for the ball to bounce into the net, Shilton and his colleagues were already chasing the Tunisian referee, claiming a blatant handball. The official insisted that the goal was legitimate and Peter stood forlornly, hands on hips, on the edge of the area as England forced themselves to accept the decision and restart the game. Maradona soon picked up the ball again and weaved past five England players to reach Shilton on the edge of the area. This time a body swerve did for Peter as Maradona rounded him and stroked the ball calmly in at the near post (see inset picture), despite a last-ditch tackle from Terry Butcher and the futile covering attempts of Gary Stevens. This was a genuinely great goal but the taste of Maradon'a influence on the game was still sour. Shilton had little to do afterwards, and substitute John Barnes nearly single-handedly rescued England in a marvellous cameo where he ripped the Argentinians to shreds time and again, but only one of his many crosses resulted in a goal. England were out, unjustly, and Peter had to cope with questioning about his view of Maradona - both visual and emotional - and his starting position as the ball looped towards him. England came home numb and a 36 year old Shilton, with 86 caps to his name, immediately declared that he wasn't going to end his England career on such a bitter note as Maradona labelled the incident "the Hand of God". Bobby Robson was happy to keep selecting him, and the prospect of reaching 100 caps was now a reality. (Matthew Rudd)