Peter SHILTON

It's always remarkable when a player wins more than 100 caps for his country; what makes Peter Shilton's stunning 125 tally all the more remarkable are the many issues which prevented him winning more. His England career was never affected by injury, but it was affected by being an understudy, not reaching a major tournament in the first decade, an uppity, premature and ultimately reversed retirement from the international scene and a coach who couldn't decide who his best keeper was and so had a policy of alternating them. Shilton, a brilliant shot-stopper who was also probably the fittest of goalkeepers to have played the game by his era, was just past his 21st birthday when he debuted for his country, having been one of the unlucky quintet of players omitted by Ramsey from the final 22 for the 1970 World Cup, with Gordon Banks, Peter Bonetti and Alex Stepney all considered worthier. The latter two had been removed from Ramsey's thinking after England had lost in the quarter-finals and so new understudies for Banks were needed. Shilton, still at hometown club Leicester City, walked out behind Bobby Moore for the first game of his international career as England defeated East Germany 3-1. But although he had convinced the Leicester management that he was a better option than Banks, leading to the 1966 hero's sale, doing the same with Ramsey was going to be a tougher task. Shilton won two caps in 1971 - draws against Wales and Switzerland - while Banks rightly and consistently donned the gloves for the remainder of that year's games. Peter's cause wasn't helped when, in his fourth appearance, England were surprisingly beaten 1-0 by Northern Ireland in the Home Internationals, with Terry Neill's vicious left foot drive giving Shilton no chance. But he would be back in an England shirt quicker than he imagined, as Banks only managed one more appearance before his awful car crash robbed him of an eye and his career. Peter, suddenly, was England's number one with a World Cup qualification campaign about to begin.

However, he had to wait for his World Cup debut, after a shaky display against Yugoslavia in a 1-1 draw at Wembley prompted Ramsey, who needed new keepers anyway with all his 1970 trio out of the picture, to give Liverpool's Ray Clemence his international bow. So began a healthy but fierce rivalry between the two for the next decade for the right to be regarded as England's number one, from which Clemence would emerge victorious in battle before Shilton won the war. The game at Ninian Park ended 1-0 and Clemence's clean sheet meant Ramsey could happily keep him in place for the return visit to Wembley, so Peter was kept waiting longer. This time England dropped points with a 1-1 draw and Ramsey pitched Shilton back into the team, initially in a one-sided friendly against the Scots when England won 5-0 and Peter did little more than watch, then in a fantastic Home International campaign for England, with wins over Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland. Shilton conceded just one goal and was the form keeper, so when England travelled to Chorzow to face Poland in an enormous qualifier for the World Cup, he was finally given his debut in the competition. A rotten evening for Bobby Moore helped Poland to a 2-0 win in a phenomenally bad-tempered game which saw Peter exposed for both goals and Alan Ball sent off. Blameless but hurting, Shilton maintained his grip on the goalkeeper's jersey with a fine display in a 2-1 friendly win over the Soviet Union and, after a 2-0 defeat by a powerful Italy side and a 7-0 pummelling of Austria in further friendlies, Poland made their return in England's make or break World Cup group decider. Shilton was about to find himself the subject of much scrutiny. (Matthew Rudd)

Peter Shilton won his 15th cap for England in the final and crucial qualifying game for the 1974 World Cup when Poland visited Wembley. Poland's win in Chorzow meant that a draw would be enough for them; England had to win or they would not be at the finals in West Germany. Shilton followed stand-in skipper Martin Peters out of the tunnel - Moore had been dropped - while alongside him was his Polish opposite number, Jan Tomaszewski. Both goalkeepers would prove to be crucial components on one of the most notorious and bizarre nights for English football. Shilton had a quiet time of it in the first half, keeping his concentration and doing exercises in the penalty area to stay warm while his outfield team-mates peppered Tomaszewski's goal with shots and headers of all kinds and from all angles. Tomaszewski was keeping them out in brilliant fashion at times, and in eccentric manner on occasion, with the sort of saves not taught in the goalkeeping manual. It was goalless at half time but England were clearly on top; they only needed a bit of luck. Shilton tried to stay focussed as the second half got underway but after a chance or two more went begging, he was suddenly called into action. Peter's role in Poland's breakaway goal has been analysed by all and sundry, not least by Shilton himself, who knew he was slow going down and had tried to make "the perfect save" rather than just make sure the ball didn't go in, scruffily or not. Norman Hunter trod inexplicably on the ball on the touchline and Poland's Grzegorz Lato broke down the flank. Shilton steeled himself for a shot and then scrambled across to the right position when Lato fed the onrushing Jan Domarski who shaped to hit the ball first time. Full back Emlyn Hughes was scurrying back at great pace to get to Domarski and managed to get a challenge in, but it was not enough to block the shot.

Some viewpoints claimed, however, that the challenge did enough to take Shilton's eye away from the ball's natural path towards him for a split second, and as a result he was slow following its progress. He dived down, hoping to both stop and keep hold of the ball, but he was fractionally too late as the ball skidded under his body and into the net. England had now a mountain to climb and nearly managed it, with Allan Clarke quickly restoring parity with a penalty as Shilton turned his back on the spot-kick, unable to watch and reliant entirely on the Wembley crowd's reaction as to whether the ball went in or not. For all England's pressure, the charmed Tomaszewski kept everything out in orthodox ways or otherwise, and the 1-1 draw sent Poland to the finals and eliminated England. Fingers pointed in the media at Shilton, though most commentators accepted that it was Tomaszewski who had done more to take a place at the World Cup away from England than any Englishman involved. The FA, raging, sacked Ramsey the following spring, with Shilton playing just once more for him. Phil Parkes of Queens Park Rangers won one cap before Ramsey exited, and temporary replacement Joe Mercer decided that Clemence needed a second look. Peter started all the home international games - two wins plus a poor defeat to Scotland at Hampden - and then won his 20th cap in a 2-2 friendly draw against Argentina as England became friendly fodder for teams going to West Germany in the coming weeks. Mercer then gave Clemence the goalkeeper's jersey for the three tour games of the Eastern Bloc while Shilton sorted out a move - like Banks before him - from Leicester to Stoke. To his horror, the new England coach Don Revie decided to stick with Clemence when he then took on the job. (Matthew Rudd)

Peter Shilton won his 15th cap for England in the final and crucial qualifying game for the 1974 World Cup when Poland visited Wembley. Poland's win in Chorzow meant that a draw would be enough for them; England had to win or they would not be at the finals in West Germany. Shilton followed stand-in skipper Martin Peters out of the tunnel - Moore had been dropped - while alongside him was his Polish opposite number, Jan Tomaszewski. Both goalkeepers would prove to be crucial components on one of the most notorious and bizarre nights for English football. Shilton had a quiet time of it in the first half, keeping his concentration and doing exercises in the penalty area to stay warm while his outfield team-mates peppered Tomaszewski's goal with shots and headers of all kinds and from all angles. Tomaszewski was keeping them out in brilliant fashion at times, and in eccentric manner on occasion, with the sort of saves not taught in the goalkeeping manual. It was goalless at half time but England were clearly on top; they only needed a bit of luck. Shilton tried to stay focussed as the second half got underway but after a chance or two more went begging, he was suddenly called into action. Peter's role in Poland's breakaway goal has been analysed by all and sundry, not least by Shilton himself, who knew he was slow going down and had tried to make "the perfect save" rather than just make sure the ball didn't go in, scruffily or not. Norman Hunter trod inexplicably on the ball on the touchline and Poland's Grzegorz Lato broke down the flank. Shilton steeled himself for a shot and then scrambled across to the right position when Lato fed the onrushing Jan Domarski who shaped to hit the ball first time. Full back Emlyn Hughes was scurrying back at great pace to get to Domarski and managed to get a challenge in, but it was not enough to block the shot.

Some viewpoints claimed, however, that the challenge did enough to take Shilton's eye away from the ball's natural path towards him for a split second, and as a result he was slow following its progress. He dived down, hoping to both stop and keep hold of the ball, but he was fractionally too late as the ball skidded under his body and into the net. England had now a mountain to climb and nearly managed it, with Allan Clarke quickly restoring parity with a penalty as Shilton turned his back on the spot-kick, unable to watch and reliant entirely on the Wembley crowd's reaction as to whether the ball went in or not. For all England's pressure, the charmed Tomaszewski kept everything out in orthodox ways or otherwise, and the 1-1 draw sent Poland to the finals and eliminated England. Fingers pointed in the media at Shilton, though most commentators accepted that it was Tomaszewski who had done more to take a place at the World Cup away from England than any Englishman involved. The FA, raging, sacked Ramsey the following spring, with Shilton playing just once more for him. Phil Parkes of Queens Park Rangers won one cap before Ramsey exited, and temporary replacement Joe Mercer decided that Clemence needed a second look. Peter started all the home international games - two wins plus a poor defeat to Scotland at Hampden - and then won his 20th cap in a 2-2 friendly draw against Argentina as England became friendly fodder for teams going to West Germany in the coming weeks. Mercer then gave Clemence the goalkeeper's jersey for the three tour games of the Eastern Bloc while Shilton sorted out a move - like Banks before him - from Leicester to Stoke. To his horror, the new England coach Don Revie decided to stick with Clemence when he then took on the job. (Matthew Rudd)