Terry FENWICK

One of the quicker defenders ever to play for England, the decision by Bobby Robson to call up QPR's Terry Fenwick in 1984 for the Home International Championships seemed little more than a worthy experiment to find England's batch of central defenders for the rest of the decade. With the likes of Phil Thompson and Dave Watson gone, Fenwick was one of a number of strong club centre backs given his opportunity during the summer period with no European Championship finals ahead for England to attend. Fenwick came on as a sub for Alvin Martin during a poor 1-0 home defeat to Wales at Wrexham, paired alongside fellow debutant Mark Wright.

He started the next game - a 1-1 draw with Scotland - and stayed in the side for the rest of the summer, pairing up with the other Dave Watson for all three of England's touring games in South America. By the time the qualifiers for the 1986 World Cup arrived in the autumn though, he had dropped down the pecking order because of a return after a rest for first choice stopper Terry Butcher. Fenwick waited until the following summer for his seventh cap - a 1-1 draw versus Finland in a qualifier - and was outjumped for the only goal by Richard Gough as England then lost the inaugural Rous Cup final against the Scots at Hampden Park. Wright, Martin and Watson all stayed on the scene and Robson took them all to Mexico for a summer tournament, a year before England hoped to be there again for more pressing reasons.

Terry played once - a 1-0 defeat by the hosts - but was in place again when the final qualifiers came along at the end of 1985. England won one and drew two of them (the photo above is during the final qualifier, a 0-0 draw against Northern Ireland), earning their place in Mexico, and Fenwick was a strong presence alongside Wright for all three, although of all the defenders used by Robson, his place was the one most bemoaned by the media. There was no security about any centre back's spot in Robson's final squad, however, with the notable exception of Butcher. The race was on between Fenwick, Wright, Martin and Watson as to who would initially make the 22 and then ultimately partner Butcher in the opening game against the Portuguese. After a series of friendly matches in the spring of 1986, Robson plumped for Fenwick and Martin for the plane, leaving Wright and Watson at home. (Matthew Rudd)

Fenwick was no doubt delighted to be picked as Butcher's partner for the eagerly-awaited opener in Monterrey, but England's defence was a shambles as an ordinary Portugal managed a 1-0 win. Fenwick, though, kept his place for the next game against Morocco, which England were expected to win. His biting style was required more than ever as England lost Bryan Robson and Ray Wilkins to injury and a red card respectively, and England clung on to a 0-0 draw. Terry kept his place as England finally got going with a stunning 3-0 win over Poland to make the second round, but a second yellow card ruled him out of the resultant clash with Paraguay, and Alvin Martin was called up.

After the 3-0 win, Robson decided to bring back Fenwick, whose lower centre of gravity and pacier starting point was deemed crucial for shackling the obvious threat of Diego Maradona. Terry picked up an early booking and then was lucky to escape heavier punishment when the Tunisian referee failed to notice a firm plantation of his elbow into Maradona's throat. The referee would go on to miss much more, with Maradona's handled goal separating the sides by the time the Argentinian skipper took on the whole England defence to score a sensational second, including Fenwick's half-hearted attempt at a rugby tackle on the edge of the area. Terry was pushed upfield as an emergency measure as England sent on John Barnes to rain in the crosses, and he was in close proximity to Gary Lineker, also waiting for a header, as the England striker connected with a Barnes centre to reduce the deficit (see photo above, a delighted Fenwick arms aloft- photo G.H. ©). England still went out 2-1 and Robson immediately installed fresher, younger blood at the back.

Terry, whose media image was one of a vastly overrated defender, was not considered again by Robson barring a very brief appearance as a substitute for Mark Wright during a tedious 0-0 draw in Israel in February 1988. Wright and Dave Watson's maturity, plus the emergence of Tony Adams, had made Fenwick largely surplus to requirements, even after Butcher was lost for most of 1988 with a broken leg. Terry's almost unique pace for an English centre back still gave him half an eye on a recall, however, until Nottingham Forest's Des Walker emerged after the 1988 European Championships as a quicker, younger and better bet than Fenwick and despite enjoying a consistent spell with Tottenham Hotspur, he was considered unsuitable for further England duty. (Matthew Rudd)