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If anyone could step off England's aeroplane after the 1970 World Cup feeling vindicated by their performance, it was left back Terry Cooper. Unquestionably the individual success within a team largely deemed to have failed, the Leeds United full back had made the position his own over the previous 12 months after Alf Ramsey had thanked and dispensed with ageing hero Ray Wilson and sought a replacement. Cooper debuted in a 5-0 pummeling of France in March 1969; he then featured prominently and consistently in Home International wins over Wales and Scotland and picked up a fourth cap in a goalless draw in Mexico, a year before hoping to return there as England's main left back. Emlyn Hughes of Liverpool and Keith Newton of Everton were also deployed during this period, but by the time England flew to South America for the pre-tournament acclimatisation, Cooper was in the box seat.
He played in both games on this whistle-stop tour - victories and clean sheets against Colombia and Ecuador - and was therefore picked by Ramsey when the real business began. Cooper, apart from infamously being left gasping by Jairzinho in the run-up to Gordon Banks' immortal save from Pele in the second group game, was England's star defender; tackling imperiously while joining the attack and hitting pinpoint crosses either with time on his side from distance or when on a high-speed run outside the midfield. One such cross against Brazil was miskicked to Jeff Astle, whose miss was as immortal as Banks' save. England's demoralising exit against West Germany left Cooper with his head held high, despite feeling as low as a member of the team as anyone, but he didn't miss a minute of England's involvement and was a shoo-in for the new decade ahead. In 1971 he featured in three of the six qualifiers for the following summer's European Championship finals - two victories and a draw - and also the three Home International games from which England emerged undefeated.
However, just as West Germany were coming into view for the final, vital pair of qualifiers in April 1972, Cooper broke his leg while playing for Leeds and such was the seriousness of the injury, he didn't kick a ball at any level for two and a half years. Hughes took over the role in the meantime, despite being clearly not a long-term option due to his status as a right-footed centre back with Liverpool, but still no left footer had unequivocally claimed the No.3 shirt by the time Cooper was available again, and his old Leeds boss Don Revie loyally gave him his 20th cap in a qualifier for the 1976 European Championships against Portugal at Wembley. It ended 0-0, Cooper was clearly lacking in fitness, pace and general sure-footedness after so long out, and the experiment was rapidly brought to a close. Terry moved to Middlesbrough three months later, thereby accepting that he wouldn't play at the very highest level again.
But for his unfortunate injury, Cooper would surely have won more than 50 caps in what should have been a fine England career - instead it was a fine one on a purely abortive level, and England never really found anyone as natural as him until Kenny Sansom finally came along. (Matthew Rudd)
Terry died on Saturday
31st July 2021 aged 77.
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