| Of the nine internationals of 1978, Phil Neal started six of them with only the first - a friendly against West Germany in Munich - ending in defeat. Revie rested him each time either or both Kevin Keegan or Emlyn Hughes were unavailable - this allowed Mick Mills to step into one of the full back berths and act as a vice captain or captain - but by now Clement and Gidman had gone from the scene and Cherry was called up only sporadically. Neal also scored three international goals in 1978 - the only goal against Northern Ireland in the Home Internationals; a penalty in a 4-1 friendly win against Hungary, and one of England's four goals in a mad 4-3 win over Denmark in the opening qualifier for the 1980 European Championships. The emergence at the end of 1978 of Viv Anderson - and all the ceremony which went with the decoration of England's first black player - didn't put Neal's nose out of joint, as Anderson was clearly being earmarked as someone to deputise for Phil when necessary. Greenwood's faith in Neal was maintained throughout 1979 as the same four full backs - Neal, Mills, Cherry and Anderson - reported for squad duty as England breezed through the rest of their qualification campaign for the 1980 European Championships in outstanding manner. By the end of 1979 Phil had 22 England caps and was keeping Anderson at arm's length. He won three more in 1980 as Greenwood took a closer look at Cherry in the Home Internationals prior to leaving for Italy and the finals, but even though all four of his first choice full backs - plus the fast-emerging Kenny Sansom, who had become England's top left back very quickly - were elected to represent England at the European Championships, there was little doubt that Neal would be England's first choice right back for the opening game against Belgium. Phil played in the 1-1 draw and stayed in the side for the second group game but Italy took advantage of a stunted, overawed attacking element from England to pile the men forward and win 1-0. Neal made way for Anderson for the final group game but the damage was done and the 2-1 win over Spain wasn't enough to prompt further progress. Cherry was discarded and Mills became a cameo player, recruited only when a stand-in captain or extra experience was required, and Phil once again had the shirt on his back with only Anderson trying to relieve him of it. England's mixed qualification campaign for the 1982 World Cup consisted of eight games of which Neal featured in five. He was in a defence which was stretched and outfought by Romania in Bucharest, but played one of his most controlled and mature international matches when England later when to Hungary, in urgent need of a win, and came away with a 3-1 success; Neal playing his part in Trevor Brooking's infamous goal which stuck in the stanchion. Qualification was eventually assured by a 1-0 over the same opponents at Wembley and Phil prepared himself for a World Cup campaign, putting a tin lid on all the domestic success he had enjoyed at Liverpool. He won his 37th cap in the penultimate preparation game against Iceland, and was given the honour of captaining his country, albeit in the absence of at least five other players who would have had the armband ahead of him, but it was one of those absentees who would dent and eventually ruin Neal's big World Cup dream as England jetted off to Spain in optimistic mood. (Matthew Rudd) |