PETER LESLIE SHILTON Position: Goalkeeper. Caps: England 125 (1970-1990) / 0 goals League Games: England 849 (1965-1996) / 1 goal Domestic Cup Games: F.A. Cup 86 / 0 goals European Cup Games: 28 (1978-1984) / 0 goals International Club Cup Games: European Champions Cup 20 (1978-1981) / 0 goals UEFA Cup 4 (1982-1985) / 0 goals European Super Cup 4 (1979-1981) / 0 goals Intercontinental Cup 1 (1980) / 0 goals European Footballer of the Year: 1978 (10th), 1980 (27th), 1989 (5th) English Footballer of the Year: 1978 Trophies won (detailed version): World Cup participation: 1982, 1986, 1990 European Championship participation: 1980, 1988 European Champions Cup: 1979, 1980 European Cup Winners Cup: - Intercontinental Cup Winner: - English Champion: 1978 English runner-up: 1979, 1984 English Cup winner: - English Cup beaten finalist: 1969 English League Cup winner: 1978, 1979 As a boy, Peter Shilton’s great idol was Gordon Banks, the keeper of his hometown club Leicester City. When Shilton joined Leicester at the age of 15 in 1965, the world famous England goalie taught him a trick or two at the time they both were at the same club. Already at the age of 16 Shilton got a chance to play first division football for Leicester. His goalkeeping talents were obvious so that Shilton got a professional contract at the City Ground at the start of the 1966-67 season. After Gordon Banks left City in April 1967, Peter Shilton was the trusted to become his successor despite his inexperience and youth. Shilton got to play in 35 of the 42 first division games of the following 1967-68 season (scoring his only goal in a game vs. Southampton), marking the first of over 25 seasons in which he was the regular goalie of all clubs he played for. He debuted in England’s youth team in 1967 and in Engalnd’s U23 team in 1969. A year later he got his first cap playing for England in November 1970 in a 3-1 victory over East Germany at Wembley, which was even more remarkable as Shilton was playing second division football with Leicester, as City had been relegated in 1969. At that time Gordon Banks was still the undisputed number one goalkeeper, but three years later Shilton were to become Banks’s successor at international level, as Banks had lost an eye in an accident, ending his international career rather apruptly. With Leicester City Shilton got promoted back to the first division in 1971 after winning the second division championship. Soon after the start of the 1974-75 season, Shilton decided that it was time for him to change his club and he accepted an offer from Stoke City, interestingly the same club Gordon Banks had joined in 1967 when he left Leicester. But just like Leicester before, Shilton found himself fighting against relegation regularly with Stoke and the team was relegated by the end of the 1976-77 season. However a class goalie like Shilton didn’t have to play in the second division again, although by 1976 he had to settle for reserve England keeper, as his main rival - Liverpool’s Ray Clemence – had the crucial advantage of playing for a top class side that was regularly engaged in international competition. It came as a surprise that Shilton was not picked up by one of England’s premier sides when he was looking for a new club in 1977, but by the newly promoted Nottingham Forest of Brian Clough. Little could one know that this Forest side would become the premier club not only in England but also in Europe over the next three years! Forest became the sensational surprise club in England in the 1977-78 season, that fought off reigning European Champions Liverpool, going on to win the English championship by a big margin. Peter Shilton was one of the pillars of the success of Brian Clough’s side, and the sensation was even topped when Forest went on to win the European Champions’ Cup just two years after having been promoted. The team repeated this outstanding success a year later. Peter Shilton was at the height of his powers and since he now finally was playing for a very successful club, his England appearances became more regular again, although Ray Clemence was still the slightly more preferred keeper between 1977 and 1981. By the time of the 1982 World Cup however, Shilton had become the number one England keeper and he would remain so until the end of his international career in 1990. The Peter Shilton of the 1980s was an excellent director of his defences, commanded the penalty box, a tremendous shot stopper, possessing an enormous buoyancy, fast reactions and even in the later stages of his career he was still agile and flexible in his movements, all this coupled with an immense routine from over 15 years of professional goalkeeping in one of Europe’s most demanding football leagues. Shilton’s secret of fitness in advanced age was that he often spent his summer vacation with the Royal Marine in Devon in order to keep fit! In 1982 he joined Southampton with whom he almost won the championship in 1984. Shilton proved to be in supreme form as he only conceded 38 goals in 42 games. Although Southampton would turn into a middle class side again in the following seasons, Shilton remained in outstanding form, hence there was no debate who should be England’s keeper for the 1986 World Cup. Despite a series of fine displays Shilton could not prevent England from elimination by Maradona’s Argentina in the quarterfinal, but the Argentine wonder boy had to use all sort of tricks to score against ‘Shilts’. In 1987, Shilton changed his club jersey once again, this time joining Derby County. He remained one of the best keepers in Europe and broke Bobby Moore’s long-standing record when he was capped a 109th time for England. hence he also was the undisputed first choice goalie for England’s 1990 World Cup squad. During England’s 1988-1989 World Cup qualifying campaign, Shilton would concede no goals, in total during his international career he would not concede any goals in 66 games (“clean sheets”), in roughly half of his 125 caps for England, a remarkable record. Shilton performed fairly well for England, but he failed to save any of the penalties in the shoot-out vs. West Germany in the 1990 World Cup semi final, as well as looking unfortunate in the goal scored by Andreas Brehme’s freekick. Shilton’s record 125th and last cap came in the third place game vs. Italy (which England lost 1-2). If not for the rivalry with Ray Clemence during the mid-70s-to-early-80s, Peter Shilton could well have been capped close to 200 times. The following 1990-91 season was Shilton’s 25th in top flight football, but it would also be his last, as Derby County were relegated. Now aged 41, Shilton decided to become a player manager at second division side Plymouth Argyle. He remained at the club for three seasons before financial difficulties hit the club and Shilton began to wander from club to club for the next couple of years. His next station would be first division side Wimbledon, but he did not get to play for them. Soon he would join Bolton Wanderers as reserve keeper and goalkeepers’ coach. At Bolton he would even return to first division (now “Premier League”) action almost 30 years after his debut when he got subbed in at half time for one further game. Aged 45, Shilton joined two further Premier League sides in Coventry City and West Ham United before he would reach his last destination of his active playing career, third division side Leyton Orient. As a player manager Shilton got to play in nine league games during his last season (1996-97), bringing his total of competitive games to over 1,000. League Statistics per Season Season - Club - Games – Goals 1965/66 Leicester City..........................01 / 00 1966/67 Leicester City..........................04 / 00 1967/68 Leicester City .........................35 / 01 1968/69 Leicester City .........................42 / 00 1969/70 Leicester City .........................II. Division 1970/71 Leicester City .........................II. Division 1971/72 Leicester City .........................37 / 00 1972/73 Leicester City .........................41 / 00 1973/74 Leicester City .........................42 / 00 1974/75 Leicester City..........................05 / 00 1974/75 Stoke City ..............................25 / 00 1975/76 Stoke City ..............................42 / 00 1976/77 Stoke City ..............................40 / 00 1977/78 Stoke City ..............................II. Division 1977/78 Nottingham Forest ...................37 / 00 1978/79 Nottingham Forest ...................42 / 00 1979/80 Nottingham Forest ...................42 / 00 1980/81 Nottingham Forest ...................40 / 00 1981/82 Nottingham Forest ...................41 / 00 1982/83 Southampton FC ......................39 / 00 1983/84 Southampton FC ......................42 / 00 1984/85 Southampton FC ......................41 / 00 1985/86 Southampton FC ......................37 / 00 1986/87 Southampton FC ......................29 / 00 1987/88 Derby County ..........................40 / 00 1988/89 Derby County ..........................38 / 00 1989/90 Derby County ..........................35 / 00 1990/91 Derby County ..........................31 / 00 1991/92 Derby County ..........................II. Division 1991/92 Plymouth Argyle .......................II. Division 1992/93 Plymouth Argyle .......................II. Division 1993/94 Plymouth Argyle .......................II. Division 1994/95 Plymouth Argyle .......................II. Division 1994/95 Wimbledon FC...........................00 / 00 1995/96 Bolton Wanderers......................01 / 00 1995/96 Coventry City ..........................00 / 00 1996/97 West Ham United......................00 / 00 1996/97 Leyton Orient ..........................III. Division European Cup Games 1978/79 Nottingham Forest ......EC 1........03 / 01 1979/80 Nottingham Forest ......EC 1........07 / 00 1980/81 Nottingham Forest ......EC 1........04 / 01 1982/83 Southampton FC ........UEFA Cup..10 / 03 1984/85 Southampton FC ........UEFA Cup..08 / 05