Peter Shilton

1.1. Childhood and Education

Peter Leslie Shilton was born on 18 September 1949 in Leicester, England. As a 13-year-old pupil at King Richard III Boys School in Leicester, he began training at schoolboy level with his local club, Leicester City, in 1963. His potential was noticed by first-team goalkeeper Gordon Banks, who commented on his promising abilities to the coaching staff.

1.2. Early Career

In May 1966, at the age of 16, Shilton made his debut for Leicester City against Everton. His talent was so evident that Leicester City's management decided to back their teenage prodigy, leading to the sale of World Cup winner Banks to Stoke City. Shilton quickly established himself in the first team. In October 1967, he even scored a goal directly from a clearance at the opposite end of the pitch against Southampton at The Dell; the Southampton goalkeeper Campbell Forsyth misjudged Shilton's long punt, which spun off the pitch and flew over Forsyth's head into the goal. Leicester won the game 5-1.

The following season, Leicester experienced a mixed outcome, suffering relegation from the First Division (though they were promoted back as champions two seasons later). However, they reached the FA Cup Final at Wembley, where 19-year-old Shilton became one of the youngest-ever goalkeepers to play in the event. Despite his future accolades, the final did not go his way, as a single goal from Manchester City's Neil Young secured the win. Shilton would never appear in an FA Cup Final again. He reached the semi-finals with Leicester in 1974, but Liverpool won the match after a replay.

2.1. Leicester City

Shilton's formative years at Leicester City were crucial for his development. After making his debut at 16 and establishing himself as the first-choice goalkeeper following Gordon Banks' departure, he played a key role in the team. Despite their relegation in the 1968-69 season, Leicester City were promoted back to the top tier as champions two seasons later. Shilton's memorable goal from a clearance against Southampton in 1967 showcased his unique abilities. He also featured in the 1969 FA Cup Final, becoming one of the youngest goalkeepers to do so, though Leicester lost to Manchester City. He remained with the club until 1974, reaching the FA Cup semi-finals in his final season before moving on.

2.2. Stoke City

In November 1974, Shilton joined Stoke City for a fee of 325.00 K GBP, which was a world record transfer fee for a goalkeeper at the time. He played in 26 matches for Stoke in the 1974-75 season, during which the club narrowly missed out on the league title. He was an ever-present player in the 1975-76 season, featuring in all 48 of the club's fixtures. However, in January 1976, a severe storm caused considerable damage to the Victoria Ground, forcing Stoke to sell off some of their key players to fund repair work. In the summer of 1976, Manchester United made a bid of 275.00 K GBP for Shilton, which Stoke accepted, but an agreement could not be reached on Shilton's wage demands, which would have made him the highest-paid player at Manchester United. He remained with Stoke for the 1976-77 season, during which a young and inexperienced side suffered relegation to the Second Division. He was eventually sold to Nottingham Forest in September 1977.

2.3. Nottingham Forest

Nottingham Forest acquired Shilton for 250.00 K GBP in September 1977, a month into the new season. Forest, recently promoted to the First Division and managed by Brian Clough, experienced a remarkable period of success with Shilton in goal. Although he was cup-tied for their initial League Cup triumph against Liverpool, Forest went on to win the League title in their first season back in the top flight (1977-78). During this season, Shilton conceded only 18 goals in 37 league appearances, making a critical close-range save against Coventry City that was hailed as one of his greatest. He was subsequently voted the PFA Players' Player of the Year by his fellow professionals.

In 1979, Forest won the League Cup again, with Shilton playing as they defeated Southampton 3-2 at Wembley. They then reached the European Cup final, where a Trevor Francis goal secured a victory over Swedish side Malmö in Munich. Shilton continued his success, though the 1980 League Cup final saw a communication error between him and defender David Needham, leading to a collision that allowed Andy Gray to score the only goal for Wolverhampton Wanderers. Forest reached the European Cup final again in 1980, successfully defending their title against SV Hamburg in Madrid with a single goal from John Robertson.

However, Shilton's life began to decline afterwards. Forest's trophy-winning form faded, and Shilton developed a long-standing gambling addiction that caused significant strain on his family. Reports of an extramarital affair and a conviction for drink-driving, resulting in a fine of 350 GBP, also emerged. These personal challenges contributed to Shilton's decision to leave Nottingham Forest in 1982, seeking a fresh start.

2.4. Southampton

After leaving Nottingham Forest in 1982, Shilton joined Southampton, where his former international teammate Alan Ball was playing. During his tenure at Southampton, Shilton experienced further FA Cup semi-final defeats, first in 1984 when Everton secured a last-minute goal from Adrian Heath, and again in 1986 when Liverpool defeated Southampton 2-0. In March 1986, Shilton was featured on the British television programme This Is Your Life, where he was surprised by Eamonn Andrews at London Waterloo station. He remained with Southampton until the summer of 1987, when he moved to Derby County.

2.5. Derby County

Shilton joined Derby County in the summer of 1987. He played a significant role in the Derby side, which included players like Mark Wright, Dean Saunders, and Ted McMinn. The team finished fifth in the league, but they were unable to compete in the UEFA Cup due to the ban on English clubs in European competition, which was in effect from 1985 to 1990 following the Heysel disaster. By 1991, Derby were relegated, prompting Shilton to consider his future in playing. At 42 years old, he was contemplating a transition into coaching or management. In early 1991, he declined an offer to become the manager of Hull City due to geographical reasons.

2.6. Later Career

Shilton finally departed Derby County in February 1992, accepting an offer to become player-manager of Plymouth Argyle. This period, documented in the 2009 book Peter Shilton's Nearly Men, was turbulent. Despite his efforts, Shilton was unable to save Plymouth from relegation from the Football League Second Division. His record signing of Peter Swan for 300.00 K GBP proved to be a significant disappointment, as Swan reportedly had a poor relationship with both his teammates and the fans.

In 1994, Shilton began to focus solely on management. He led Plymouth to the Division Two play-offs, where they lost to Burnley in the semi-finals. In January 1994, he was linked with a return to Southampton as manager following Ian Branfoot's departure, but the position ultimately went to Alan Ball. The following February, with Plymouth facing relegation, Shilton left the club and announced his intention to resume playing at the age of 45.

He briefly joined Wimbledon in the Premier League as injury cover for first-choice goalkeeper Hans Segers, but did not make a first-team appearance. He then signed for Bolton Wanderers, making two appearances, including a Division One play-off semi-final against Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineux. Bolton lost that match 2-1, but eventually won the second leg, though Shilton did not play in that game, with Keith Branagan featuring instead. He subsequently joined Coventry City and then West Ham United, but failed to make a first-team appearance for either club, though he was selected as a substitute on several occasions for West Ham.

With 996 Football League matches under his belt, Shilton was determined to reach 1,000 appearances. He achieved this milestone after joining Leyton Orient in November 1996, in an exchange deal for 39-year-old Les Sealey. His thousandth League game occurred on 22 December 1996, against Brighton & Hove Albion, a match televised live on Sky Sports. Before the game, he was presented with a special edition of the Guinness Book of Records by the Football League. Shilton played five more matches, retiring with a total of 1,005 league games at the age of 47 at the end of the 1996-97 season. At the time of his retirement, he was the fifth oldest player ever to have played in the Football League or Premier League. After recovering from financial difficulties caused by business decisions and his gambling addiction, Shilton became a prolific after-dinner speaker. He also appeared in FIFA 10, FIFA 12, and in the Classic England teams of Pro Evolution Soccer (2002-2009). In 2010, he participated in the BBC series Strictly Come Dancing.

3.1. Debut and Early Career

Despite playing at a lower club level, Shilton's performances caught the attention of England manager Alf Ramsey, who gave him his international debut against East Germany in November 1970, a match England won 3-1. Little more than six months later, Leicester City were promoted back to the First Division. His second England cap came in a goalless draw against Wales at Wembley. His first competitive match for his country was his third appearance, as England drew 1-1 with Switzerland in a qualifying game for the 1972 European Championships. At this stage, Gordon Banks was still England's first-choice goalkeeper, but the remaining backups from the 1970 World Cup, Peter Bonetti and Alex Stepney, had been dropped by Ramsey, allowing the 22-year-old Shilton to establish himself as the country's number two goalkeeper.

Shilton earned his fourth and fifth England caps towards the end of 1972. A tragic incident then propelled him into the limelight as England's number one keeper: in October 1972, Gordon Banks was involved in a car crash that resulted in the loss of sight in one eye, effectively ending his career. Liverpool goalkeeper Ray Clemence was called up to make his debut a month later for England's opening qualifier for the 1974 World Cup, a 1-0 win over Wales. Shilton would eventually earn over 100 caps, compared to Clemence's 61.

In the summer of 1973, Shilton kept three clean sheets as England defeated Northern Ireland, Wales, and Scotland. Against Scotland, Shilton made a memorable right-handed save diving to his left from Kenny Dalglish's shot, which he considered among his best saves. His tenth cap came in a draw with Czechoslovakia, a warm-up to a crucial World Cup qualifier against Poland in Chorzów a week later. This match went badly for England, with Shilton unable to stop both goals in a 2-0 defeat, making victory in the final qualifier against the same opposition at Wembley four months later a necessity. A perceived blunder by Shilton in this crucial match led to a goal by Jan Domarski for Poland, contrasting sharply with the performance of Polish goalkeeper Jan Tomaszewski, who, despite being famously derided as "a clown" by Brian Clough, made a string of vital saves as Poland secured the draw they needed to qualify for the 1974 World Cup at England's expense.

This experience may have influenced incoming England manager Don Revie to favor Ray Clemence in his selections. In 1975, Clemence earned eight of the nine available caps, though England failed to reach the 1976 European Championships during this period. From 1977, new manager Ron Greenwood began to select Shilton as regularly as Clemence, eventually alternating them, seemingly unable to choose between them. This indecision drew some criticism from commentators. Shilton then featured heavily as England qualified for the 1980 European Championships in Italy, their first major tournament in a decade. Shilton earned his 30th England cap in a 2-0 win over Spain in March 1980; his 31st came in a 1-0 defeat to Italy at the European Championship, a result that proved crucial as England failed to advance to the knockout phase.

3.2. Major Tournament Appearances

Shilton's career included appearances in five major international tournaments, marking him as a consistent presence for England.

• 1982 FIFA World Cup**

Despite his personal issues, Shilton focused on the 1982 FIFA World Cup. He played in half of the qualifying games in England's group, including home wins over Norway and Switzerland, a goalless draw against Romania, and a vital 1-0 win over Hungary. The latter was the last game of the campaign, and despite England's previous away defeat against Norway, results elsewhere meant a draw would suffice for Shilton and England to avoid a repeat of their elimination at the qualification stage eight years prior. England secured the necessary result, qualifying for their first World Cup in 12 years, with Shilton appearing in the finals in Spain for the first time at the age of 32.

While Clemence had played in the friendlies leading up to the competition, Shilton was selected for the opening group game against France in Bilbao. England won 3-1, and Shilton remained in goal for the two remaining group games. Three wins meant England advanced to the second phase as group winners.

• UEFA Euro 1984 and 1986 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers**

Under new manager Bobby Robson, Shilton's international career flourished. He played in Robson's first ten matches and even captained the side in seven of them due to the absence of Bryan Robson and Ray Wilkins. One game, a 2-0 win over Scotland, marked Shilton's 50th cap. Clemence returned for a qualifier for the 1984 European Championships against Luxembourg; this game, Clemence's 61st for his country, also proved to be his last.

England failed to qualify for the European Championships in 1984. However, Shilton was now the established first-choice goalkeeper for his country and would remain so until the end of his international career. Almost half of his international caps (61 out of 125) were earned after his 35th birthday. It wasn't until 1985 that another goalkeeper was selected for an England game, when Robson gave a debut to Manchester United goalkeeper Gary Bailey in a relatively unimportant friendly match. Shilton was still the keeper for the qualifying campaign for the 1986 World Cup, which had seen three wins from three matches with no goals conceded. His 70th cap came in a 1-0 defeat against Scotland at Hampden Park. He later saved a penalty from Andreas Brehme as England beat West Germany 3-0 in a tour match in Mexico, a year before England hoped to return there for the World Cup. England completed the entire qualifying campaign undefeated. By the time they played Mexico in an acclimatization match prior to the competition, Shilton was 80 games into his England career, having beaten Banks' record for a goalkeeper of 73 caps the previous year against Turkey.

• 1986 FIFA World Cup**

At the World Cup itself, England started slowly, losing their opening group match to Portugal and then drawing against outsiders Morocco. During this period, Robson was led off injured and Wilkins was sent off. In their absences, Shilton was handed the captaincy as England found their form to defeat Poland 3-0 in their final group game, with Gary Lineker scoring all three goals, allowing them to progress to the second round.

In the second round, they met Paraguay. Although Shilton had to make one fingertip save during the first half, England were rarely troubled. Lineker scored twice and Peter Beardsley once as England won 3-0 and advanced to a quarter-final meeting with Argentina, a match that would become a significant part of Shilton's career legend.

Argentina captain Diego Maradona had been the standout player of the tournament thus far, but in a tight first half, England managed to contain his creativity. However, early in the second half, Maradona dramatically changed the game, much to Shilton's anger. Maradona initiated an attack that seemingly broke down at the edge of the England box when Steve Hodge got a foot to the ball. The ball was skewed back towards the penalty area, and Maradona, continuing his run, pursued it as Shilton came out to punch the ball clear. Maradona managed to punch the ball over Shilton and into the net. Shilton and his teammates immediately signaled that Maradona had used his hand - a foul for any player except a goalkeeper - but the Tunisian referee Ali Bin Nasser allowed the goal. A photograph later showed Maradona outjumping Shilton, with his fist clearly making contact with the ball as Shilton was still midway through his own stretch, arm extended, having not anticipated Maradona's action. Maradona later famously claimed the goal was scored by the Hand of God. Nasser never refereed at such a high level again after this blatant infringement.

Shortly afterward, Maradona scored a legitimate individual goal, dribbling past almost the entire England defense and Shilton before shooting into an empty net. In 2002, this goal was voted "Goal of the Century" as part of the buildup to the 2002 FIFA World Cup tournament on the FIFA website. Lineker pulled one goal back for England and nearly equalized in the closing seconds, but England were eliminated.

• UEFA Euro 1988**

Shilton continued to play for England, featuring in a straightforward and successful qualification campaign for the 1988 European Championships, held in West Germany. He earned his 90th cap for England in a 2-0 win over Northern Ireland in a European Championship qualifier. Shilton's 99th cap came in England's first game in Group 2 at the Championship finals, which ended in a 1-0 defeat to the Republic of Ireland, with Shilton beaten by an early Ray Houghton header. His 100th cap was against the Netherlands, who had also lost their first game. Marco van Basten eliminated England from the tournament with a hat-trick as England lost this match 3-1. Robson rested Shilton for the third and final group game, which was now meaningless, but England still lost it 3-1. Chris Woods, Shilton's long-time understudy (and his teenage understudy a decade earlier at Forest), was given a rare game.

• 1990 FIFA World Cup**

Shilton played in all but one of England's games over the next 18 months; the one he missed saw a debut for future England first-choice goalkeeper David Seaman of Queens Park Rangers. In June 1989, Shilton broke his old England skipper Bobby Moore's record of 108 appearances for his country when he earned his 109th cap in a friendly against Denmark in Copenhagen. Prior to the match, he was presented with a framed England goalkeeper's jersey with '109' on the front. By this time, he had kept three clean sheets in three qualifying matches for the 1990 World Cup and would ultimately concede no goals at all as England qualified for the tournament, held in Italy.

Shilton was the oldest player at the 1990 World Cup and the last born in the 1940s. His 119th appearance for his country saw England draw 1-1 with the Republic of Ireland in the opening group game. England progressed through the group, beat Belgium 1-0 in the second round, and then edged past Cameroon 3-2 in the quarter-finals, thanks to two Lineker penalties after England fell 2-1 behind. Then came the West Germans in the semi-finals, Shilton's 124th England game.

The score was goalless at half-time, but shortly after the restart, Shilton was beaten by Andreas Brehme's deflected free kick that looped off Paul Parker's shin and dropped into the net over Shilton's head, despite his backpedaling attempts to tip the ball over. Lineker's late equalizer salvaged a draw for England, but Shilton could not get close enough to any of the penalties taken by the Germans in the deciding shootout, while England missed two of theirs and were eliminated from the tournament.

Shilton was the goalkeeper for the third-place play-off game, which ended in a 2-1 win for hosts Italy. Shilton suffered an embarrassing moment when he dithered over a back pass and was tackled by Roberto Baggio, who scored as a result of Shilton's error. This was his 125th appearance for his country, and after the tournament ended, he announced it would be his last. His final appearance came just four months before the 20th anniversary of his international debut, making his full international career one of the longest on record. He was never booked or sent off at full international level.

3.3. Records and Milestones

Peter Shilton holds several significant records and milestones in football history. He is the all-time record holder for the most competitive appearances in world football with 1,396 matches. With 125 caps, Shilton is also the England national team's most-capped player.

Despite not making his World Cup finals debut until the age of 32, Shilton played in 17 finals matches and shares the record of 10 clean sheets in World Cup finals matches with French goalkeeper Fabien Barthez. His international career, spanning from 1970 to 1990, is one of the longest on record.

A notable moment in his career, though controversial, was the 1986 World Cup quarter-final against Argentina, where Diego Maradona scored two famous goals against him: the infamous "Hand of God" goal and the "Goal of the Century".

6.1. Family and Personal Struggles

Shilton married Sue Flitcroft in September 1970. The couple had two sons, Michael and Sam, the latter of whom later became a professional footballer. In December 2011, it was announced that Shilton and Sue had separated after 40 years of marriage.

Shilton faced public scrutiny for personal challenges. In March 2013, he was charged with drink-driving, resulting in a 20-month ban and an order to pay 1.02 K GBP in costs. He also struggled with a long-standing gambling addiction that caused considerable strain on his family and led to financial difficulties.

In March 2015, Shilton announced his engagement to jazz singer Stephanie Hayward, whom he married on 10 December 2016, at the Parish of St Peter and St Paul Church in West Mersea. In January 2020, Shilton publicly revealed that he had overcome his 45-year gambling addiction with the help of his second wife, Steph. He has since worked with the UK government to raise awareness of issues associated with gambling harm, including mental health problems.

6.2. Later Life and Public Recognition

After retiring from playing, Shilton became a prolific after-dinner speaker. He has also appeared in various football video games and participated in the BBC series Strictly Come Dancing in 2010.

Shilton has expressed his support for the UK's withdrawal from the European Union. His contributions to football and his advocacy against gambling harm have been recognized with several British honors. He was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 1986 New Year Honours, Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 1991 New Year Honours, and Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2024 New Year Honours.

7.1. Club Honours

• Leicester City**

• Nottingham Forest**

• Southampton**

7.2. International Honours

• England**

7.3. Individual Honours

• PFA Players' Player of the Year: 1977-78
• PFA First Division Team of the Year: 1974-75, 1977-78, 1978-79, 1979-80, 1980-81, 1981-82, 1982-83, 1983-84, 1984-85, 1985-86
• PFA Team of the Century (1977-1996): 2007
• World XI: 1978, 1982, 1983, 1985, 1989, 1990
• Onze Mondial: 1979, 1980
• Nottingham Forest Player of the Season: 1981-82
• Southampton Player of the Season: 1984-85, 1985-86
• FWA Tribute Award: 1991
• English Football Hall of Fame: Inducted 2002
• Football League 100 Legends: 1998
• Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE): 1986
• Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE): 1991
• Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE): 2024
• IOC Europe Player of the Year: 1979-80

8.1. Club Statistics

Other appearances and goals include the Anglo-Scottish Cup, European Cup, FA Charity Shield, Football League Trophy, Full Members Cup, Intercontinental Cup, Texaco Cup, Screen Sport Super Cup, UEFA Cup, UEFA Super Cup and Football League play-offs.

8.2. International Statistics