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Peter Shilton
| Category: | Male Player |
| Year Inducted: | 2002 |
Profile by Robert Galvin, the author of Football's Greatest Heroes, the official book of the National Football Museum Hall of Fame:
Peter Shilton was a fixture in goal for England for the best part of two decades, amassing a record 125 caps, and the foundation upon which Nottingham Forest built their double European Cup-winning side.
Given his debut by Alf Ramsey in 1970, Shilton was still an automatic choice for Bobby Robson at the 1990 World Cup in Italy; only Stanley Matthews in the modern era enjoyed greater longevity as an England player.
‘His maturity and technique were outstanding,' Peter Taylor, the Forest assistant manager, said. ‘He instinctively knew the tricks of the trade. Signing Peter in 1977 was a highlight of my career.'
After paying Stoke City £275,000 for his transfer – a record fee for a goalkeeper – Brian Clough declared: ‘He was worth twice the price.'
In his first season at the City Ground, Shilton conceded only 24 goals in 42 games, including 25 clean sheets. Forest won the title. ‘We had a firm belief that if we scored, there was no way we'd lose because they wouldn't score against our defence, and Peter, obviously, was a big part of that,' Clough said.
A conscientious trainer, Shilton displayed remarkable determination and dedication, even as a boy. Here was a youngster prepared to stretch himself . . . literally. Few children will hang from a banister at home, for instance, in the belief that longer arms will give him an advantage in goal.
‘Perfection as a goalkeeper is unachievable, I knew that,' Shilton once said. ‘But it is what motivated me when I was younger. By aiming for it, I reasoned that I'd achieve a higher standard than anyone else.'
Shilton remained fit and agile enough to play first-class football at the age of 47. Near the end of a remarkable career spanning 31 years he made history by passing the milestone of one thousand Football League appearances.
The earliest of those appearances were undoubtedly the most challenging. At the age of just 17 Shilton had a daunting baptism at club level: succeeding Gordon Banks, the established England number one, in the first team at Leicester City.
Such was their faith in his ability and maturity, Leicester felt able to cash-in their prized asset, selling Banks, a World Cup winner only a year earlier, to Stoke City for £60,000, a world record fee for a goalkeeper.
Shilton studied the great goalkeepers of the time in order to learn his trade. He tried to copy the positional sense of Banks, the presence in goal of Lev Yashin, the Russian goalkeeper, and the agility and distribution of Peter Bonetti of Chelsea.
‘I noticed that Gordon was never caught out as the ball was struck; that Yashin projected an aura of invincibility; and that Peter was willing to take responsibility for crosses, and I wanted to bring these qualities to my game.'
Shilton was the first-choice goalkeeper for England at three successive World Cup tournaments – 1982, 1986 and 1990. Sixty-six times he kept a clean sheet, and on 14 occasions he captained his country. Eighty goals were conceded in 125 internationals – a total that might have topped 175 but for the challenge of Ray Clemence.
As it was, his international career spanned the eras of four national team managers: Ramsey, Don Revie, Ron Greenwood and Bobby Robson.
‘Peter was the first name on my team-sheet,' Robson said. ‘He was phenomenal for me during my time as England manager'
In 1997, Shilton finally hung up his goalkeeping gloves, after playing in 1,391 official games. It's hard to imagine anyone bettering his record of 88 FA Cup appearances.
‘I never lost my appetite for the game,' Shilton said. ‘Even late in my career I enjoyed testing myself in games and in training. It was always a challenge to be the best goalkeeper possible.'