Peter Shilton: biography, achievements

Peter Shilton can rightly be called the greatest goalkeeper of the England team. After he completed his career in the national team in 1990, the British can no longer be calm for the safety of their gates. In many respects because of this, the national team does not get to major football tournaments at all, or, when it turns out to be, it turns out badly.

The guy from Leicester

Peter Shilton was born shortly after the Second World War, in 1949, in English Leicester. It's no wonder that he started his career for the eponymous club. First in the youth structure, and from 1966 already in the adult team.

"Lester" at that time played in the First Division of the championship of England (analogue to the current Premier League), but struggled for survival. As a result, in 1969 the team took the penultimate place and went to the second division.

Return to the elite was possible after 2 years, in large part thanks to the brilliant game of the young Shilton. In 1971, "Leicester" missed the least of all champion (only 30 goals in 42 games) and confidently took first place, having defeated Sheffield United by 3 points.

In all for the team from his hometown Peter Shilton held 8 seasons, having played 286 matches.

Way to the title

In 1974, Shilton changed "Leicester" to "Stoke City", and soon went to "Nottingham Forest". It was with this club that he was the only one to win the champion title.

In the 1977/78 season, Shilton did a double, winning not only the championship, but also the Football League Cup. "Nottingham" became the champion for the first time in history and in many respects thanks to a reliable game at the last turn. In 42 games the team missed only 24 goals. The owner of silver medals "Liverpool" fell by as much as 7 points.

European trophy

Thus, for the upcoming season, "Nottingham" was given the right to play in the European Champions Cup. The British were extremely dissatisfied with the draw. In the first round, the champion of England went to the vice-champion - "Liverpool". "Foresters", as they call "Nottingham", won home 2: 0, and away was satisfied with a goalless draw.

In the second round the Greek AEK was defeated - 2: 1 at home and 5: 1 at home, and in 1/4 finals the Swiss "Grasshopper" - 4: 1. The return match ended in a draw.

In the semi-finals, the English "Cologne" went to rivals. The first match turned out to be nervous and plentiful on goals. Already by the 20th minute the Germans were 0-2. However, Burlats, Bower and Robertson turned the course of the meeting, leading "Nottingham" forward. Unfortunately, it was not possible to keep the victorious account. 5 minutes before the final whistle, Okudera scored. Many then believed that Peter Schilton was the culprit. The goalkeeper was very worried and with a doubled concentration held a return meeting, the outcome of which was decided by one scored ball of Bower, "Nottingham" won 1-0.

In the final, the English met with the Swedish "Malmö". And in this meeting everything was decided by the only stroke that Trevor Francis inflicted on the 45th minute. So Peter Shilton won the main club European trophy.

European Cup Champions Shilton with "Nottingham" won and the next year. In the finals, also with a score of 1: 0, was defeated by the German "Hamburg".

Career in the national team

In the England team, Shilton debuted at the age of 20. True, before the big tournament the national team reached only 10 years later, in 1980. They became the European Championships in Italy.

The British started with a draw with the Belgians - 1: 1, then lost 0: 1 to the hosts and before the last round lost the chances of winning in the group. As a result, the Spaniards were defeated - 2: 1, but due to the fact that Belgium and Italy painted a zero draw, the team of Foggy Albion remained only third place.

Where the world championship in Spain was more successful in 1982. England team left the group from the first place, having won 3 wins, and got to the second group stage. They ruled the ball Shilton Peter. Soccer teams showed little results. As a result, the gates of the British remained intact, but they could not score: two zero draws - with the FRG and Spain. As a result, the Germans won the semifinals, which were able to beat the hosts of the tournament.

The Mexican Hand of God

Most of all, Peter Shilton remembered the fans on the game at the 1986 World Championships in Mexico. Two years before, the team did not hit the Euro, and the fans were waiting for the result.

In the first match, the British in a bitter struggle gave way to the Portuguese, conceding the only goal for a quarter of an hour to go. And then could not beat the national team of Morocco - 0: 0. Only a confident victory over the Poles could win. And then in all its glory showed himself Gary Lineker, who made a hat-trick.

In 1/8 finals, the opponent is Paraguay, and again the victory is 3-0, this time Lineker makes a double, and the English gates again leave intact Shilton Peter. Biography of this goalkeeper became legendary thanks to the next match against Argentina.

The first half of the goals did not bring, but at the very beginning of the second there was one of the most famous goals in the history of football. Forward Argentine Diego Maradona on the 51st minute made an unsuccessful pass towards the English goal, the ball hit the Hodge, which threw him toward the penalty. Peter Shilton (whose growth is 183 centimeters) ran out of the gate, hoping to knock out the ball with his fist, but Maradona was the first and left hand sent him to the gate. Tunisian referee Ali Bin Nasser scored a goal, and Maradona later said that it was "the hand of God." Argentina won 2: 1.

Highscores

Shilton's records deserve a special mention. Most matches for England are 125 (with only 80 goals conceded). He owns a world record for the number of official matches - 1391 games, and England's record in the number of meetings in the national championship - 1005.

His last match for the national team was held at the World Championships in 1990, when he was almost 41 years old. For him, it was the 17th meeting in the finals of the world championships (a record for the British), and by the number of "dry" games at the world championships he shares the championship with the Frenchman Fabien Barthez - for 10 matches.