After representing his country at the 1986 and 1990 World Cups, the ex-England midfielder puts together a formidable line-up of former Three Lions team-mates
MY PERFECT XI
PETER SHILTON
“When I joined the England squad in 1985, Peter was already an icon – he had an aura. A superb communicator and shot-stopper – it’s mad to think that without Ray Clemence, he’d have surpassed 200 caps. In training, his preparation and attention to detail was ahead of its time.”
GARY STEVENS
“We had a great partnership on the right for Everton, Rangers and England – I’d say it was almost telepathic. He was a top athlete, fast, and so fit. He’d coast through the bleep tests when the rest of us were gasping. Gary was a metronome, moving up and down the pitch throughout the game.”
TERRY BUTCHER
“A colossus, a man mountain, an absolute monster! You get the idea. The heartbeat of every England side I played in, and a cultured centre-half who posed a real threat inside the opposition area. Terry was such an influence off the pitch, and made sure we all knew we were playing for the shirt and badge – it was something to behold.”
DES WALKER
“He was like Paolo Maldini and the very best Italian stoppers – a defender who never had to go to ground. If you do that, you’ve failed. Des was a great reader of the game, and so fast – probably the quickest I played with for England. He rescued us on many occasions. Whenever a forward ran through on goal, we all thought, ‘Don’t worry, Des will be there’.”
KENNY SANSOM
“How good was Kenny? Let’s just say that only 11 men in history have won more England caps. He earned 86 because he was a really talented player. He never got embarrassed defensively, and carried the ball brilliantly down the left flank.”
PETER REID
“Peter didn’t play nearly enough for England, and deserved much more than his 13 caps. He was such an important cog in the England and Everton sides I played in – he always turned up for the fight. He was our Gennaro Gattuso or Didier Deschamps – he kept things ticking.”
BRYAN ROBSON
“A Roy of the Rovers character, who could do everything. He was as tough as anybody and frightened players, but was also blessed with incredible natural talent. His goals were often classic ones, using right foot, left foot or even his head. Bryan had stamina and hunger, and what a leader. He was someone you’d always
