Peter Shilton facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Peter Shilton
CBE

Shilton in 2008
Personal information
Full name	Peter Leslie Shilton
Date of birth	(1949-09-18) 18 September 1949 (age 75)
Place of birth	Leicester, England
Height	1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Position(s)	Goalkeeper
Youth career
1963–1966	Leicester City
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1966–1974	Leicester City	286	(1)
1974–1977	Stoke City	110	(0)
1977–1982	Nottingham Forest	202	(0)
1982–1987	Southampton	188	(0)
1987–1992	Derby County	175	(0)
1992–1995	Plymouth Argyle	34	(0)
1995	Wimbledon	0	(0)
1995	Bolton Wanderers	1	(0)
1995–1996	Coventry City	0	(0)
1996	West Ham United	0	(0)
1996–1997	Leyton Orient	9	(0)
Total		1,005	(1)
International career
1965	England U16	1	(0)
1967	England U18	9	(0)
1968–1972	England U23	13	(0)
1970–1990	England	125	(0)
Managerial career
1992–1995	Plymouth Argyle
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Peter Leslie Shilton is a famous English former footballer. He was born on September 18, 1949. Peter Shilton played as a goalkeeper for many years.

His amazing career lasted for 31 years. He played for 11 different clubs. Peter Shilton is special because he played over 1,000 English league games. He even played more than 100 games for five different clubs!

While playing for Nottingham Forest, Shilton won many important trophies. These included two European Cups, a UEFA Super Cup, the First Division championship, and the Football League Cup.

Shilton also played for the England team. He played in the FIFA World Cup in 1982, 1986, and 1990. He also played in the UEFA European Championship in 1980 and 1988. Even though he didn't play in his first World Cup until he was 32, he played in 17 World Cup matches. He shares the record for 10 "clean sheets" (games where the other team doesn't score) in World Cup matches.

Peter Shilton holds the record for the most official games played in world football, with 1,396 matches. He is also England's most-capped player, meaning he played for England 125 times. In 2000, experts ranked Shilton among the top ten goalkeepers of the 20th century.

Peter Shilton's Club Career

Starting at Leicester City

Peter Shilton started training with his local club, Leicester City, when he was just 13 years old in 1963. He was still a schoolboy. The team's main goalkeeper, Gordon Banks, noticed how talented Peter was.

In May 1966, when Peter was 16, he played his first game for Leicester against Everton. He was so good that Leicester City decided to keep him. They even sold Gordon Banks, who had won the World Cup, to Stoke City. Shilton quickly became a regular player. In October 1967, he even scored a goal from his own goal area against Southampton! Leicester won that game 5–1.

The next season, Leicester City was relegated from the top division. But they made it to the FA Cup Final at Wembley. Shilton, at 19, was one of the youngest goalkeepers ever to play in the final. Unfortunately, Manchester City won 1–0. Even though he won many awards later, Shilton never played in another FA Cup Final.

Moving to Stoke City

In November 1974, Shilton joined Stoke City. His transfer cost £325,000, which was a world record for a goalkeeper at that time. He played 26 matches for Stoke in the 1974–75 season. The team almost won the league title.

In the 1975–76 season, Shilton played in all 48 of Stoke's games. However, in January 1976, a big storm damaged their stadium. To pay for repairs, Stoke had to sell some of their players. Shilton stayed with Stoke for the 1976–77 season. The team was young and inexperienced, and they were relegated to the Second Division. He then moved to Nottingham Forest in September 1977.

Success at Nottingham Forest

Nottingham Forest bought Shilton for £250,000. Forest had just been promoted to the First Division. They were doing very well under their manager, Brian Clough. They won the League Cup in 1978. Then, in their first season back in the First Division, they won the League title! Shilton only let in 18 goals in 37 league games that season. He also won the PFA Players' Player of the Year award, chosen by other players.

Forest won the League Cup again in 1979, with Shilton playing this time. They beat Southampton 3–2. Then, they reached the European Cup final. A goal from Trevor Francis helped them beat Malmö in Munich.

Forest reached the European Cup final again in 1980. They played against SV Hamburg in Madrid. Just like the year before, the game was close. A goal from Forest winger John Robertson secured the win.

Playing for Southampton

Shilton left Forest and joined Southampton in 1982. His former England teammate, Alan Ball, was also playing there. Shilton reached the FA Cup semi-finals again in 1984, but Everton won. He also lost in the semi-finals in 1986 to Liverpool. He then joined Derby County in 1987.

Time at Derby County

Shilton helped Derby County finish fifth in the league. They would have played in the UEFA Cup, but English clubs were banned from European competitions at the time. In 1991, Derby was relegated. Shilton was 42 years old and started thinking about becoming a coach or manager.

Later Career and Retirement

In February 1992, Shilton became the player-manager for Plymouth Argyle. Plymouth was struggling, and Shilton couldn't save them from being relegated. He focused on managing in 1994, and Plymouth reached the play-offs but lost. In February 1995, he left Plymouth and decided to play again, even at 45 years old.

He briefly joined Wimbledon and Bolton Wanderers. He then joined Leyton Orient in November 1996. He was eager to reach 1,000 League matches. His 1,000th League game was on December 22, 1996, against Brighton & Hove Albion. It was shown live on TV. He played five more matches, retiring with 1,005 league games at age 47 at the end of the 1996–97 season.

Peter Shilton's International Career

Early England Days

Even though he played for a lower-level club, Peter Shilton impressed England manager Alf Ramsey. He made his debut for England in November 1970 against East Germany. England won 3–1. Shilton's second England game was a draw against Wales.

In October 1972, a sad event happened. Gordon Banks, England's main goalkeeper, was in a car crash and lost sight in one eye, ending his career. This meant Shilton became a top choice for England. He ended up playing over 100 games for England.

In 1973, Shilton played well in games against Northern Ireland, Wales, and Scotland. He made a fantastic save against Scotland from a shot by Kenny Dalglish. However, a crucial World Cup qualifier against Poland in 1973 went badly. England lost 2–0, and Shilton was involved in a goal that helped Poland qualify for the 1974 World Cup instead of England.

World Cup Debut in 1982

Bobby Robson became the new England manager. Shilton's international career really took off. He played in Robson's first ten matches and even captained the team in seven of them. One game, a 2–0 win over Scotland, was his 50th cap for England.

England qualified for their first World Cup in 12 years in 1982. Shilton, at 32, played in the finals in Spain for the first time. He was chosen for the first group game against France, which England won 3–1. Shilton stayed in goal for the rest of the group games, and England won all three.

1986 FIFA World Cup and Maradona

Shilton beaten to the ball, as Diego Maradona scores with his fist, later dubbed "the hand of God"

Shilton watches as Maradona rounds him to score his second goal of the match, deemed "The Goal of the Century".

At the 1986 World Cup, England started slowly. But they found their form and beat Poland 3–0 to move to the next round. They then beat Paraguay 3–0. This led to a quarter-final match against Argentina. This game became a famous part of Shilton's career.

Argentina's captain, Diego Maradona, scored two goals against England. The first goal was controversial. Maradona seemed to punch the ball over Shilton and into the net. Shilton and his teammates protested, saying Maradona used his hand. The referee allowed the goal, which Maradona later called the "Hand of God".

Shortly after, Maradona scored another goal. This one was amazing. He dribbled past almost the entire England defense and Shilton before scoring. This goal was later voted the "Goal of the Century." England scored one goal back but lost the game.

Later International Games and Retirement

Shilton continued to play for England. He played in the qualifying games for the 1988 European Championships. He earned his 90th cap in a 2–0 win over Northern Ireland.

In June 1989, Shilton broke Bobby Moore's record of 108 appearances for England. He played his 109th game against Denmark. He kept three clean sheets in the qualifying matches for the 1990 World Cup. England qualified without letting in any goals.

Shilton was the oldest player at the 1990 World Cup. England reached the semi-finals, where they played against West Germany. The game was tied 1–1, and it went to a penalty shootout. Shilton couldn't save any of the German penalties, and England lost.

His last game for England was the third-place play-off against Italy. Italy won 2–1. Shilton made a mistake on a back pass, and Roberto Baggio scored. This was his 125th game for England. After the tournament, he announced his retirement from international football. He was never given a yellow or red card in his international career.

Peter Shilton's Playing Style

Experts say Peter Shilton was one of the best goalkeepers in the world during his best years. Many consider him one of England's greatest players in his position. He was known for being smart and effective. He was also praised for his strong presence, good handling of the ball, and calm attitude. He was great at talking to his teammates and organizing his defense.

Even though he wasn't the tallest goalkeeper, he was very strong. He was also agile and had quick reflexes, making him excellent at stopping shots. Shilton was known for his hard work and discipline. He played for a very long time, spanning four decades, and retired at 47.

Personal Life

Peter Shilton married Sue Flitcroft in September 1970. They had two sons, Michael and Sam, who also became a professional footballer.

In March 2015, Shilton announced he would marry his second wife, Stephanie Hayward. They got married on December 10, 2016.

Shilton has spoken about overcoming a long-term gambling problem. He has worked with the UK government to help others with similar issues.

He has received several honors for his contributions to football. These include being appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 1986, an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1991, and a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 2024.

Career Statistics

Club

International

Managerial

Honours and Awards

Leicester City

• Football League Second Division: 1970–71
• FA Charity Shield: 1971
• FA Cup runner-up: 1968–69

Nottingham Forest

• Football League First Division: 1977–78
• Football League Cup: 1978–79
• FA Charity Shield: 1978
• European Cup: 1978–79, 1979–80
• European Super Cup: 1979

Individual Awards

• 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
• PFA Players' Player of the Year: 1977–78
• 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

See also

In Spanish: Peter Shilton para niños

• List of men's footballers with 100 or more international caps
• List of men's footballers with the most official appearances