Peter Shilton

Peter Shilton MBE OBE (born Leicester, England, September 18, 1949) was an outstanding goalkeeper who holds the record for most international appearances for his country.

Cups with Clough

Nottingham Forest made an offer of 250,000 pounds and Shilton signed a month into the new season. Forest had just been promoted to the First Division and were on the up under Brian Clough. They won the League Cup in a replay after initially drawing with Liverpool at Wembley, though Shilton missed that as he was cup-tied, and then incredibly clinched the League title in their first season back in the first division. Shilton made a save in the clinching 0-0 draw against Coventry City which critics regarded as his greatest ever - a vicious close range header from David Ferguson seemed destined for the net with Shilton slightly out of position, but he got across to palm it over the bar.

Related Topics:
Nottingham Forest - Brian Clough - League Cup - Coventry City

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As if to emphasise his return to the top of his game, new England coach Ron Greenwood started to select Shilton with similar regularity as Clemence until it got to the stage where he genuinely couldn't decide whom his best keeper was and therefore made a point of alternating them.

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Forest won the League Cup again in 1979 - this time Shilton played as they defeated Southampton 3-2 at Wembley - before reaching the European Cup final where a Trevor Francis goal was enough to beat Swedish side Malmö in Munich. Shilton then featured heavily as England qualified for the 1980 European Championships in Italy - their first tournament for a decade.

Related Topics:
1979 - European Cup - Trevor Francis - Swedish - Malmö - Munich - 1980 European Championships - Italy - Decade

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Prior to competing in Italy, Shilton had another eventful season with Forest, reaching a third consecutive League Cup final, with Wolverhampton Wanderers the opponents at Wembley. There was no third successive victory, however, as an appalling lack of communication between Shilton and defender David Needham resulted in a collision on the edge of the Forest penalty area, leaving Andy Gray free to tap the ball into the net for the game's only goal.

Related Topics:
Wolverhampton Wanderers - Andy Gray

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Forest then reached the European Cup final again - as holders they were entitled to defend the trophy even though they hadn't won the League title again - and faced SV Hamburg in Madrid. Like the 1979 final, the game was tight and one goal settled it from Forest winger John Robertson. Among the disappointed Hamburg players was Keegan, now Shilton's captain at international level. Shilton subsequently won the PFA Player of the Year award, voted for by his fellow professionals.

Related Topics:
SV Hamburg - Madrid - John Robertson - PFA Player of the Year

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