Gordon Banks

Hailed by many as the greatest goalkeeper who ever lived, Gordon Banks has entered football’s annals above all on account of his incredible diving save from a Pele header when England met Brazil in the 1970 World Cup.

Born in Sheffield, Banks joined Chesterfield, the club he supported as a boy, in 1955, but it wasn’t until 1958 that he made his debut in the Third Division. After playing just 23 games, Banks was talent-spotted and sold to First Division Leicester for £7,000. During seven years with the Foxes he sealed his reputation as a keeper of exceptional talent and won the 1964 League Cup against Stoke . Leicester also made two FA Cup finals, in 1961 and 1963, but Banks picked up losers' medals on both occasions.

England manager Alf Ramsey was impressed enough, though, to pick him for his country and Banks was soon established as the country’s top stopper. He was an influential member of the team that won the 1966 World Cup on home soil, but Leicester still saw fit to sell him to Stoke the following year, with Peter Shilton taking over between the sticks at Filbert Street.

It was as a Stoke player that Banks made that 1970 wonder save from Pele and it seemed that the older he got the more supreme his skills became. He won a League Cup with Stoke in 1972 and was voted Footballer Of The Year, but that same year a car crash left Banks blind in one eye and he was forced to accept that he could not continue to perform at the highest level. It was a tragic end to a stellar career.

Banks played games in Ireland and the United States following his accident, but eventually went into coaching, management and football-related business.

Alf Ramsey first selected Banks for England against Scotland at Wembley in April 1963 and, despite finishing on the losing side, he did enough to convince the boss he was the man to rely on as England built towards the 1966 World Cup. Banks never looked back and remained England’s first choice for both the 1966 and 1970 World Cups. Banks was still the country’s first choice stopper when his career was ended by the 1972 car crash in which he lost an eye.