Peter Shilton is 75 years old and is a legend of English football, considered by many to be one of the greatest goalkeepers of all time. His professional career lasted impressive 31 years, from 1966 to 1997, a remarkable achievement of longevity and consistency.
He is better known for being the record holder of official games in the history of world football, with 1,390 matches played (Record recently equaled by Brazilian goalkeeper Fábio), and also for being the player with the most matches for England Selectionwearing the English Team shirt in 125 occasions.
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Peter Shilton: Career
Shilton’s journey in football took him to 11 different clubs, but it was in Nottingham Forestunder the command of the iconic coach Brian Clough, which he reached the height of his career. With Forest, he won:
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An English Championship (1977-78)
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Two champions of the consecutive UEFA champions (1978-79 e 1979-80)
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A UEFA Super Cup (1979)
He started his career in Leicester Cityclub of your hometown, and then had remarkable tickets for Stoke City e Southamptonbefore playing for other clubs and ending his career at 47 at Leyton Orient, where he completed his thousandth match in the league.
🇧🇷🤯 Fábio is officially the player with more games in the history of football [1390 jogos empatado com o Peter Shilton].
A legend of the sport that is still underestimated. pic.twitter.com/Q0JknfA2xM
– Ball review⚽📝 (@resenhadb) August 16, 2025
England Selection
For the national team, Shilton played three World Cups (1982, 1986 and 1990), reaching the semifinal in his last participation in Italy.
However, one of the most famous (and infamous) moments of his career happened in the quarterfinals of the 1986 World Cup against Argentina. Shilton was the goalkeeper on the field when Diego Maradona scored two of the most iconic goals in history: the first, the “hand of God,” in which Maradona used her hand to cover it up, and the second, a spectacular drag dribbling half English team.
Despite being marked by this episode, his legacy as a safe, agile and incredibly lasting goalkeeper remains intact.
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