E is for Elegance

E is for Elegance: My next three players combined style and grace with power and skill. They are Duncan Edwards, George Eastham and Mike England.

Duncan Edwards

Duncan made a total of only 177 first team appearances and scored just 21 goals before his death at Munich yet Sir Matt Busby rated him as the most 'complete footballer in Britain - possibly the world'. Indeed, many football watchers still rank him above Best, Charlton and Law as the greatest Manchester United player of all time.

He was the complete player: tall and strong, yet speedy and blessed with limitless stamina, two-footed, a great tackler, strong in the air, a fine passer of the ball, and the possessor of a fierce and accurate shot - AND he could play in defence, midfield or attack!

Duncan made his first team debut on 4th April, 1953 at the age of 16 and signed as a professional eight months later on his 17th birthday. When he made his international debut at the age of 18 years and 183 days he became the youngest player to be capped for England in the 20th century, a record that stood for over 40 years until Michael Owen was capped in February 1998.

There was nothing that could be done on a football field that this young giant couldn't seem to do better than anyone else. His ball control, with both feet, was masterful; his passing and tackling were exemplary; his shooting was awesome, both in power and accuracy, while his reading of the game was startling in its maturity.

Most of his games for United were in midfield from where he could lend his dominance to the defence but could also storm into the attack at every opportunity. Defenders seemed to bounce off him when he set off on one of his characteristic surging runs, an apparently unstoppable force.

His last League match, United's epic 5-4 victory over Arsenal at Highbury, saw one of his typical strikes when he arrived late on the edge of the penalty box to crash a pass from Dennis Viollet past the Gunners' keeper, Jack Kelsey. The then 15 year-old Terry Venables was at the match and recalled: "Jack Kelsey, a legend at Highbury, was in goal for Arsenal but, good as he was, he was beaten all the way when Duncan opened the scoring with a cracking shot. There were eight more goals in a fantastic match, but Duncan's, and his overall performance, are all I really remember. Everything he did comes back to me as if it was yesterday. Such strength, such poise."

When he died on the 21st February 1958 from injuries sustained in the Munich air disaster, Walter Winterbottom, England's manager said: "It was in the character and spirit of Duncan Edwards that I saw the true revival of British football." Sir Matt Busby, recalling Duncan's bravery, loyalty and dedication, and - perhaps the most crucial of all - his unflappable temperament, said in August 1961 at the unveiling of two stained glass windows in Dudley commemorating Duncan's life: "There will only be one Duncan Edwards and any boy who strives to emulate him or take him as his model, won't go far wrong."

George Eastham

Eastham played for Newcastle, Arsenal and Stoke between the years 1956 and 1971. An extremely deft and graceful ball-player, he preferred a creative rather than a goal-scoring inside forward role, blessed as he was with tremendous close ball control and the ability to thread a killing pass through a crowded area. He was, however, occasionally erratic, once admitting that he knew within the first five minutes whether he was going to have a good game or not!

He had a good pedigree: his father (also George) 'Diddler' Eastham, was a Bolton Wanderers and Brentford player between the wars who'd won an England cap in 1935. Thus, when George junior won the first of his 19 caps in 1963, they became the first father and son to have played for England. George made football history in another way. When he tried to move from Newcastle United in December 1959 the club refused his request and simply 'retained' him despite his repeated requests for a transfer.

Eastham then left the game after appealing to the Football League management committee over his position. One year later, in 1960, Newcastle United and Arsenal finally agreed a transfer deal but the player, backed by the PFA, took his case to the High Court in order to test the retain and transfer system and won a significant victory in the fight for players' freedom of contract. A Football League Cup winner in 1972 (he scored the winning goal), George was awarded an OBE in 1973
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Mike England

Mike was a world-class centre half who ranks as one of the best central defenders ever to have played for Wales. It was in the 1960's and 70's that he became a world-renowned centre half and one of the earliest players to combine the role of stopper with skilful ball control. His background as a midfielder meant that he could control and pass accurately and dribble the ball out of defence while his aerial ability was incomparable. He also had the speed to recover should opposing forwards pass him and he was extremely strong in the tackle.

He made his debut for Wales in 1962, competing for his place at first with Mel Nurse and John Charles and making his mark that same year in a tour of Brazil and Mexico when he stopped Pele from scoring. Spurs manager Bill Nicholson acquired the services of Britain's best centre half when he bought Mike England from newly-relegated Blackburn Rovers in the summer of 1966. That, at least, was the judgement of most contemporary pundits and it was reflected in the £95,000 fee, then a British record for a defender.

The big Welshman brought strength, stability and style to the heart of Spurs' defence as well as adding a fearsome aerial option to their attacking armoury. As manager of Wales, he brought them to the brink of qualification to four major championships before leaving in 1988. Mike won 44 Welsh caps, scoring four goals, and whilst with Spurs he won FA Cup, League Cup and UEFA Cup winners' medals.