Centenary Auction - tributes to some of the striking stars

Following this week's launch of one of the greatest auctions of football memorabilia in the history of the game - all part of the on-going PFA Centenary celebrations to be concluded on December 2- we take a look back at the careers of the 34 players whose framed, signed shirts make up this unique collection. The organisation's 'One Goal, One Million' campaign is moving ahead at paceand money raised from the auction will go towards £1million target we are hoping to raise to fund a treatment and rehabilitation unit at a new Children's Hospital in Manchester. Here's a Centenary tribute to the fourth batch of winners of the PFA Players' Player of the Year award...and it's the strikers who are ruling the roost between 86 and 89...

1986

GARY LINEKER

Position: Striker; Born: Leicester, 30 November 1960; Country: England; Teams: Leicester City, Everton, Tottenham Hotspur; Football League/Premiership Record: 333 + 7 Appearances, 192 Goals; Playing career: 1979 to 1992.
Gary Lineker was a superbly talented striker with blistering pace and a great eye for goal. One of the great strikers of the 1980s, he was also a perfect ambassador for the game.

Gary began his professional career as an apprentice with Leicester City before signing full terms in December 1978. However, after making his debut on New Year's Day of 1979 against Oldham, he took some time to establish his presence in the squad and it was not until the 1981-82 season that he became a regular in the line-up. Thereafter there was no looking back and for the next four seasons he finished as City's leading scorer, his goals assisting the club to promotion back to the top flight in 1982-83.
In June 1985 Gary joined Everton, and although the Toffees finished as runners-up to Liverpool for both the League title and the FA Cup, Gary was in superb form, netting some 40 goals in all competitions. When he went on to take the Golden Boot award at the World Cup finals in 1986, single-handedly reviving England's campaign with a hat-trick against Poland, he showed himself to be one of the best strikers in the world.

Barcelona, managed by Terry Venables, paid a sum of £2.75 million for his services soon afterwards and during three seasons in Spain he was a member of the team that won the European Cup Winners Cup in 1989. Thereafter he returned to England and a spell at Tottenham, finishing as leading scorer in each of his three seasons at White Hart Lane and gaining an FA Cup winners medal in 1991. Gary subsequently concluded his playing career in Japan with Nagoya Grampus Eight before commencing a high profile career in the media.
Gary won 80 caps for England between 1984 and 1992, featuring in the World Cup finals of 1986 and 1990. His tally of 48 goals is one short of the record established by Bobby Charlton. Gary was awarded the OBE in 1992.

1987

CLIVE ALLEN

Position: Striker; Born: Stepney, London, 20 May 1961; Country: England; Teams: Queens Park Rangers, Crystal Palace, Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester City, Chelsea, West Ham United, Millwall; Football League/Premiership Record: 344 + 44 Appearances, 181 Goals; Playing career: 1978 to 1995.
Hailing from a well-known footballing family, Clive Allen was one of the most prolific goalscorers of the 1980s. A clinical finisher from anywhere inside the penalty box, he maintained an excellent strike rate throughout his career.

Clive joined Queen's Park Rangers as an apprentice on leaving school, stepping up to the professional ranks on reaching his 17th birthday. He soon made his bow in senior football, coming off the bench against Chelsea in November 1978, and when given his first start against Coventry City the following April he responded with a hat-trick in a 5-1 victory. Rangers were relegated from the top flight that season, and Clive went on to establish himself in the line-up in 1979-80, finishing the campaign as the R's leading scorer with some 30 goals in all competitions.
Despite his lack of experience Clive was sold to Arsenal for a fee of £1.25 million in the summer of 1980, but his stay at Highbury was to last only a matter of months before he was on his way across London again, signing for Crystal Palace. This too proved to be a brief stopping point, for he returned to Loftus Road in June 1981. The goals continued to come and Rangers reached their first-ever FA Cup final in 1982, falling to Tottenham in a replay. Nevertheless, promotion back to the top flight was secured in 1983 and in the summer of 1984 Clive was selected for Englands tour of South America, winning his first full caps.

Soon after returning, Clive signed for Tottenham where he endured two injury-affected seasons before returning in style in the 1986-87 campaign. Employed by manager David Pleat as a lone striker, he excelled, netting a total of 49 goals from just 53 appearances, a phenomenal tally in modern football. In March 1988 Clive was transferred to Bordeaux, spending a year in France before returning to play for Manchester City. He subsequently had brief spells with Chelsea, West Ham and Millwall before concluding his career with a handful of appearances for Carlisle.

After winning three caps in the summer of 1984, Clive played just twice more for his country, raising his tally to five.

1988

JOHN BARNES

Position: Midfield; Born: Kingston, Jamaica, 7 November 1963; Country: England; Teams: Watford, Liverpool, Newcastle United, Charlton Athletic; Football League/Premiership Record: 566 + 20 Appearances, 155 Goals; Playing career: 1981 to 1999.

John Barnes was a devastating attacking player with the ability to cut through opposition defences and set up chances for his colleagues or score himself. At his most effective when running with the ball at defenders, he was of the finest wide players of the 1980s.
Born in Jamaica, John moved to England with his family and signed for Watford in July 1981 after being spotted playing in local football. He went on to make his first-team debut as a substitute against Oldham the following September and from then onwards became a regular in the Hornets' line-up. Graham Taylor's side won promotion to the top flight at the end of that season, and this was the start of a golden period in the clubs history. John helped the team finish as runners-up to Liverpool for the Football League title in 1982-83, while the following season he gained an FA Cup runners-up medal after Watford lost out to Everton in the final at Wembley.

In the summer of 1987, by which time he was an established England international, John was sold to Liverpool as the Reds sought to revitalise their midfield line. The team proved unstoppable in the 1987-88 season, going undefeated for the first 29 games of the season and eventually winning the title by a nine-point margin from Manchester United. Over the next few seasons they dominated English football winning the FA Cup in 1989 and the League title again in 1989-90 when John was in particularly impressive form, finishing as the club's leading scorer with 22 goals. He remained at Anfield until 1997 before winding down his career with spells at Newcastle and Charlton Athletic.

John won his first cap for England against Northern Ireland in May 1983 and featured regularly in the squad until 1995, making a total of 79 appearances for his country. His goal against Brazil in Rio de Janeiro in June 1984 was one of the most memorable in the modern era, coming after a dazzling run through the opposition defence and setting England up for a surprise 2-0 win. John was awarded the MBE in 1998.

1989

MARK HUGHES

Position: Striker; Born: Wrexham, 1 November 1963; Country: Wales; Teams: Manchester United, Chelsea, Southampton, Everton, Blackburn Rovers; Football League/Premiership Record: 514 + 46 Appearances, 153 Goals; Playing career: 1983 to 2002.

Mark Hughes was an all-action style centre forward who was one of the best strikers of his generation. Big, strong and powerful, he was a perfect target man, able to shield the ball from opponents, hold up play to bring his colleagues into play, run at defenders and score spectacular goals.
Mark joined Manchester United as an apprentice on leaving school, graduating to the professional ranks on reaching his 17th birthday. Initially playing in midfield he made his debut in a Football League Cup tie against Oxford United in November 1983, winning a regular place in the line-up in the closing stages of that season. Once established in the side at centre forward he went from strength to strength, heading United's scoring charts in both 1984-85 (when he gained an FA Cup winners medal) and 1985-86.

In August 1986 Mark was surprisingly sold to Barcelona, then managed by Terry Venables, for whom it was hoped he would form a productive partnership with Gary Lineker. However, when this failed to develop he found himself out on loan with Bayern Munich for much of the 1987-88 campaign.
In July 1988 Mark returned to Old Trafford and over the next few seasons he produced the best form of his career, leading the line with aplomb and scoring his share of spectacular goals. One of the highlights was undoubtedly his performance in the 1991 European Cup Winners' Cup final against Barcelona when he scored both goals as United defeated his former colleagues to take the trophy. He was also a member of the League and Cup double winning team of 1993-94 before leaving for Chelsea in July 1995.

Although now into his 30s, Mark enjoyed three successful seasons at Stamford Bridge, gaining an FA Cup winners' medal in 1997 when Chelsea defeated Middlesbrough to take the trophy. He subsequently had spells with Southampton, where he switched back to a midfield role, Everton and Blackburn (where he earned a Football League Cup winners' medal) before retiring as a player in the summer of 2002.

Mark also won 72 full caps for Wales between 1984 and 1999, scoring 16 goals.