England were misfiring in Mexico but, as Chris Evans recalls in his biography of the striker, one match can change everything for a team and its starThe browbeaten striker looked forlornly to the floor, the whistles of derision ringing in his ears. The stadium may only have been partially full of travelling England fans but the seething frustration was unmistakable as their emotion poured on to the pitch.Lining the sparse terraces draped in union flags, the ragtag collection of supporters – many of them shirtless – got as close to the pitch as possible to spew their thoughts at their own players. Continue reading...
Gary Lineker struggled to score in the lead-up to the 1986 World Cup, and England had failed to score in their first two games. Facing potential removal from the starting lineup, Lineker scored a hat-trick in the crucial final group game against Poland, leading England to a 3-0 victory and setting him on the path to global superstardom.
