Tom Finney (76 caps, 30 goals)
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The Tom Finney vs. Stanley Matthews argument was the Lionel Messi vs. Cristiano Ronaldo of its day. Everyone had an opinion on who was the best, but they were undoubtedly both great players.
Matthews is arguably the more high-profile of the two, but Finney was every bit as tricky and difficult to play against. The attacker's versatility made him stand out too, being able to play on either wing or up front in an era when players were usually specialists in one given position.
Finney made his England debut in 1946 and went on to turn out 76 times for his country, scoring 30 goals - a joint record with Nat Lofthouse at the time of his retirement in 1958.
It was a period where England were held back by the archaic system of having a selection committee pick every team, and as a result the Three Lions struggled to enjoy the success which their perceived bearing in world football at the time demanded.
Indeed, Finney was involved in two of England's most notorious defeats, losing 1-0 to a USA team made up mostly of part-time players at the 1950 World Cup and also featuring during the 7-1 defeat to Hungary in 1954.
However, Finney's own personal quality was never in doubt and former Liverpool boss Bill Shankly once described him as the best player to ever play the game. His perennial rival Matthews also ranked him alongside the likes of Diego Maradona, Pele and Alfredo Di Stefano.
Perhaps the most notable aspect of Finney's career was his loyalty to boyhood club Preston North End, staying with the team even when they dropped into the second tier and going on to make 473 appearances during his 14 years there.
The 'Preston Plumber' was the first player to win the FWA Footballer of the Year award more than once - picking it up in 1954 and 1957 - but silverware eluded him throughout his career and the closest he came to a major team trophy was finishing as a runner-up in the 1954 FA Cup.
Barney Corkhill
