Wilkins was called up to play for England for the first time in 1976 by coach Don Revie and quickly made his debut against Italy during a mini-tournament in the USA. He was to become a permanent fixture in England squads for a decade to come.
Maligned in some quarters for supposed "negative" play (he was deemed more likely to pass a ball sideways rather than forwards - earning him semi-affectionate nicknames like Squareball Wilkins and The Crab), Wilkins nevertheless became one of his country's most sought-after players and, in August 1979, Chelsea accepted an offer of 800,000 pounds from M ...
The son of an Army footballer, defensive midfielder Wilkins (nicknamed Butch from childhood) made his name in the 1970s with boyhood club Chelsea, whom he joined as an apprentice, progressing to his first team debut against Norwich City in October 1973. He made sporadic further appearances for the rest of that season before establishing himself as a fixture in the side the following year.
In 1975, a 19 year old Wilkins was handed the captaincy of Chelsea, despite the presence of elder and more experienced players in the squad. ...
