Legendary England goalkeeper Peter Shilton will see his record as the most capped England player broken tonight by Three Lions captain Harry Kane, as the 77-year-old also opens up about a secret gambling addiction that nearly destroyed his life.
Shilton, who earned 125 England caps, will make a special appearance at Wembley when England face Croatia tonight and is expected to step onto the pitch to present something special to Kane. Shilton was 40 when he appeared at the 1990 World Cup to claim his 125th cap, and tonight Kane will become the first player ever to achieve 126 caps for his country.
Shilton Pays Tribute to Kane
Paying tribute to the striker, Shilton said: "I've had the record for a long time so it's been the norm but records are there to be beaten. Really, I couldn't think of anyone better than Harry [to beat it] not only because of his football record but also the type of person that he is. He's been a great professional and has an impeccable CV."
He added: "I am going. I think I will be going on to the pitch to present him with something but I am not 100 per cent sure about that. I congratulate Harry but it's been nice for people to recognize that I held the record who may not have done."
The former Nottingham Forest number one retired from professional football in 1997 when he played his last season at Leyton Orient at the age of 48, and from the national team in 1990.
A Secret Addiction Revealed
However, the beloved former footballer was battling a secret addiction that almost tore his life apart - gambling. Shilton admitted that over the course of his 45-year habit he will have lost millions of pounds, and it nearly cost him his second marriage.
Shilton was married to first wife Sue Flitcroft for 40 years, with the couple announcing their split in 2011. He went on to marry former jazz singer Stephanie Hayward in 2016. It was only when Stephanie, a former NHS manager, spotted her husband making secret phone calls that she became concerned. She feared he was having an affair, but the truth was more harrowing for the couple.
She discovered Peter was losing huge amounts - £18,000 in one month and £800,000 to one betting company alone - and his devoted wife knew she had to do something before it further harmed his wellbeing.
Impact on Health and Recovery
Stephanie told the Mirror: "You could tell by the mood swings. I could tell when he had money and when he didn't. I knew he was going through mental anguish. He later said he had times where he wanted to be sick in the morning. It definitely affected him physically. In the thick of it, he lost weight and looked older than he was."
When she discovered the issue, Stephanie said Shilton was in "complete denial" about the extent of his problem and that there were times "I cried myself to sleep". Finally, when Shilton tried to go cold turkey from gambling and experienced withdrawal symptoms, he accepted he needed help. Stephanie said: "People don't think of it as a health problem, but it's like heroin addiction. I'd seen people go through drug withdrawal and it was exactly the same - the restlessness, inability to concentrate and hot sweats."
It was also a process Stephanie herself found very draining, admitting: "I felt very alone through it. It sapped my energy." However, she was determined to help her husband recover, reassuring him it was an illness, and told him to take up golf. It took a year before Shilton was well again, and Stephanie said the transformation in her husband was dramatic, with him looking "10 years younger".
