Terry Butcher, the former England centre-back, has opened up about Diego Maradona, Sir Bobby Robson, and his ongoing work with veterans in a wide-ranging interview with Guardian readers. Speaking in London during the week he received his England legacy cap, Butcher addressed questions on some of the most iconic moments of his career, including the infamous "Hand of God" goal and his decision to play on with a bloodied head.
Maradona and the Hand of God
Butcher revealed that he was in the post-match doping-control room with Maradona after the 1986 World Cup quarter-final at the Azteca. "I tapped my head, then my hand, and then he tapped his head," Butcher said. "He didn't admit to it because, if he had, I'd have been right across that room."
Reflecting on the goal that has followed him throughout his career, Butcher admitted his feelings have not changed, but he has learned to cope. "I've learned to live with it better, I've learned to get through it and I'm not so annoyed by the memory," he said. "You're just disappointed it happened. It had an influence on the game because we went one down and I think a lot of the players were shocked by what happened. Half the team saw it, half didn't. I was one of the ones who didn't."
Butcher added that he is more disappointed by Maradona's second goal, which he felt he could have blocked. "I was more angry about that goal than I was the 'Hand of God' goal," he said. "He was the best player I've played against and one that I never really got near."
Playing on with a bloodied head
On the famous image of him playing for England with a bandaged head and bloodied shirt during a crucial World Cup qualifier against Sweden in 1989, Butcher said he never contemplated leaving the pitch. "As the captain of your country, playing in a crucial World Cup qualifier against the top team in our league, in our group, there's no way," he explained. "I said to Bobby: 'If you take me off, I'll hit you.' I don't think I would have but I said: 'No, don't do it!'".
He noted that from a medical standpoint, it would have been right to take him off, "absolutely," but added: "That was then and I think, as a captain, you have to lead."
Bobby Robson and the 1990 World Cup
Butcher praised Robson's man-management as his standout quality. "He knew how to get the best from his players, knew what buttons to press and got to know them very quickly," he said. "He was the most complete manager in my eyes and I still think he's the best. Wherever he went, home or abroad, he proved himself in a way no English manager has done."
On England's run to the 1990 World Cup semi-final, Butcher said the team was close to glory. "We didn't get to the very best one, the final, but we were so close. You're talking inches, the shot that came off the post right between Lineker and Beardsley," he recalled. "Beating Argentina in the final would have been the ultimate redemption."
Veterans' support and a new hub
Butcher also discussed his work with veterans following the death of his son, calling for a dedicated centre for veterans similar to St George's Park. "We need more, and bigger, facilities to focus on veterans' mental health and respite for those around them," he said. "My son didn't have that unfortunately: he stayed in his room and that was his safe place."
He added that his work with Combat2Coffee, which supports veterans and their families, is expanding. "It's getting exponentially bigger and we're about to open a veterans' hub in Ipswich," Butcher said. "I'm doing this because my son would have loved it, and it's what he needed."
