Peter Shilton says he’s ready to put the “beef to bed” over Diego Maradona’s Hand of God after four decades, while backing Jordan Pickford as England’s best goalkeeper since him and urging Harry Kane to break his England caps record of 125.
Forty years after Diego Maradona rose above Peter Shilton. punched the ball into the net and broke English hearts. the former goalkeeper is still talking about the moment with a kind of quiet. stubborn hurt. He remembers it clearly. He remembers the anguish. And now, at the age of 76, he says he’s ready to finally move on.
England’s 1986 World Cup quarter-final defeat to Argentina at the Estadio Azteca still sits in his mind like an unfinished argument. Shilton recalls how midfielder Steve Hodge tried to clear the ball. only for it to be hoofed in the air back toward him. Everyone was expecting Shilton—listed in the account as 6ft—to catch it, especially with Maradona alongside him, 5ft 5in.
But the ball went in. At first, it seemed Maradona had headed it. Replays, though, showed him steering it in with his clenched fist.
The Hand of God. Maradona later telling reporters in Spanish. came ‘a little with the head of Maradona and a little with the hand of God’. Even now, with Chelmsford FC in the background and the topic still bringing discomfort, Shilton doesn’t dress it up. The betrayal—whether you call it cheating or theft of a rightful outcome—left him deeply hurt.
There’s a turning point to the story, though. Shilton says that his pain began to ease after an encounter with players from that Argentina side for a documentary about the game. called The Match. The group included Jorge Valdano, Oscar Ruggeri, Ricardo Giusti, Jorge Burruchaga and Jorge Olarticoechea. A sponsor. Lynx Fine Fragrance. arranged for Shilton to shake hands with an Argentinian mascot—small in the moment. but symbolic in the bigger picture.
“Well. it’s 40 years since it happened and I think it’s probably time to put my beef to bed. ” Shilton tells Daily Mail Sport. “Last year, I went over to Madrid to do a documentary with Argentinian players, Gary Lineker and John Barnes. I met some of the players who played that day and. to be fair. it was so emotional and they were so welcoming towards me that I was a little bit taken aback. I have met a lot of Argentinian people and they’re exactly the same, very friendly. “It was just the feeling that came across to me – it made me feel that it’s time that I put this to bed.”.
For Shilton, the hurt wasn’t only about that one goal. His belief is that England could have gone all the way in that World Cup if Maradona’s strike had been disallowed. He also felt their second goal should have been chalked off, too, for a foul on Glenn Hoddle in the build-up.
Maradona—who died in 2020—would go on to dribble past several players, starting from his own half, to score the ‘goal of the century’. But Shilton’s frustration is rooted in the choices around the first moment, and in what he thinks VAR would have changed.
“I felt that we could have gone on and won that World Cup,” he reflects. “We had such a good chance, we were running into form. That’s why I had my beef. But, obviously, if we’d had VAR around, the goal wouldn’t have been allowed. It’s as simple as that. “Obviously, we all felt hard done by. And the thing is, when something happens like that in football, you can’t turn the clock back. You have to come to terms with it.”.
Shilton’s career achievements help explain why his judgments carry weight. One of England’s greatest-ever goalkeepers. he earned 125 caps. a mark that stood as the all-time benchmark for almost four decades. Over a career spanning more than 20 years. he recorded a run of records too: he’s the only player to have featured in more than 1. 000 English league matches. and his 66 clean sheets for England has never been surpassed. He has also won the European Cup with Nottingham Forest in 1979 and is the only Englishman to play in 1. 000 career games. He was later awarded a CBE.
And so, when he looks at England now, it’s not just nostalgia—he speaks as someone who’s been watching keepers for a lifetime.
Shilton says he’s watched Jordan Pickford since he was young and believes he has “gradually improved.” He praises how Pickford takes charge of his defence and helps them. adding that his distribution is “terrific.” Shilton points to Pickford’s ability to send “ping balls from 50 yards to people’s feet” and says being good on the ball matters massively in modern football.
“He’s the best goalkeeper since I finished playing for England,” Shilton says. “I think that much of him, yeah. I also think he’s very good on penalties.”
That view naturally leads to another England benchmark—one Shilton personally set. Harry Kane currently sits on 118 caps after playing another starring role with both goals in England’s 2-1 last-32 victory over DR Congo on Wednesday. Shilton is urging Kane to catch him and go beyond.
“Harry’s got a great chance, I think he should break it actually,” Shilton says. “He’s been a great leader, a great ambassador for England. He scores goals and for a forward to break my record will be a testament to his fitness and his dedication. Moving to Germany helped him because they had a month’s break in the season which obviously helped freshen him up.”.
Shilton also makes a point about how Kane has earned his caps: “He’s played proper matches. He’s not been a substitute and come on for half a match or 10 minutes to gain the [extra] cap. which has happened in the past. Harry Kane doesn’t do that. So that’s one of the big reasons that I’ve got a lot of respect for him.”.
Shilton’s England caps record is set out clearly: 125 for Peter Shilton (1970-90). followed by Wayne Rooney on 120 (2003-18). Harry Kane on 118 (2015-). David Beckham on 115 (1996-2009). Steven Gerrard on 114 (2000-14). Bobby Moore on 108 (1962-73). Ashley Cole on 107 (2001-14). Bobby Charlton on 106 (1958-70) and Frank Lampard on 106 (1999-2014). with Billy Wright on 105 (1946-59).
The weight of 1986 may never fully disappear, but Shilton says he can at least put the grudge away. He adds that the wounds may stay, yet the future matters. With England heading to the 2026 World Cup—preparing to head back to Mexico City for the first time since the 1986 tournament—he believes this generation has a real shot at ending a 60-year wait.
“We’re one of five or six teams who are there with a great chance,” he says. “You always need that bit of luck which I don’t think we’ve had too much in recent years. We’ve had probably more things go against England as a team than go for us. but sooner or later it will change and hopefully it will change in this World Cup. That could be the difference between us going out or going through to the final and winning it.”.
In the end, Shilton’s shift isn’t about forgetting what happened at the Azteca. It’s about letting himself stop reliving it. After four decades of holding onto the “beef,” he’s choosing closure now—on the record, and in the room—while still pushing England forward toward the next, bigger day.
Peter Shilton Diego Maradona Hand of God England vs Argentina 1986 Estadio Azteca Jordan Pickford Harry Kane England caps record Daily Mail Sport Chelmsford FC