Kenny Sansom

England's most-capped left-back for decades, a technically gifted and supremely consistent defender who starred for Arsenal and his country.

Kenneth Graham Sansom was born in Camberwell, London on 26 September 1958. He began at Crystal Palace, becoming the youngest player to appear for the club, before joining Arsenal in 1980. Over eight seasons at Highbury he made 394 appearances and was known for his overlapping runs, defensive reliability and reading of the game. He earned 86 England caps, a record for a full-back that stood for many years, and was part of the squad at the 1982 and 1986 World Cups. He won the League Cup in 1987 with Arsenal. After leaving the Gunners, he had spells at Newcastle, QPR, Coventry, Everton, Brentford, Watford and Chesterfield. Off the pitch, Sansom has spoken bravely about his battles with alcoholism and homelessness.

• League Cup 1987