Editing Alex Stepney (section)

==International recognition==
Although a highly talented keeper, Stepney was a distance down the pecking order when it came to the [[England national football team|England]] team. [[Gordon Banks]] was the undisputed number one, with [[Peter Bonetti]] of Chelsea, [[Gordon West]] of Everton and the more experienced Sheffield Wednesday goalkeeper [[Ron Springett]] all in Stepney's way. When England qualified for the final stages of the [[UEFA Euro 1968|1968 European Championships]], coach [[Alf Ramsey]] selected Stepney and West as the two back-up keepers to Banks and, in what turned into a momentous week for Stepney, he made his England debut in a friendly win over [[Sweden men's national football team|Sweden]] in May 1968, seven days before the European Cup final. England won 3–1.

Ramsey kept Stepney in his thoughts in his preparations for England's defence of the [[FIFA World Cup]] in [[1970 FIFA World Cup|1970]], for which England did not have to qualify having won the previous tournament, but did not give him another cap as the likes of Bonetti and West added to their meagre tallies of appearances. However, when the preliminary squad of 27 was announced, Stepney was in, along with Banks, Bonetti and uncapped rookie [[Peter Shilton]], with no sign of West. When the final 22 who would travel to [[Mexico]] was confirmed, Shilton was the goalkeeper sent home.

Nevertheless, Stepney was clearly the third-choice goalkeeper in the squad and the chances of his appearing on the pitch in Mexico were small. When Banks went down with food poisoning prior to the quarter-final with [[Germany national football team|West Germany]], it was the slightly more experienced Bonetti – who had six caps to Stepney's one – to whom Ramsey turned, although Stepney did make it onto the substitutes' bench. England squandered a two-goal lead to lose 3–2 and it was Stepney who told the groggy, ill Banks the scoreline in his hotel room by holding up three fingers on one hand and two on the other.