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Terry Butcher (born December 28 1958 in Singapore)
is the current manager of
Motherwell_F.C.|Motherwell F.C. and former
professional association football|footballer who
made his name as an uncompromising defender
(football)|defender with Ipswich Town, Rangers
F.C.|Rangers and England national football
team|England in the 1980s.

Butcher made his debut for Ipswich in 1978 and
went on to become a lynchpin at the back for eight
seasons, combining leadership with great aerial
ability and amazing courage. This was soon noticed
by England manager Ron Greenwood who gave him his
debut against Australia national football
team|Australia in 1980.

In 1981, Butcher was part of the Ipswich team
which won the UEFA Cup and came close to their
first League title for 19 years, though they were
pipped at the post by Aston Villa. The following
year, Butcher was the youngest member of the back
four which featured at the Football World Cup
1982|World Cup in Spain.

He remained England's first choice centre back for
the rest of the decade, playing in the 1986 World
Cup, infamously trying to tackle Diego Maradona
with some desperation as the Argentina national
football team|Argentina skipper slotted in his
wondrous second goal in the quarter-final, which
England lost 2-1.

In the same year, Butcher left Ipswich when they
were relegated, and became one of the first
'English invasion' players to join Rangers
F.C.|Rangers. As captain, he led them to three
League titles in four seasons, plus two League
Cups, though they failed to win honours in Europe.
In 1987 he suffered a broken leg.

The injury meant that Butcher was not in the
England side which was torn apart in all three
group games at the 1988 European Football
Championship|1988 European Championship, and his
absence proved crucial as Robson was forced to
rely on an inexperienced defensive partnership of
Tony Adams (footballer)|Tony Adams and Mark Wright
(footballer)|Mark Wright. Then, in 1989, while
playing for England in a vital World Cup qualifier
in Sweden, Butcher suffered a deep cut to his
forehead early in the game which would have
prompted most players to be withdrawn from play
for urgent medical attention.

Butcher, however, had some impromptu stitches
inserted by the physiotherapist and, swathed in
bandages, continued playing. His constant heading
of the ball - unavoidable when playing in the
centre of defence - disintegrated the bandages and
reopened the cut to the extent that his white
England shirt was entirely red by the end of the
game. This match remains his defining moment as
one of England's great footballing heroes,
especially as England got the draw they needed to
qualify for the 1990 competition.

England made the semi-finals in 1990 with Butcher
at the helm of a slightly more cautious back five
(Butcher with Wright and Des Walker in the centre,
plus full backs Stuart Pearce and - initially -
Gary Stevens, later Paul Parker); he also took
over the captaincy after an injury ended Bryan
Robson's tournament prematurely. A memorable image
of the contest was of Butcher and team-mate Chris
Waddle dancing with triumph in front of the
England supporters after beating Belgium national
football team|Belgium in the second round. A
photograph of this was later placed on a T-shirt
range under the heading 'Let's All Have A Disco'.

After the World Cup, Butcher quit international
football with 77 caps and three goals to his name.
He also quit Rangers later the same year and
became player-manager of Coventry City, an
appointment which proved short-lived. In 1993 he
had a brief and equally disastrous spell as player
manager of Sunderland.

Butcher can be frequently heard as a summariser,
usually at England matches, on BBC Radio Five Live
and occasional Scottish Cup matches on Five (TV).