(Reuters) – Jack Leslie, the first Black player to be called up for England, has been awarded a posthumous honorary cap by the Football Association (FA) having been denied an appearance for the national team because of his heritage.
Leslie, who scored 137 goals in 400 appearances for Plymouth Argyle, was picked for the England squad to face Ireland in 1925 but never made his debut.
Plymouth unveiled a statue of Leslie, who died in 1988, outside their Home Park stadium on Friday.
“(Leslie) faced adversity because of the colour of his skin; he was deselected and never played for our country, so we’re delighted to award him with a posthumous honorary cap to recognise his career, his contribution to our game and wider society, and to right this historical wrong,” the FA said in a statement.
Leslie was never selected for England again and it was not until 1978 that Viv Anderson became the first Black player to play for the senior team.
“Jack Leslie is a true football legend who, through his own adversity, has positively shaped attitudes and behaviours to identify and remove discrimination from football,” added FA chair Debbie Hewitt.
(Reporting by Dhruv Munjal in Bengaluru; Editing by Toby Davis)
