International Career
Merrick was capped 23 times by England. He made his debut against Ireland on 14 November 1951 at Wembley in the 1952 British Home Championship. He was first-choice goalkeeper for England in the 1954 World Cup, his last international appearance coming against Uruguay on 26 June 1954, as England were eliminated at the quarter-final stage. All of Merrick's caps were gained when Birmingham City were a Second Division club. He is perhaps best known for being the last line of defence against the Hungary side of Ferenc Puskás and Nándor Hidegkuti, the "Magnificent Magyars" who beat England 6–3 at Wembley in 1953 and 7–1 at the Nepstadion in 1954.
The following is a complete list of Merrick's England appearances.
- England score given first.
| Cap | Date | Opponents | Score | Competition | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 14 November 1951 | Ireland | 2–0 | 1952 Home Championship | Villa Park, Birmingham |
| 2 | 28 November 1951 | Austria | 2–2 | Friendly | Wembley, London |
| 3 | 5 April 1952 | Scotland | 2–1 | 1952 Home Championship | Hampden Park, Glasgow |
| 4 | 18 May 1952 | Italy | 1–1 | Friendly | Comunale, Florence |
| 5 | 25 May 1952 | Austria | 3–2 | Friendly | Prater, Vienna |
| 6 | 28 May 1952 | Switzerland | 3–0 | Friendly | Hardturm, Zurich |
| 7 | 4 October 1952 | Ireland | 2–2 | 1953 Home Championship | Windsor Park, Belfast |
| 8 | 12 November 1952 | Wales | 5–2 | 1953 Home Championship | Wembley, London |
| 9 | 26 November 1952 | Belgium | 5–0 | Friendly | Wembley, London |
| 10 | 18 April 1953 | Scotland | 2–2 | 1953 Home Championship | Wembley, London |
| 11 | 17 May 1953 | Argentina | 0–0 | Friendly | Monumental, Buenos Aires |
| 12 | 24 May 1953 | Chile | 2–1 | Friendly | Nacional, Santiago |
| 13 | 31 May 1953 | Uruguay | 1–2 | Friendly | Centenario, Montevideo |
| 14 | 10 October 1953 | Wales | 4–1 | 1954 Home Championship | Ninian Park, Cardiff |
| 15 | 21 October 1953 | FIFA XI | 4–4 | Friendly | Wembley, London |
| 16 | 11 November 1953 | Ireland | 3–1 | 1954 Home Championship | Goodison Park, Liverpool |
| 17 | 25 November 1953 | Hungary | 3–6 | Friendly | Wembley, London |
| 18 | 3 April 1954 | Scotland | 4–2 | 1954 Home Championship | Hampden Park, Glasgow |
| 19 | 16 May 1954 | Yugoslavia | 0–1 | Friendly | JNA, Belgrade |
| 20 | 23 May 1954 | Hungary | 1–7 | Friendly | Nepstadion, Budapest |
| 21 | 17 June 1954 | Belgium | 4–4 | 1954 World Cup | St Jakob, Basel |
| 22 | 20 June 1954 | Switzerland | 2–0 | 1954 World Cup | Wankdorf, Bern |
| 23 | 26 June 1954 | Uruguay | 2–4 | 1954 World Cup | St Jakob, Basel |
Read more about this topic: Gil Merrick
Famous quotes containing the word career:
“Like the old soldier of the ballad, I now close my military career and just fade away, an old soldier who tried to do his duty as God gave him the light to see that duty. Goodbye.”
—Douglas MacArthur (1880–1964)