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The beginning
Born in Preston, Sir Tom Finney spent his entire career playing for Preston North End. He made his Football League debut aged 24 but still played 433 games and scored a staggering 187 goals for the club. -
Scoring record
He also scored 30 goals for England in 76 international games, including this strike against Italy in Turin in 1948. -
Domestic honour
His loyalty to Preston meant the only domestic honour he won was a championship medal in the old Division Two in 1951. -
Player of the Year
Finney twice won the footballer of the year award, given annually by the Football Writers' Association - including this presentation in London in 1954. -
Sportsmanship
He was well know for his sportsmanship and didn't receive a single booking in his whole career. -
The Preston Plumber
Tom set up a plumbing company with his brother which he carried on working for even when his footballing career set off. -
Near misses
Finney had to settle for an FA Cup runners-up medal when Preston lost in the 1954 final to West Bromwich Albion. He also narrowly missed out on the old First Division title in the 1957-58 season when North End finished runners-up. -
World Cup
Finney was a key part of the England set-up. Here he is at the England World Cup squad in Roehampton in 1958. -
Temptation and retirement
Finney was once tempted to leave North End, when Italian club Palermo offered him £120 a week plus a villa and car to move there. He was on only £14 a week at the time but the Preston chairman refused to discuss it and Finney stayed with North End until he retired in 1960. -
OBE and knighthood
Finney and his wife, Elsie, at Buckingham Palace as he receives his OBE on 24 October 1961. He was later knighted in 1998 -
PNE President
Serving as club president for many years, he remained a staunch supporter of North End, celebrating their Division Two title win with manager David Moyes in 2000. -
Long life
Sir Tom Finney spent his final years in a nursing home, but by the time he died at the age of 91 on 14 February 2014, he was England's oldest international footballer and - along with Roy Bentley - one of only two players remaining from the side which lost 1-0 to the United States at the 1950 World Cup.
