Billy Wright's record-breaking 100th England cap

Reaching 100 international caps is among the greatest honours imaginable for any player. The Centurion Club is an exclusive one, in which England have just nine members.

It's not particularly uncommon for players to come close to that figure these days, but during the playing career of the famous Billy Wright, it was practically unheard of.

A centre-back who stood at just 5'8, Wright was never meant to be a success, and yet during his 20-year career which spanned from 1939 to 1959, he established himself as one of the most iconic figures in Three Lions history.

He earned that place in the record books when he set England's all-time appearance record in 1952. Back then, he needed just 42 caps to break the 38-year record of Bob Crompton, which should tell you all you need to know about how ridiculous the idea of Wright hitting 100 truly was back then.

So, on April 11, 1959, when Wright led his side out at Wembley Stadium to earn his 100th cap, you can see why the entire world lost its collective mind.

Not only was Wright the first man to hit 100 for England, but he was the first player in the history of football to play for their country 100 times. Nobody on the face of the planet had ever imagined that day would come.

Truth be told, the match itself was quite an underwhelming backdrop to such an outrageous feat. A second-half strike from Sir Bobby Charlton secured a 1-0 victory in a friendly, but aside from a bit of national pride, it was Wright's achievement which was most exciting.

At the end of the game, Wright was carried around the pitch by his team-mates, and shortly after, he was handed a CBE (Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) for his services to football. He was a national hero.

Wright eventually made it to 105 caps for England, and his national record stood for over a decade before Charlton made it to 106 in at the 1970 World Cup.

Since Wright's glory days, his tally has been overtaken by Frank Lampard, Ashley Cole, Bobby Moore, David Beckham, Steven Gerrard, Wayne Rooney and all-time record holder Peter Shilton, who managed 125 before hanging his gloves up in 1990.

Even if you ignore the stats, to share a place in England's history alongside those players - some of the greatest to ever do it - speaks volumes of Wright's impact on the game and explains why his story deserves to be told.

Wright may have lost his appearance record, but one he still holds to this day is most matches as England captain. His 90 games with the armband puts him level with 1966 World Cup hero Moore.

"I decided early on that captaincy is the art of leadership, not dictatorship," Wright once revealed about his role. "Respect is the hardest thing for a captain to come by and the easiest to lose. I never changed my mind about this."

Wright's leadership style and commitment to England helped make the Wolverhampton Wanderers man one of the most iconic figures in the English game.

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