Born on the outskirts of west London in Hillingdon, the 17-year-old Wilkins started as an apprentice at Chelsea just after the club had won FA Cup. He made his debut for the Blues in the 1973/74 season, playing in seven games.

His form was good enough that year to mean that by the following term, Wilkins had established his place in the side and by the time of his third season at the Bridge, 1975/76, Wilkins was a regular in the side and, though still aged just 19, was named as captain.

England manager Don Revie was impressed and handed Wilkins his debut against Italy in the Bicentennial Tournament in the US in May 1976. The Three Lions won 3-2 and Wilkins' ten year career with the national side was off to a flying start.

It would not be until June 1979 and Wilkins' 24th England match that the midfield maestro scored his first goal for his country, coming against Austria in a 4-3 defeat in Vienna.

After six years at Chelsea, Wilkins left to join Dave Sexton's Manchester United in a deal worth £825,000. In five years at Old Trafford, Wilkins played 160 League matches for the Red Devils but only picked up one major domestic honour - the 1983 FA Cup.

In the Wembley Final against Brighton & Hove Albion, Wilkins played superbly well and memorably scored a rare goal for United, curling in a 25-yard left-footed effort beyond the outstretched Graham Moseley in the Brighton goal.

A year later, United manager Ron Atkinson sold Wilkins to Italian giants AC Milan for the then-princely sum of £1.5million.

Wilkins' three years in Lombardy coincided with a poor run of success for the rossoneri as Milan struggled in Serie A, failing to finish above fifth. In 1984/85, Wilkins' first in Italy, Milan did reach the final of the Coppa Italia but this time 'Butch' experienced the bitter taste of Cup Final defeat as up-and-coming Genoese club Sampdoria beat Milan in both legs of the final.

His second year at the San Siro saw Wilkins score the only two league goals in his Italian career against minnows Avelino and, just a week later, in a 2-2 draw against Sampdoria.

Wilkins gelled well in Milan's midfield, where his link play with players such as Scarnecchia, Battistini and Virdis was appreciated not only by manager Liedholm but also by the Milan tifosi.

When Milan finished in a disappointing fifth place in 1986/87, Wilkins played in only 21 of the side's League matches. The problem for the player and his club was that by now, the 31-year-old was beginning to lose a little of his pace - a fact that was highlighted by his exclusion from Bobby Robson's England squad since the match against Yugoslavia in the autumn of 1986.

With that in mind, Wilkins was sold by Milan for free in July 1987 and he moved to Paris to join the French capital's pre-eminent club, Paris St. Germain. However he only spent four months in France before Scottish giants Rangers spent £250,000 to take the former international to Glasgow.

In his three years at Rangers, Wilkins helped the 'Gers to two championships before a move back to England started to appeal to the 33-year-old.

Wilkins' return saw him go back to his west London roots as he join First Division side Queens Park Rangers in November 1989. Except for a brief spell at Crystal Palace, Wilkins spent seven years at Loftus Road, all of which were spent in the top flight of English football.

When QPR were relegated from the Premier League, Wilkins left and spent the 1996/97 season, his last as a player, at four different clubs - Wycombe Wanderers, Hibernian, Millwall and Leyton Orient.

Ray Wilkins Factfile

Nationality: English 
Date of Birth: 14 September 1956, Hillingdon
Height: 5' 07''
Weight: 11 00 
Clubs: Chelsea, Man Utd, Milan, PSG, Rangers, QPR, C Palace, Wycombe, Hibernian, Millwall, Leyton Orient 
Position: Midfielder

Year

Club

Apps.

Goals

1973/74

Chelsea

7

0

1974/75

Chelsea

21

2

1975/76

Chelsea

42

11

1976/77

Chelsea

42

8

1977/78

Chelsea

33

6

1978/79

Chelsea

35

3

1979/80

Manchester Utd

37

2

1980/81

Manchester Utd

13

0

1981/82

Manchester Utd

42

1

1982/83

Manchester Utd

26

1

1983/84

Manchester Utd

42

3

1984/85

Milan

24

0

1985/86

Milan

28

2

1986/87

Milan

21

0

1987/88

Paris St. Germain

10

0

1987/88

Rangers

24

1

1988/89

Rangers

31

1

1989/90

Rangers

15

0

1989/90

QPR

23

1

1990/91

QPR

38

2

1991/92

QPR

27

1

1992/93

QPR

27

2

1993/94

QPR

39

1

1994/95

Crystal Palace

1

0

1994/95

QPR

2

0

1995/96

QPR

15

0

1996/97

Wycombe Wdrs

1

0

1996/97

Hibernian

16

0

1996/97

Millwall

3

0

1996/97

Leyton Orient

3

0