His six goals in the 1986 tournament in Mexico earned him the "Golden Boot" and four years later in Italy he notched another four - including two penalties - to take his career tally to ten.

He became a world star in Mexico but the initial signs had not been good. Ten days before the opening World Cup fixture with Portugal, England played Canada in a Vancouver friendly and Lineker damaged his wrist in a 73rd-minute fall. He was immediately replaced by Peter Beardsley.

Apparently unaffected by the strapping on his left arm, Lineker played for the whole of the first two tournament matches against Portugal and Morocco in Monterrey. But things went badly for Bobby Robson's England.

They lost by the only goal to the Portuguese and disaster struck twice in the seven minutes before half-time in a fumbling 0-0 draw with Morocco. Bryan Robson dislocated his shoulder and Ray Wilkins was sent off.

Then it all came right in the final Group F fixture against the Poles and Lineker registered a wonderful hat-trick in a 3-0 win that boosted England's confidence no end. Full-back Gary Stevens speared a cross into the near post and he flashed the ball home before Majewski could slide in to tackle - 1-0 to England after just seven minutes.

Seven minutes after that Steve Hodge's long ball in from the left curved in perfectly for Lineker to blast the ball past Polish 'keeper Mlynarczyk for 2-0. With the wind very much in their sails, England were celebrating a third goal nine minutes before half-time.

The 'keeper made a mess of catching Trevor Steven's swirling corner-kick and Lineker lifted the ball high into the net to leave England in dreamland at 3-0.

There were two more goals for the Everton goal predator as Paraguay were brushed aside 3-0 in the Second Round and then a late header against Diego Maradona's Argentina to give England hope in the infamous quarter-final in the Aztec Stadium.

Lineker's four at Italia '90 were a scrambled effort against the Republic of Ireland in the opener, two nerveless spot-kicks to knock out Cameroon and an equaliser at 1-1 that took the Turin semi-final with West Germany to those fateful penalties.