Leslie, first black player to receive England call-up, awarded honorary cap by FA

Jack Leslie, the first black player to receive an England call-up, has been awarded a posthumous honorary cap by the Football Association.

The inside-left, who scored 137 goals in 400 appearances for Plymouth between 1921 and 1934, was called up to the national team in 1925.

However, he was denied an England appearance because of the colour of his skin after selectors learnt about his heritage.

Leslie died in 1988 and will be immortalised by a statue that was unveiled outside Home Park on Friday, while the FA chair Debbie Hewitt confirmed Leslie has been posthumously awarded an England cap 97 years after he was called up.

In a statement, Ms Hewitt described Leslie has a "true football legend", who "shaped attitudes and behaviours to identify and remove discrimination from football".

The FA is awarding Jack a posthumous honorary cap, to recognise his unique contribution and set of circumstances - and to right the historical wrong," she said.

I had the privilege of meeting Lesley, Jack's granddaughter, at a recent international game at Wembley, where we had the opportunity to recognise the family's determination, courage and resilience to have Jack's story told and through the efforts of Lesley and her sisters Lyn and Gill, to change perceptions in football and more broadly in society.

"We have made progress in recent years to ensure that English football is more diverse and inclusive, and a game for all.

"We owe a huge debt of gratitude to Jack and to his family for comprehensively and consistently driving positive change through football. We are pleased to support this campaign and to recognise Jack's career."

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