ENGLAND return to action next week, and when Darren Bent fired in his country’s third goal against Switzerland in last month’s Euro 2012 qualifier, he became the first Sunderland player to score for the Three Lions in 56 years.

The previous player to do so was the late, great Len Shackleton, who struck in a 3-1 victory over world champions West Germany in a friendly back in 1954.

Walter Winterbottom’s side welcomed the recently crowned World Cup winners to Wembley on December 1 and Shackleton rounded off an impressive team display that could quite possibly have ended in a double-figure score for the hosts.

Germany were a side hampered by illness and injuries to several key players who had helped them beat Hungary in the World Cup final months before, and England made sure they took full advantage.

The home side were 1-0 up after 27 minutes as Stanley Matthews crossed for Rob Bentley to head past the German keeper, who was in for a busy afternoon.

Three minutes after the interval, England doubled their lead through Ronnie Allen, who netted easily after a shot from Tom Finney rebounded off the g o a l k e e p e r straight into the path of the Preston North End man.

The home side were then pegged back in the 77th minute when Germany pulled a goal back through Alfred Beck, who latched on to a cross from Uwe Seeler to finish low into England’s goal.

Shackleton’s goal came next, and bore more than a passing resemblance to the strike from Bent that secured England’s victory in Basle last month.

The 1954 team were also keen to restore a two-goal advantage and, on each occasion, it was a Sunderland player that put the game beyond England’s opponents.

Shackleton ran clear in the German half and produced a cheeky chip over a helpless- Fritz Herkenrath between West Germany’s sticks.

After the game, Shackleton was picked out as one of the top performers in the game by The Northern Echo’s Wembley reporter, and was praised for his trickery and ability to have the German side “running round in circles”.

Disappointingly, though, the win over West Germany would be Shackleton’s fifth and final appearance for his country, despite being hailed as one of the most entertaining players of his time.

Back then, England’s national team was picked by a group of selectors and it was well known Shackleton was disliked because of his outspoken nature.

During his time in the game, Shackleton acquired the title the “Clown Prince of Soccer” from the admiring media and public and, despite moving from Newcastle to arch-rivals Sunderland, the Yorkshire- born player became widely respected in the North-East.

Similar to Bent, who signed for Sunderland in the summer of 2009 for a club record fee of £10m, Shackleton arrived at Sunderland for a then record fee of £20,000 and made his debut away at Derby County on February 14, 1948.

During his time at Sunderland, “Shack” played mostly inside left, but moved out to the right flank after Ken Chisholm’s arrival.

After being forced to retire because of an ankle injury in 1957, Shackleton became a journalist reporting on local football with the Daily Express and then the Sunday People, but died aged 78 in November 2000.