The name of George Hardwick, who died aged 84 on 19th April 2004 will always be associated with that of Wilf Mannion; the two local footballers who joined Middlesbrough as boys went on to play with distinction for England, and figured together in the Great Britain team which thrashed the Rest of Europe 6-1 at Hampden Park in May 1947. Hardwick, who long partnered Arsenal's Laurie Scott in the England defence, at left-back, was right-back in Glasgow, and survived an early awkward moment when Carl Praest, the skilful Danish outside-left, went past him to make the opening goal for Sweden's Gunnar Nordahl: it proved a flash in the pan. Born at Saltburn, Cleveland, Hardwick was only 13 years old when he joined Middlesbrough on schoolboy forms. He made his League debut for the club, plus seven other appearances, in the 1937-38 season, but none at all in the season before the outbreak of the second world war. Joining the Royal Air Force, where he was a sergeant in Bomber Command, he first established his partnership with Scott in their powerful representative team, and won his first appearance (there were no official "caps" then) for England against Wales on October 24 1942, at Wembley. It took him a while to gain a regular place, but he would play in four of England's so-called Victory Internationals in the 1945-46 season - when again no caps were awarded - against Scotland, a game lost 1-0 at Hampden, then Belgium, Switzerland and France. He also appeared in two wartime Wembley cup finals in a guest stint with Chelsea. A handsome, well-built figure, standing 5ft 9ins, weighing some 12 stone, Hardwick was one of the few players of his era to sport a moustache. He was an elegant footballer and an accomplished captain, both of club and country. He went on to win 13 full caps for England, the last of them coming against Scotland at Hampden in April 1948; injury caused him to miss the subsequent European tour and the spectacular victory against Italy in Turin. Hardwick made 166 appearances for Middlesbrough, scoring seven goals, but in 1950, still barely 30, he somewhat surprisingly left to become the player-manager of Oldham Athletic. Then he became more unexpectedly still a forward, for the most part, scoring seven times in his first, partial, season, another three the next, holding a regular place till the end of the 1955-56 season, though only another five goals resulted. Altogether he played 190 matches for Oldham. Hardwick coached at PSV Eindhoven and the Dutch FA before he rejoined Middlesbrough as youth team coach. He then became chairman of a firm manufacturing structural steel before, in 1964, becoming manager of Sunderland. "I take over this task with my eyes wide open and no fear of any occupational ulcer," he declared: and proceeded to save the club from relegation. But it was not a happy experience, ulcers or no ulcers, and in May 1965 he was sacked from his £6,000 a year job, after 28 games. One more foray into management with another north-eastern club, Gateshead, was of brief duration, ending with his resignation in February 1970. Hardwick was much admired by his contemporaries, who seemed to feel that, as a player, he was never really given his due. Of him, Tom Finney, the celebrated Preston and England winger, said: "George was football's Errol Flynn in appearance. He was really debonair. But he was a great captain, who led by example. He was a hard player but skilful and clever, not all thorn and nettle. A great player in his own right. George could handle men well. He was a great diplomat who got the best out of you." Finney described him as the best defender he ever played against. The late Billy Wright, who succeeded Hardwick as the England captain, also paid tribute: "Too many underestimated him as a player and a captain." Married with two sons, Hardwick retained his Middlesbrough connection. The club staged a well-attended testimonial for him and Wilf Mannion in May 1983. And in the 90s, he frequented Borough's home games in the hospitality suite. He was granted the freedom of the Borough of Redcar & Cleveland in 2001 and such is Hardwick's esteem as a Boro legend that a full-size bronze sculpture was erected in his honour outside of the Riverside Stadium, opposite that of his great contemporary Wilf Mannion.