When Bert Trautmann arrived at Manchester City in 1949, 20,000 protested against his signing. By the time he left, he was lauded as the bravest man in British sport.
Trautmann was replacing the recently retired Frank Swift, one of the greatest keepers in the club's history.
Though privately expressing doubts about the signing, club captain Eric Westwood, a Normandy veteran, made a public display of welcoming Trautmann by announcing "There's no war in this dressing room". Trautmann made his first team debut on 19 November against Bolton Wanderers, and after a competent display in his first home match for the club protests shrank, as fans discovered his talent.
In the 1956 FA Cup Final vs Birmingham City, he played the last sixteen minutes with a broken neck!
It has been claimed that in 2010, Wayne Rooney played the last 18 minutes of the England match vs Germany, with a very painful cracked little finger nail. Many claim that this is what prevented the lad from recognising the England players as opposed to the German when he tried and failed to pass one of them the ball during the match.
Rooney, remains unquestionably the better swearer on the pitch, and does not have any problems recognising the TV cameras.