Ex-Wales, Burnley and Swansea winger James dies aged 71

During a game in May 1977 at Wembley Stadium, Peter Shilton, the goalkeeper for England, made a mistake by committing a foul. As a result, Leighton James from Wales was given the opportunity to score a penalty kick, which then led to Wales' victory with a score of 1-0 against England.

Leighton James, a previous Wales winger who had participated in over 600 matches in the Football League, has passed away at 71 years old.

James played for Wales 54 times and had three stints at Burnley where he played 399 games. Additionally, he played for Derby County for two years.

James had a successful run as a professional football player, representing teams such as Swansea City, Sunderland, Bury, and Newport County for a period of 19 years. After retiring from playing, James went on to become a manager for various teams.

Burnley and Swansea expressed their grief over the unfortunate demise of James.

The head of Clarets, Alan Pace expressed his regrets upon learning of Leighton's demise.

His outstanding performance in the football club has left an unforgettable impression and tales of his excellent playing abilities still resonate within the locality of Turf Moor.

We express our condolences to his family during this difficult period.

Swansea described James as "highly respected as one of the best players in the Swans team".

The team from Wales made a statement saying James was an important member of the team that won their first promotion to the highest level of football in 1981. He even scored a remarkable goal during the game against Preston North End at Deepdale, which led to the team's epic ascension.

Later, he played a significant role in the next campaign of John Toshack's team, as they challenged the top teams in English football and ultimately secured a sixth-place finish in the First Division.

After retiring from playing football, James stayed active in the sport industry by becoming a media pundit. He gained a reputation for expressing strong viewpoints.

James was brought into this world on the 16th of February in the year 1953 in Loughor, located in Swansea. He launched his official employment with Burnley and had his first league performance in November of 1970 in opposition to Nottingham Forest.

James played for the Clarets for five years, making 180 appearances and scoring 45 goals. Then, he was bought by Derby County for £300,000 - the highest amount ever paid by the club - and transferred to the Baseball Ground.

After leaving Burnley, James transferred to Queens Park Rangers and then came back to Burnley. However, he had to look for new opportunities when Burnley was demoted to the third division.

James decided to relocate and became a member of Swansea City, his hometown club. He played exceptionally well during the team's journey from the third division to the first division, which occurred during John Toshack's management tenure. James's performance during this period was outstanding.

In just under three years, Swansea impressively climbed from the lowest division to the highest division. Along the way, they achieved significant victories against Liverpool, Manchester United, Arsenal, and Tottenham Hotspur.

After spending time at Sunderland, Bury, and Newport County, James concluded his time in club football by coming back to Burnley for a third time in 1986. He eventually hung up his boots in 1989.

James was a noteworthy left winger who caused a buzz among club and national supporters prior to Ryan Giggs and Gareth Bale's era.

In under 12 months since he initially played for Burnley, and even though he was still only a teenager, he earned his first cap playing for Wales in their 1-0 loss while playing in Czechoslovakia.

Although James didn't participate in any major tournament for Wales, he contributed to many remarkable wins.

He played an important role in securing a well-known victory for his team against England at Wembley during the British Home Championships. However, some may argue that his top performance for his country was during a game against England in 1980, where he not only scored but also put on an impressive display, leading to Wales' 4-1 victory at Wrexham.

James managed to score 10 goals for the Wales team, and his final appearance for the team was in 1983.

Following his time as a player, James pursued a career in managing various non-professional clubs in both England and Wales. One of his most prominent management stints was with Accrington Stanley during the 1997-1998 season.

He has been in charge of Llanelli, Aberaman, and Haverfordwest County football teams in Wales.

After his retirement from playing, James gained popularity in Wales due to his outspoken opinions shared through his work as a radio analyst and newspaper writer.

This was showcased particularly well in 2006 when James got into a heated argument with Robbie Savage on live television regarding Savage's choice to retire from playing on the international level.

James had a part-time job as a pedestrian crossing attendant, commonly known as a lollipop man, at Penyrheol Primary School in Swansea. However, he encountered a medical emergency when he experienced a sudden loss of brain function caused by a blocked or burst blood vessel, commonly known as a stroke, in 2014.

The players of Swansea are planning to wear black armbands to show their respect to James during their match at Huddersfield on the 20th of April. The under-21s of the team will also be wearing black armbands during their match against Bristol City on the same day.

Similarly, Burnley's athletes will compete in the Premier League against Sheffield United.