THE last England player to score two goals against Brazil is still remembered fondly by Sunderland fans as the "singing winger" in their Bank of England side.

Colin Grainger signed for Sunderland nine months after making his international debut as England played Brazil for the first time in May 1956. Despite missing two penalties, England ran out 4-2 winners. Stanley Matthews, a surprise recall at the age of 41, created three of the goals for a team which also included Duncan Edwards and Billy Wright.

Grainger played only five times for his first club, Wrexham, before Sheffield United paid £3,000 for him in 1953. He scored 30 goals in 90 games and broke into the England team.

His first goal against Brazil came in the fourth minute, a tap into an empty net, and his second came in the 84th minute, a header from a Matthews' cross.

In February 1957, Sunderland paid Sheffield United £13,000 plus a player for Grainger's services - a couple of thousand short of the then transfer record. He joined Billy Bingham, Ray Daniel and Don Revie in the "Bank of England" team.

However, in 1958, Sunderland were relegated for the first time - in the following season Grainger scored Sunderland's first ever goal outside the top flight.

Despite the club's wealth, they could still only pay him the maximum wage of £20-a-week, and Grainger supplemented his salary by singing in nightclubs.

Soon he was earning twice as much from his singing as from his football. He shared the stage with, among others, the Beatles, Del Shannon, Jimmy Tarbuck and Max Miller, also appearing on live TV. And still he turned out 124 times for Sunderland, scoring 14 goals, He played for England a further six times after the Brazil game.

He left Roker Park in 1960 for Leeds for £13,500, and gradually the singing took over from the football.

Having just celebrated his 69th birthday, he lives just outside Huddersfield, where he was born, and still does some scouting for Sheffield United.