Wilson was born in England of
Scottish descent. Often regarded as one of the toughest defenders in the modern era, Wilson was a dominating figure in the
Australian team in the 1970s. Born in
Felling, England in 1947, Wilson migrated to Australia in 1969 to join
South Coast United after failing to break into the first team for English club
Middlesbrough. He began his career as a full back but injury to another player switched him to sweeper where he had his biggest success. Between 1970 and 1979, he made a then-record 116 appearances for the national team and captained
Australia from 1971, including the
1974 FIFA World Cup finals. When he signed with Sydney club
Western Suburbs, Wilson travelled 257 kilometres four times a week for training. He also played with
Marconi and
APIA Leichhardt and in later years coached South Coast and APIA. Wilson is now living as a
recluse near
Wollongong in New South Wales. After not speaking publicly for more than two decades, an Australian newspaper tracked him down and reported that he was living in a small town south of Sydney. "There's nothing I want to say," he said. "I've got nothing to add." His last match for Australia was a home friendly against
Partizan Belgrade on 29 June 1979. The match ended on a 1–1 draw. ==Internationals and achievements==