He won the first of eleven England caps in a 7–2 defeat of Ireland in 1946 and would go on to play for the national team until 1950 by which time he had changed clubs twice, first to Preston North End for £16,000 in 1948 and then on to Bolton Wanderers for a then club record of £20,000 in November 1949. At Bolton he provided many goals for Willie Moir and Nat Lofthouse, picking up a losers medal in the "Matthews Final", in which he made a goal for Moir.