Dennis James Wilshaw was born on 11 March 1926 in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire to John Thomas, a light lorry driver, and Daisy (née Mollart).
[2] After retiring as a player, Wilshaw stayed with Stoke City as a scout[4] and also became a qualified FA coach and sports psychologist.
[2][7] Wilshaw joined Wolverhampton Wanderers in March 1944 after being spotted playing for Packmoor Boys' Club in his youth, where he scored ten goals in a 16–0 win.
He had an extended loan spell at the Third Division South side, making 82 appearances and scoring 31 goals, before returning to top flight Wolves in September 1948.
Thanks to greats such as Jesse Pye and Roy Swinbourne, it took until the 1952–53 for Wilshaw to establish himself in the first-team; he bagged 18 goals in 30 games that season.
[6] He claimed nine goals in 24 games for the "Potters" in 1957–58, including a hat-trick against Middlesbrough in a Third Round FA Cup tie at the Victoria Ground on 25 January.
He went on to claim 14 goals in 30 appearances in 1960–61, holding on to his first-team place after manager Frank Taylor was replaced by Tony Waddington.
[15] Following a friendly against West Germany, he made his final international appearance at Windsor Park, in a 1–1 draw with Northern Ireland in the 1957 British Home Championship.
[13] Brian Glanville described him as: "Slim but strong, at 5 ft 10 in and 10 st 7 lb, Wilshaw was quick and direct, with a powerful shot...
"[9] Another journalist, Ivan Ponting, wrote that: "Wilshaw was strong, resilient and direct, an awkward customer for any opponent to control, and thus was perfectly suited to Stan Cullis's formidable all-action Wolves side...