made a brief return to football after signing for non-League Canvey Island. Only ten days after signing for Canvey Island, he was involved in an FA Cup shock. Playing against Football League side Wigan Athletic in the first round of the competition, Canvey turned-out 1-0 winners. The success continued in the next round. Again facing Football League opposition in Northampton Town, Canvey won 1–0 with a goal from Neil Gregory with a goal instigated with a move by Dicks. International career Dicks made his debut for the England under-21 team in Lausanne, Switzerland in a friendly game against the Switzerland under-21 team on 28 May 1988. The game finished 1–1 with the England goal being scored by Paul Gascoigne. Dicks' performance convinced manager Dave Sexton to call him into the squad for the 1988 Toulon Tournament. He played in England's first game of the competition against the Mexico under-21 team in the Stade Mayol in Toulon on 5 June 1988. He was sent-off for a foul on a Mexican player. Undeterred by his sending-off, after missing one game through suspension, Sexton picked Dicks to play in the semi-final against the Morocco under-21 team and for the final against the France under-21 team which England lost 4–2. Four years later, in 1992, Dicks was called in to the England B team. He played only two games for the side; a 1–0 win in the Stadion Střelecký ostrov stadium, Budweis, Czechoslovakia against the Czechoslovakia team and a 1–1 draw in the Luzhniki Stadium, Moscow against the CIS team. In 1995 England first team manager, Terry Venables, was putting together a squad to compete in Euro96 in England. Dicks' performances had earlier given rise to journalists to call for his inclusion in the squad. Two further disciplinary events ended such calls. On 11 September 1995 he was booked for stamping on the head of Chelsea's John Spencer in a 3–1 home defeat for West Ham. Spencer required eight stitches in his head. On 16 September 1995 at Highbury he was dismissed for the eighth time in his career for a foul on Arsenal's Ian Wright. The two incidents coming so close together caused the media to focus on the incident involving John Spencer. TV pundit Andy Gray and politician, radio journalist and Chelsea supporter, David Mellor called for FA to get involved. The game had been televised live on Sky TV and a