England World Cup winner and Manchester United icon Sir Bobby Charlton dies aged 86
The iconic midfielder, a product of Manchester United's youth system, played 606 times for the Old Trafford club and was a lynchpin in a side that went onto win the European Cup in 1968.
A part of 'Busby's Babes', Charlton survived the Munich Air Disaster in 1958 and played for United for more than 17 years, scoring 199 goals.
He was also one of the fulcrums for England's triumphant World Cup campaign on home soil in 1966, part of the team that would win the final 4-2 over West Germany.
Across his international career, he played 106 times for his country, netting 49 times.
In a statement, Manchester United said: "Sir Bobby was a hero to millions, not just in Manchester, or the United Kingdom, but wherever football is played around the world."
Born on October 11th, 1937 in Ashington, Northumberland, Charlton joined United as a schoolboy in 1953 and was a star of the team that won the FA Youth Cup three times in a row between 1954 and 1956.
He made his first-team debut in 1956 days before his 19th birthday and scored twice in a 4-2 victory over Charlton Athletic. By the end of the season he had become a regular member of the team that brought the league trophy to Old Trafford for the fifth time.
But it was a game the next season that shaped Charlton’s life. In February, 1958 Charlton scored twice in a 3-3 draw at Red Star Belgrade in the European Cup quarter-final.
On the way home, United’s plane crashed at a snowy Munich airport, killing 23 people, including eight teammates.
Charlton survived with minor injuries but the tragedy that devastated the team known as the Busby Babes because of their relative youth forced him to mature quickly and he soon became a central figure in the squad rebuilt by coach Matt Busby.
"Having survived the trauma of the Munich Air Disaster when aged just 20, he played as if every game was for his fallen colleagues, recovering from his injuries to reach the pinnacle for both club and country," the United website said.
"LOCKED INTO MY HEART"
A decade later United did just that, becoming the first English team to win the European Cup as Charlton scored twice in a 4-1 victory over Benfica after extra-time in the final at Wembley.
Englishman Charlton, Scotsman Denis Law and Irishman George Best formed a devastating United forward line which was, and remains, one of the most potent ever assembled to torment an opposition defence.
Charlton remained at United until 1973 before moving to Preston North End, where he spent two years as player-manager. He enjoyed brief spells with Waterford in the Irish League and in Australia before retiring to become a director at Wigan Athletic and caretaker manager during the 1982-83 season.
Before that he had written his name in the history books by helping England win the World Cup on home soil in 1966.
Charlton, playing alongside his central defender brother Jack, started all six England games, scoring three times, most crucially in the semi-final when his double gave England a 2-1 victory over Eusebio’s Portugal.
The triumph capped an extraordinary season in which he was also named the Football Writers’ Player of the Year as well as European Footballer of the Year.
"That day locked into my heart and my consciousness so strongly that I knew, as it was happening, that it would never dim," he wrote of the 4-2 win over West Germany in the final.
Charlton played 106 times for England, a massive number in a time when internationals were less frequent, and his record of 49 goals stood for 45 years until broken by Rooney, one of his successors at Manchester United.
His gravitas, footballing knowledge, and love of the game – and especially Manchester United – never wavered.
Charlton was named a director of United in 1984 and remained a regular presence at Old Trafford for decades, where a stand was named in his honour in 2016. In 1994, he was knighted for his contribution to the game, having previously been awarded an OBE and CBE.
His wife Norma announced her husband was suffering from dementia in 2020.
His former England teammate and now last surviving member of the 1966 winners, Sir Geoff Hurst, said: "We will never forget him and nor will all of football
"A great colleague and friend he will be sorely missed by all of the country beyond sport alone. Condolences to his family and friends from Geoff and Judith."
Beckham, whose glittering Manchester United career began after attending a Bobby Charlton Soccer School as a young boy, described Charlton as a national hero.
"A true gentleman, family man and truly a national hero… Today isn't just a sad day for Manchester United and England it's a sad day for football and everything that Sir Bobby represented," Beckham said.
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola described Charlton as a "big legend".
"A huge loss for his family and for the Manchester United family and for English football, European football. We have the Premier League that we have because of these type of people."
United were in action later on Saturday at Sheffield United when the players will wear black arm bands and observe a minute's silence. A book of condolence will be open for fans at Old Trafford on Sunday.
