ENGLAND World Cup winner and one of Manchester United’s greatest players, died on Saturday at the age of 86.
Charlton was a key figure in England’s 1966 World Cup-winning team, playing alongside his brother Jack, and he made 758 appearances for United, scoring 249 goals.
“Manchester United are in mourning following the passing of Sir Bobby Charlton, one of the greatest and most beloved players in the history of our club,” the Premier League club said in a statement.
Charlton spent 17 years at Old Trafford and, aged 20, was part of the “Busby Babes” team decimated by the 1958 Munich air crash in which 23 people died, including eight United players.
He scored twice for England in the World Cup semi-final win over Portugal in 1966 and was instrumental in the 4-2 victory over West Germany in the final where Geoff Hurst scored a hat-trick.
Hurst, now the only surviving member of Alf Ramsey’s World Cup-winning side, led the tributes to his former team mate.
“Very sad news today. One of the true Greats Sir Bobby Charlton has passed away,” Hurst wrote on X.
“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.”
Charlton helped United win the European Cup in 1968 and three English league titles as well as the FA Cup.
“Today is not just a sad day for Manchester United & England, it’s a sad day for football and everything that Sir Bobby represented,” said former United and England midfielder David Beckham.
