Bobby Charlton, an English football icon who survived a plane crash that decimated a Manchester United team destined for greatness to become the heartbeat of his countryโs 1966 World Cup-winning team, has died. He was 86.
A statement from Charltonโs family, released by United, said he died on Saturday surrounded by his family.
An extravagantly gifted midfielder with a ferocious shot, Charlton was the leading scorer for both United (249 goals) and England (49 goals) for more than 40 years until being overtaken by Wayne Rooney.
โSir Bobby was a hero to millions, not just in Manchester, or the United Kingdom, but wherever football is played around the world,โ Manchester United said.
โHe was admired as much for his sportsmanship and integrity as he was for his outstanding qualities as a footballer; Sir Bobby will always be remembered as a giant of the game.โ
Alex Ferguson, who managed United from 1986-2013, said before Charltonโs death that he โis the greatest Manchester United player of all time โ and thatโs saying somethingโ.
โBobby Charlton is absolutely without peer in the history of the English game,โ Ferguson said.
Charlton was also renowned for his humility, discipline and sportsmanship. He was never sent off in 758 appearances for United from 1956-73 or 106 internationals for England from 1958-70.
Charlton played with George Best and Denis Law in the so-called โTrinityโ that led United to the 1968 European Cup after surviving the 1958 Munich crash that wiped out much of the celebrated โBusby Babesโ team. He won three English league titles at United, and one FA Cup.
โFor a footballer, he offered an unparalleled combination of grace, power and precision,โ said former United defender Bill Foulkes, another survivor of the Munich air crash.
โIt added up to a greatness and something more โ something I can only call beauty.โ
Charltonโs England scoring record stood for 45 years until Rooney scored his 50th goal for the national team in September 2015. Three of Charltonโs England goals came in the World Cup in 1966, during which he played every minute for the team and stood out particularly in the semifinals when he scored twice against Portugal to lead England to a first major final.
England beat West Germany 4-2 after extra time in the final. (AlJazeera)