Football Legends

Johan Cruijff was born in Amsterdam on the 25th of April 1947, and joined the famous Ajax youth programme only ten years later. He made his first team debut at the age of 17 in 1964 against GVAV. He started as he meant to go on, scoring Ajax’s only goal in their 3-1 defeat. This was the worst season in the club’s history - they finished 13th. Cruijff established himself as a favourite centre-forward in the first team, and the following season Ajax won the league, with Cruiff scoring an incredible 25 goals in 23 appearances, including three hat tricks. From then on, Cruijff became a living legend to Ajax fans.

The following seasons were even more successful - he scored 33 times and Ajax won both the league and the KNVB, the Netherlands equivalent of the FA Cup. He won the title of Dutch footballer of the year in the '66, '67, and '69 seasons. The '69 season saw Cruijff’s Ajax win another league and cup double. This season also saw Ajax reach the finals of the European cup, but they were defeated 4-1 by AC Milan. At the beginning of the season, Cruijff suffered a serious groin injury that was to recur at various intervals throughout his career. During his absence, Gerrie Muhren wore his number nine shirt. When Cruijff returned, he wore the number 14 shirt, and decided to stick with it for the rest of his career.

In those days, players were usually allotted a shirt numbered 1 to 11 depending on their starting position. It was highly unusual for a regular starter to wear the number 14. He also began wearing the number 14 during his international appearances. This became something of a trademark - there is a documentary about him entitled ‘Number 14’, and it is frequently referenced in biographies. 1971 was also an extraordinarily successful year for Cruijff’s Ajax, who defeated Panathinaikos 2-0 at Wembley. This season saw Cruijff named European player of the year for the first time. To dispel speculation that he would move clubs, he signed a seven-year contract at the end of that season. However, after winning two more European Cups in 1972 and 1973, he signed to Barcelona for six million guilder.

Always willing to express his political beliefs publicly, he made himself popular among Catalans by declaring that he could never play for Real Madrid because of its association with the Fascist leader General Franco. He helped Barcelona to their first ‘La Liga’ championship in 14 years in 1973/74, and was named European footballer of the year for good measure. During his tenure at Barcelona, Cruijff scored his most famous goal, known popularly as the ‘Phantom’ goal, because of its seemingly supernatural quality. Somehow, Cruijff managed to jump in the air with his back to goal, and use his heel to score past a beleaguered Atletico Madrid goalkeeper.

Like so many of Europe’s best known players of the 1970’s, Cruijff was lured to the United States to play exhibition matches for the New York Cosmos and eventually signed a lucrative contract with the Los Angeles Aztecs. After a season with the Aztecs, he switched coasts, and signed for a season with the Washington Diplomats. By this time the campaign to elevate the status of soccer in the eyes of US sports fans had more or less run its course, and Cruijff returned to the Netherlands in 1981.

A 34 year old Cruijff signed to Ajax but the club decided not to extend his contract after the end of the second season. This angered the Amsterdam-born Cruijff, who moved to arch rivals Feyenoord in protest. He helped the club to its first league and cup double in over a decade. At the end of the 83/84 season, after making 33 appearances and scoring 11 times for Feyenoord, Cruijff retired after 20 years as one of the most prolific strikers in the world.

Cruijff also enjoyed a distinguished career as an international, playing a central role in the famous 1974 Dutch team that came second place in the FIFA World Cup Finals, where he was named player of the tournament. They lost the final 2-1 to their West German hosts, after Cruijff coordinated one of the most famous pieces of attacking football in history, which ended with the Netherlands scoring a penalty. Although Cruijff helped the Netherlands to qualify for the 1978 World Cup, he refused to participate in the actual tournament as it was being held in Argentina, which was in the grip of a right-wing military junta, which had seized power during a coup two years ago. Without him, the Netherlands lost in the final again.

Cruijff is the embodiment of ‘total football’, a style of play developed by Ajax coach Rinus Michaels. The style arose in opposition to the physical aspect of the game prevalent at the time, emphasising the importance of technical skill and awareness. Cruijff and his Ajax team-mates were able swap positions at the drop of a hat - he was particularly fond of taking defenders unawares by moving out from his central position to the wings. He commented; "Total football is to do with your way of thinking, character - everything is involved. The Dutch team at that time was made up mostly from Ajax players. We could change position easily, and that's total football... the first defender was the centre forward, which was me. We had a change of mentality on the field where we thought we could achieve anything."

Cruijff reprised his role as a football technician in managerial roles at Ajax and Barcelona. He led an all-star Barcelona team to victory against Sampdoria at the Wembley European Cup finals in 1992. He is Barcelona’s most successful manager to date; the club won 11 competitions under his stewardship. In 1999 he was named European footballer of the century, and is widely regarded as one of the top five players ever to of played the game.

Alfredo Di Stefano was born to Italian parents in the Argentinian capital Buenos Aires on 4th of July 1926. He was from a farming family and had a gruelling upbringing. Being the oldest son in the family he had a heavy workload on the farm but still found time to indulge his love for football. It was perhaps this gruelling physical work from a young age that helped him develop his levels of fitness and made him such a devastatingly agile and fit player on the football field later in life. His achievements, both for the most successful teams of his era and on the international stage, were huge. Despite never reaching a World Cup Final, he is arguably one of the greatest footballers ever to have played, with Pele being his closest rival.

Di Stefano's first club at 12 was Los Cardales, with whom he won the amateur championship. Three years later, he was playing for the second team of then-giants River Plate and at 16 he took up a place on the right wing in the first team. At that time the team had one of the most feared sets of forwards in Argentinian football, La Maquina, meaning “The Machine”. As a result he began playing on loan for another team, Huracan, where he scored one of the fastest goals in Argentinian football against his own club River Plate.

His high scoring record continued and he returned to River Plate aged 20. He was moved to centre-forward to take the place of Pedernera who had moved to Atlanta. In a fiercely contested match against Atlanta, Di Stefano scored the winning goal. He was set upon by the Atlanta fans and was hospitalised.

At 21 Di Stefano made his international début for Argentina in 1947. An injury in the first team allowed him to play throughout the cup and he was the second highest goal scorer, helping Argentina retain the South American Championship.

1949 saw the footballers of Argentina go on strike and so Di Stefano moved to play for Columbian side, Millonarios. He dominated the midfield of the Columbian league, scoring 267 goals in 294 games over his four year spell there. His impressive record attracted the attention of the Spanish teams and soon a transfer was being discussed. Ramon Trias Fargas, son of a Millonarios shareholder, was trying to source Di Stefano for Barcelona. The Barcelona chief scout then inadvertently threw a spanner in the works by introducing his Columbian friend, Joan Busquets. Busquets was director of CF Santa Fe, one of Millonarios' main rivals, and allegedly tried to sabotage the move. Busquets put pressure on Millonarios to accept less than Di Stefano was worth, despite the player also owing his old club money. Fargas claimed that the Barcelona president Cerreto had allowed him $20,000 for the move, but then dropped the figure to $10,000 plus the player's debts to Millonarios.

The debacle continued when Di Stefano signed a deal to transfer to Barcelona from River Plate. FIFA had authorised the move, but it was blocked by the Spanish League, as they said both Millonarios and River Plate had to be in agreement. In a bizarre twist of fate, Di Stefano eventually signed to Real Madrid on his arrival in Spain, owing to the infighting within the Barcelona camp.

The confusion did not stop there. The Spanish government first issued a ban on foreign players in the league, and then went on to announce that Barcelona and Madrid had agreed to share Di Stefano for four seasons. The idea of him alternating between the two clubs angered fans so much that Carreto was forced to resign. Barcelona accepted a figure of four million pesetas to allow Di Stefano to play exclusively for Madrid, a decision that they claim was made under pressure from Franco, the Fascist leader. The situation clearly took its toll on Di Stefano and he played uncharacteristically poorly for his first few games with the club.

It did not take long for Di Stefano to overcome his poor start and he scored in the majority of his matches in the first season. He went from strength to strength at the club and also for the Spanish national team whom he represented on 31 occasions. He is perhaps most famous for his performance in the European Cup, where he scored four goals in four consecutive winning finals, and then a hat trick in the fifth.

Sadly he did not get a chance to make such a name for himself in the World Cup. Argentina did not compete when he represented them in 1950 and 1954. Di Stefano was granted Spanish citizenship in 1956, but Spain failed to qualify in the following World Cup. Four years later injury prevented him from competing in the championship proper, after scoring in the qualifiers.

Di Stefano took up various coaching roles after retiring. He led his old club River Plate and Boca Juniors to title victories. In 1982 to 1984 he took up the position of manager with another of his old sides, Real Madrid. Despite suffering a heart attack in 2005, he played in an inaugural match between Real Madrid and Stades De Reims. Real Madrid won the rematch of the 1956 European Cup Final.

Born in Göppingen in 1964, Jürgen Klinsmann will go down as one of the best German strikers of the modern era. “The Golden Bomber”, a nickname which derives from his blonde hair and predatory goal scoring nature, enjoyed an illustrious playing career which stretched across Europe. He played for many famous clubs, scoring 232 goals in the process.

He is particularly well thought of amongst the faithful at Tottenham Hotspur, where he had two spells, in which he became famous for the ‘Klinsmann Dive’, a celebration which he pioneered as he celebrated his first goal for the club against Sheffield Wednesday. He recently managed the German national team to an unexpected third-place finish in the 2006 World Cup. He subsequently resigned in July 2006 and since then has been linked with various managerial posts such as Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur and LA Galaxy. It remains to be seen where the German’s next adventure will begin.

Klinsmann’s first involvement in football came when he was just eight years old. During his youth, he played in every position, including goalkeeper. It wasn’t until he turned seventeen that he signed a professional contract with Stuttgarter Kickers, a second division club at the time, in Germany.

In 1984, he joined another Stuttgart club, the more celebrated VfB Stuttgart. It was here where Klinsmann started to make a name for himself as a prolific goal scorer, as he scored 79 goals in 156 appearances. In 1988, he was topscorer of the Bundesliga and was voted “German Player of the Year”. This form brought him to the attention of many leading European clubs. As a result, in the summer of 1989, it was Internazionale who sealed the sought after signature of this highly rated German striker. He joined fellow countrymen Lothar Matthäus and Andreas Brehme in a team that easily won the Serie A title in their maiden season at the club. After scoring 40 goals in 123 appearances for the Milan club, Klinsmann moved to France in 1992 to play for AS Monaco. He had now established himself as one of the finest strikers in world football, but didn’t win a major trophy in the two years he was at the French club.

His journey through Europe continued, and White Hart Lane was his next destination when he signed for Tottenham Hotspur in 1994. Upon his arrival in England, he was not very popular amongst the English press. This was not only because his German side had knocked England out of the 1990 World Cup, but also because he came with the reputation as a diver. However, Klinsmann was soon one of the favourites amongst the press, after he made fun of himself by diving across the pitch to celebrate his first goal for the club against Sheffield Wednesday. Here is is some YouTube action of that goal. This act endeared him not only to the press, but the British public in general. Klinsmann went on the win the 1995 Football Writers’ Association Footballer of the Year. His passion and spirit shown whilst on the pitch, along with his goals, has made him one of the true greats at Tottenham Hotspur.

After only one season in London, he joined Bayern Munich where he again continued his goal ratio of one in every two matches, scoring 31 goals in 65 appearances. He then played eight games for Serie A side Sampdoria in Italy, before returning to Spurs in 1998 on loan, where he saved them from relegation – scoring nine goals in just fifteen appearances. It was during his second spell at Spurs that Klinsmann decided to retire from playing professional football after the 1998 World Cup. However, he was persuaded to come out of retirement in 2003 when he played under a stage name, Jay Goppingen, for Orange County Blue Star in the American Premier Development League. The 39-year-old still had a taste for goals, scoring five in just eight outings.

Klinsmann’s onternational career was also successful. He was first called up for Germany duty in 1987, after which he accumulated 108 caps, along with 47 goals.

He achieved many International landmarks whilst playing for his country. He became the first player ever to score at least three goals in each of three World Cups. He has now been joined by Ronaldo of Brazil in that elite group. However, Klinsmann still remains second all time in World Cup goals scored by a German with 11, and only Gerd Muller has scored more. He is joint fifth in the overall rankings, in which Ronaldo tops with fifteen goals.

Klinsmann played in three European Championships, reached the final in 1992, and went one better when he won a winners medal in Euro ‘96 in England. He also played in three World Cups in the 90s. He achieved the ultimate prize when the West German side won the World Cup in 1990, in which he scored three goals. His greatest performance at a World Cup came in USA for the 1994 World Cup, where he scored five goals. Klinsmann also has a bronze Olympic medal to his name, and has scored eight goals to go with his fourteen Olympic caps for his country.

Klinsmann’s first job outside his professional playing career was with a sports marketing consultancy based in the United States, where he became vice-president. He was heavily involved in Major League Soccer as part of the Los Angeles Galaxy team. He then returned to Germany in 2004 to take charge of the national team, and succeeded former team mate and strike partner Rudi Völler.

Klinsmann’s first and only task as manager of the Germany team was to bring success in a World Cup which they hosted in 2006. Klinsmann brought a much-needed freshness to the International set-up and placed huge emphasis on youth in his squads. Players were no longer picked because of who they were, but instead on current form and merit. The clearest example of this was when Klinsmann dropped Oliver Kahn, and made Jens Lehmann the new number one goalkeeper after his excellent season with Arsenal.

Klinsmann’s arrival as manager of the national team was not greeted with too much praise from the German public or press. In the build up to the World Cup, his German team were humiliated by Italy, losing 4-1. Klinsmann also commuted to Germany from the United States, something which was very much frowned upon by the German public.

However, Germany’s performance under Klinsmann in the 2006 World Cup hushed his critics. Germany won all three group stage games against Costa Rica, Poland and Ecuador with ease. Then, a 2-0 victory against Sweden in the first knockout stage set up a mouth watering tie against much favoured Argentina in the quarter finals.

After an equalising goal from striker Miroslav Klose, the match went to penalties. Germany won 4-2 with help from Lehmann and his infamous note, which contained information on all the Argentinian spot-kickers. The nation was now behind Klinsmann but Germany’s heroics sadly ended there, as they crashed out of the competition after losing 2-0 in extra time to eventual winners Italy. They did, however, defeat Portugal 3-1 in the third and fourth playoff match. After this victory, there was a huge parade in Berlin where Klinsmann and his young squad were treated to an emphatic reaction from the public. Even Franz Beckenbauer, a previous critic of Klinsmann, announced that he wanted to keep Klinsmann as the coach. The new attacking style of play that Klinsmann created was now accepted by the German public, as they felt that national pride had been restored. To cap it all off, Klinsmann was even referred to as “Kaiser”, meaning “emperor”, a word which is normally set aside for German footballing greats such as Beckenbauer.

Despite all the support, Klinsmann stepped down as coach because of family reasons.

Jürgen Klinsmann has now proved himself as both a player, and as a manager. The future for the German can only be a bright one. Whenever a top managerial vacancy arises, he seems to be one of the first names to be put into the hat. Where his next destination is, only he knows. But, whatever his choice, it will most likely be the right one for him and his team.

Gheorghe Hagi is arguably the best among all time Romanian football team players. Fans used to call him as “Maradona of the Carpathians.” Hagi was named as the Romanian footballer of the century. While Romanian Football Federation proclaimed him as the Golden Player of Romania. He was a top attacking midfielder of eighties and nineties in Europe. He was exquisite in passing, ball control and he had great long-range shots.

Gheorghe Hagi was born on 5th February 1965 at Sacele in Romania. At an age of 14, Hagi started his football journey with youth team of Farul Constanta in 1979.He then played for Luceafarul Bucaresti for couple of seasons before returning to Farul Constanta in 1982.He scored seven goals for Constanta that season. He then moved to Sportul Studentesc in 1983.He played 92 games for them. He left Sportul for Steau Bucaresti in 1986.Transfer to Steu was quite amusing. Initial deal was for only one match, that too European Super Cup final. He scored the winner for Steu and they lifted the trophy. After winning the super cup, Steu wished to keep him and they did not let him go back to Sportul. He was a revelation for Steu, as he helped them to win three consecutive Romanian championships in 1987, 1988 as well as 1989. More over Hagi was instrumental in three consecutive Romanian cup wins for Steu in 1987, 1988, as well as 1989.In 1989 Steu even made it to the semi final of European cup. He scored 31 goals in 30 matches in 1988/1989 season. He scored 85 goals for Steu during his stint with them.

His exploits for steu and Romanian national team in 1990 world cup took him to Real Madrid that year. Real Madrid bought Hagi for $4.3 million. However, he was not able to reproduce his magic from his Steu days for Real Madrid. He scored only 19 goals in two seasons for them. In 1992, he moved to Brescia. In 1992 season, Brescia was relegated to Serie B. However, in 1993 season Hagi played a role in the promotion of Brescia back to Serie A. His stunning performance in 1994 world cup again gave him a chance to play in Spain, but this time with Barcelona. Like his real Madrid stint, Hagi was not able to make much impact, as injuries marred his progress. He left Barcelona to join Galatasaray in 1996.He found his rhythm again and played big part in Galatasaray’s success. He won four consecutive Turkish league titles with Galatasaray from 1997 to 2000.He lead Galatasaray to a shocking UEFA cup win in 2000, defeating mighty Arsenal. Galatasaray was the first Turkish win to achieve this feat. He sparkled during the twilight of his career, which is amazing. He bid adieu to football in 2001.

Hagi started his international career with Romania in 1983 as an 18-year-old teenager while playing against Norway. He played in three world cups. His performance in 1990 world cup yielded him the move to La Liga.1994 world cup was truly memorable for Romania as they made it to the quarterfinals for the first time. He scored against Argentina in a match, which Romania won 3-2.He scored against Columbia also. He scored three goals in that tournament. His performances yielded him a place in world cup team. After playing in 1998 world cup, he retired from international football. However, he came out of retirement to represent Romania in euro 2000.He represented Romania in 125 matches, scoring 35 goals in that process.

He turned to managing career in 2001.His stint with Romanian national team was disastrous as they failed to qualify, for world cup. He coached Burdaspor before taking over reins at his former club Galatasaray. He led them to Turkish cup win in 2004.However he resigned despite of cup win. He then joined FCU Politehnica Timisoara. He had a poor stint with Steau as well. He is certainly a Romanian football legend as he amassed six player of the year awards.

Michel Platini is arguably the greatest French footballer to have ever lived. A devastating free kick specialist and generally a remarkable technician, he deployed vision and strength from the midfield for both club and country.

At the highest point of his career, he captained France to their victory in the 1984 European Championships, which was held on home soil. That year, he was the best player and top goalscorer in the Championships and also picked up the World Player of the Year gong.

During his football career Platini achieved considerable international status and went on to coach the national team for four years before being appointed President of UEFA (Union of European Football Associations), a position to which he was elected this year.

Career Highlights

Michel Platini led a very distinguished club career, alongside his captaincy at an international level. However, his club career was slow at first despite an explosive entrance into the reserve team, scoring a hat-trick on his debut. On 3rd May 1973 Platini finally made his first team debut, after a lengthy period of injury. But the following season he was injured again with a fractured arm, ruling him out for the entire season. Nancy were relegated from the first division that same season - hardly an auspicious beginning!

The following season, however, his career really began to take off as he was fundamental in propelling Nancy back into Ligue 1, scoring 17 goals, mostly using his trademark free kick. Platini finally signed a full contract with Nancy in 1976, following his participation in the Montreal Olympic games. Two years later, Platini captained his team to victory in the French Cup against Nice, scoring the only goal in the final.

Following the World Cup in Argentina, his contract with Nancy expired and although they did not want to let him go, it appeared Platini had already set his mind on a move. In 1979 he signed for Saint Etienne.

Platini lasted a total of 3 years at Saint Etienne, winning the league title finally in 1981. European success, however, was not to be his with the club, despite spearheading some thumping victories in the UEFA Cup over two successive seasons; 6-0 win over PSV Eindhoven in 1979-80 and trouncing Hamburg 5-0 the following year. In 1982 Platini's international profile had reached a high point and he was signed to Juventus, where he would spend the rest of his career.

Platini's time at Juventus was hugely successful. The Frenchman was central to the team's victorious streak during the 1980s and the list of his personal achievements during those five years is almost endless. Although experiencing a difficult introduction in the Italian football regime, being initially hounded by the press, Platini inspired Juventus to the Italian cup victory that first season and helped them to the European Cup final, which they unfortunately lost 1-0 to Hamburg. Juventus then went on to win the 1984 and 1986 Italian Championship with Platini being the playmaker and midfield engine.

After winning the European Cup Winners' Cup and the European Super Cup in 1984, the pinnacle came when he finally was able to put his hands around the European Cup in 1985 followed by the 1985 World Club Championship. Consistently impressive during these golden years, he was Serie A top scorer for three consecutive seasons (1982-83, 1983-84 and 1984-85). Perhaps even more impressively, he was crowned European Footballer of the Year awards 3 years running (1983-85).

As well as a star-studded club career, Platini also hit real highs on an international stage with France. His international career really began when he participated for the national side in the Olympic Games in 1976 and was an inspiration in an impressive 4-0 victory over a full international Romanian side. Shortly after, he was called up to the French national squad.

France secured their place in the 1978 World Cup to be held in Argentina with a 3-1 win over Bulgaria, a game in which Platini scored a 25 yard screamer and was pivotal to the victory. However, France were drawn with Italy and home team Argentina in the group round and did not progress to the second stage.

He was soon made captain of the French squad and led them to the World Cup in Spain in 1982. Unexpectedly to most, France reached the semi-finals of that competition and were faced with a robust West Germany team. The semi-final encounter proved to be one of the most exciting games in the history of the World Cup, a thrilling 3-3 deadlock after extra time, the game went to penalties, but West Germany won 5-4.

France and Platini bounced back in 1984 by winning the European Championships on home soil. Platini himself was on fire during the tournament, scoring two hat-tricks, one against Belgium and the other against Yugoslavia. In the semi-finals he destroyed Portugal by scoring a goal in the last minute of extra time to take France to the final. Faced by Spain in the final, Platini scored the first goal from a free kick and France sealed the victory with a goal late on from Bruno Bellone.

Platini just about made it to the 1986 World Cup finals in Mexico but was plagued by injury and played, although reportedly with considerable pain. France attained 3rd place in the tournament and Platini remained pivotal, scoring important goals against Italy and, most notably, against Brazil in the quarter finals, on his birthday.

He retired from international football on April 29th 1987 in a European Championship qualifier against Iceland, shortly before announcing his complete retirement football. In his international career, Platini scored 41 goals for his country, then a record.

Since retirement Michel François Platini has built a career in football coaching and the international administrative arena. He was coach of the French national side between 1988-92, a largely unsuccessful period for France considering their failure to qualify for the 1990 World Cup and then early exit from the 1992 European Championships in Sweden. Although Platini himself was not at all entirely to blame, he stepped down as coach following the 1992 tournament.

He began to make positive moves into the administrative side of international football when he was made head of the organizing committee for the 1998 FIFA World Cup. After climbing through the ranks at UEFA, he finally ran for the presidency last year and defeated Lennart Johannson who had held the post for the previous 16 years by 27 votes to 23.

Platini is clearly an intelligent and charismatic individual to build a successful career with FIFA and UEFA. However, it is reported that he also has a prankster sense of humour. When playing for France in international competitions for example, it was said that he used to squeeze tubes of toothpaste into other players beds as a practical joke. More remarkable still, when outside the stadium he would set off fire crackers then fall on the floor, "playing dead" to scare the wits out of fans near to the incident. Platini is now a hugely important figure in football and remains one of the great ambassadors of a French footballing tradition.

Bobby Charlton was perhaps the most famous Englishman of his age. He survived the Munich Air Disaster of 1958 to become the most recognizable face of legendary Manchester United and England squads, including the England team that won the World Cup in 1966. Now knighted, Sir Bobby Charlton remains known today as a technically superb player and a true gentleman.

Robert Charlton was born in Ashington, Northumberland in 1937. His four uncles Stan, Jack, George and Jimmy, his mother’s cousin, Jackie Milburn, and his brother Jack were all professional football players, so it was little surprise that Bobby became a footballer himself. He was scouted and played for England schoolboys and Manchester United’s youth team at the age of 15, and played his first match for the senior team in 1956, after spells training as an engineer and doing National Service in nearby Shrewsbury.

Charlton joined a rolling squad known as the Busby Babes, on account of their being an unusually youthful and prodigiously talented squad under legendary manager Matt Busby. However, in 1958, after two seasons securing his position in the team, Charlton’s life was to be dramatically affected by the events succeeding a European Cup match against Red Star Belgrade. On February 6, the team was due to fly back from Munich in order to reach England in time to fulfill their league games. The weather was horrendous and the plane had difficulty taking off, but after a number of checks were carried out, the team got back on board. The plane had barely taken off when the wing and tail caught fire after hitting some obstacles on the ascent, and it crash-landed. 23 of the 44 footballers, journalists and crew members on board were killed, including Tommy Taylor and David Pegg, with whom Charlton and his team mate Dennis Viollet had swapped seats.

Charlton suffered cuts to his head and severe shock. He was the first to leave hospital and became, at the age of 20, something of a veteran of United’s decimated team. Unsurprisingly, United failed to do very well that season, but Busby built up another team with new players including George Best, with Charlton a stalwart. The psychological repercussions were harder to gauge and repair, and the crash remains one of the defining events of Charlton’s life according to the man himself.

However, his career continued to flourish and Bobby would eventually join his brother Jack in England's squad for the 1966 World Cup, reaching and competing in the final against West Germany. Although neither Charlton scored, England won 4-2 in the tense, uneven match, and Bobby had taken part in English football’s greatest triumph to date.

The culmination of his club career came in 1968, when Charlton and United went on to win the European Cup that had destroyed the Busby Babes. In 1969 he was awarded the OBE and in 1970, after earning his 100th cap for England, he was selected for the World Cup squad, where he played his last game for the national side. Sadly, Charlton’s later years at club level were marred by long-running feuds with his United teammates. Finally, he retired in 1973.

Charlton met his wife Norma at a dry cleaners in Manchester and they married in 1961. They have two daughters, Suzanne and Andrea. He has avoided the controversial love life that dogged many footballers of his generation, but tabloids speculated instead on cracks in his relationship with his brother Jack. Bobby has admitted that their relationship is strained, citing the conflict between his loyalties to his wife and his mother as key.

Like many footballers, Charlton has become something of a polymath in his retirement. Initially taking semi-retirement as a player-manager at Preston, he went on to manage Wigan Athletic. However, today’s football fans recognize him largely as a sometime BBC pundit and as a member of Manchester United’s board of directors. He has also made money from advertising, from international footballing schools and DVDs and other enterprises.

Bobby Charlton was awarded the CBE in 1973 and was knighted in 1994. He continues to be an active member of the footballing community on a number of boards, helping promote sport at home and abroad, and as a commentator figure in the media.