“There has never been a more popular footballer,” former Manchester United manager Sir Matt Busby said of Bobby Charlton.

Sir Bobby, an attacking midfielder, was “as near perfection as man and player as it is possible to be”, Sir Matt, who managed United for more than two decades, added.

With balance and grace, and a thunderous shot with either foot, he scored spectacular goals, winning the World Cup with England in 1966 and the European Cup with United two years later.

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‘One of the game’s greatest players’

Those triumphs might never have happened, however: In 1958, a plane crash in Munich decimated the “Busby Babes” team, killing eight of Charlton’s young teammates.

Just 20 at the time, he was dragged from the plane by goalkeeper Harry Gregg after suffering head injuries.

It was difficult to process, Sir Bobby writing in his autobiography: “All the time the question came pounding in: ‘Why me, why did I survive?’.”

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He and his teammates had won the first division title the year before. Now, many of them were gone.

But he recovered to become United’s leading scorer, with 249 goals, and England’s, too, with 49, his records lasting for 40 years until he was overtaken by Wayne Rooney.

He made 758 appearances for United between 1956 and 1973, playing alongside George Best and Denis Law in the so-called “Trinity”.

He also won three English league titles and one FA Cup with United.

Bobby Charlton was born in Ashington, Northumberland, on 11 October 1937. His father was a coal miner. His older brother Jack initially worked as a miner, too, before also becoming a professional footballer with Leeds United.

Football seems to have run in the family – Sir Bobby’s second cousin, Jackie Milburn, became one of the greatest players in the history of Newcastle United.

After impressing a United scout while playing for East Northumberland Boys on a frozen pitch at Jarrow, the shy 15-year-old quickly impressed at Old Trafford.

Initially signing for the club on New Year’s Day, 1953, he gave up an apprenticeship as an electrical engineer to turn professional in October 1954.

He won the FA Youth Cup in three successive years until 1956, when he made his senior league debut against Charlton Athletic on 6 October, scoring twice in a 4-2 win.

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During the 1966 World Cup, he scored a stunning long-range strike in the group-stage win over Mexico and a brace in the semi-final defeat of Eusebio’s Portugal.

A quieter display followed in the final against West Germany, but England triumphed 4-2 after extra-time.

Charlton was named player of the tournament, winning the Golden Ball, while he collected the Ballon d’Or and Football Writers’ Association Footballer of the Year award in 1966 too.

He made his 106th and final appearance for England in the 1970 World Cup quarter-final defeat to West Germany.

Aged 32, he was substituted after 70 minutes when England were leading 2-1. They went on to lose 3-2 in extra-time.

After leaving United he worked briefly as player-manager at Preston and had a stint in Ireland with Waterford United.

Sir Bobby is survived by his wife Lady Norma and daughters Suzanne and Andrea.

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