Sir Bobby Charlton tributes pour in after death of football icon

He scored 49 goals for England in 106 caps, a record at the time and still the third-highest of any player to represent the national team.

At club level, he joined Manchester United as a youth player in 1953 and stayed there for 20 years, representing the Old Trafford side on 758 occasions in all competitions and scoring 249 times – placing him second in the all-time lists for both appearances and goals.

His time in Manchester saw him win a glut of trophies including three league titles and a Europan Cip, while he would later go on to play for Preston North End – where he was player-manager – and Waterford towards the end of his career.

The news of his death was announced by his family this afternoon (Saturday 21s October), with a short statement saying he "passed peacefully in the early hours of Saturday morning". He had previously been diagnosed with dementia in 2020.

His former club Manchester United paid tribute with a statement calling him a "hero to millions, not just in Manchester, or the United Kingdom, but wherever football is played around the world."

The statement continued: "He 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.

"His unparalleled record of achievement, character and service will be forever etched in the history of Manchester United and English football and his legacy will live on through the life-changing work of the Sir Bobby Charlton Foundation.

"The club's heartfelt sympathies are with his wife Lady Norma, his daughters and grandchildren, and all who loved him."

The FA also released a statement calling him "a true legend of our game" and signing off: "We will never forget you, Sir Bobby."

Meanwhile a huge number of footballers past and present took to social media to pay tribute to the star, with current England manager Gareth Southgate describing him as "one of our most iconic players."

He added: "The privilege of meeting him on several occasions allowed me to understand his personal pride and emotion in having represented England and simply confirmed in my mind his standing as one of the gentlemen of the game.

"The world of football will unite in its sadness at losing an undisputed legend."

Geoff Hurst – who played alongside Charlton in the 1966 World Cup and is now the only surviving member of that squad wrote on X (formerly Twitter): "Very sad news today. One of the true Greats Sir Bobby Charlton has passed away. 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."

Gary Lineker wrote "Deeply saddened to hear that Sir Bobby Charlton has died. A truly wonderful footballer and genuinely lovely man. A World Cup winner, @ManUtd great and, for me, England’s greatest-ever player. He may no longer be with us but he’ll have footballing immortality. RIP Sir Bobby."

Many of Charlton's fellow Manchester United legends have also posted tributes, with David Beckham saying it was a "sad day for football and everything that Sir Bobby represented" and Gary Neville calling him "England's greatest player and greatest ambassador" while tributes have also been pouring in from football fans throughout the world.