Sir Bobby Charlton: One of sport’s greatest figures
Following the passing of one of the most well known and widely respected footballing icons Sir Bobby Charlton, we take a look back across his dramatic footballing life from the highs and lows and what impact he made on the world of football.
Transcript
00:00 The sporting world has united in tribute to Manchester United and England legend Sir Bobby
00:07 Charlton who died on October 21st. Charlton, who passed peacefully in the early hours of
00:14 the morning after being diagnosed with dementia in 2020, lifted three league titles, an FA
00:20 Cup and a European Cup in a distinguished 17-year career at Old Trafford. He also scored
00:27 49 goals in 106 appearances for England, famously helping them to win the World Cup in 1966.
00:35 Gary Lineker said, "For me, he's England's greatest ever player. He was one of my heroes,
00:40 one of many people's heroes. Wherever you go in the world, even if they didn't speak
00:45 the language, they knew two words - Bobby Charlton."
00:49 I think just a man who everyone respects, to be honest, it doesn't matter what football
00:54 team they support. Obviously in Liverpool, I think a lot of, I think every Liverpool
01:01 fan would have the utmost respect for Bobby Charlton, to be quite honest with you, that
01:05 man united legend and England legend.
01:08 The most influential figure in Manchester United's history, to be totally honest with
01:12 you, certainly alongside Sir Matt Busby and Sir Alex Ferguson, I certainly think that's
01:16 the case. And of course, I think as Gary Neville brilliantly summed up at the weekend, he was
01:22 the golden thread between Sir Matt Busby and Sir Alex Ferguson. Obviously, came through
01:27 as a Busby babe, you know, suffered the trauma and the awful events of Munich Air Disaster,
01:33 came back from that to win the European Cup in 1968. I mean, who knows what emotions he
01:38 was feeling that day.
01:40 Sir Bobby said he felt a great responsibility to keep the club going after the Munich Air
01:46 Disaster in 1958, which killed eight of his teammates. He was just 20 years old when a
01:52 plane carrying the team, who were known as the Busby babes, crashed on takeoff on the
01:57 way home from a European Cup tie. Part of Manchester United's so-called Holy Trinity,
02:03 alongside club legends Dennis Law and George Best. Charlton scored twice in a famous 4-1
02:09 extra time win against Benfica in the 1968 European Cup final. Sir Matt Busby's team
02:15 became the continent's first English champions.
02:19 Obviously, went through the Munich Air Disaster as well, one of the few survivors there. And
02:26 to carry on playing football after that, not only that, but to put Manchester United on
02:31 his back, it just shows what sort of a man he was.
02:34 One of the very few players in the world who have won the World Cup, the Champions League
02:39 or European Cup and the Ballon d'Or. I mean, you know, it really doesn't get much higher
02:44 the praise for him than that.
02:47 As the world of football and sport as a whole came to an abrupt standstill to pay tribute
02:53 to Sir Bobby Charlton, the fairy tale that was his career will be told for generations
02:58 to come and the legacy he left behind will never be forgotten.
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