Sunday 3 April 2016 07:34, UK
We pay tribute to the iconic Sir Bobby Charlton as Manchester United prepare to rename Old Trafford's South Stand in his honour before their Super Sunday clash against Everton…
The sheer magnitude of Sir Bobby Charlton's contribution to Manchester United and England is difficult to put into words, but the extraordinary numbers behind his career are a good place to start.
After making his debut as a teenager in 1956, Charlton went on to score a club-record 249 goals in 758 games for Manchester United. Only Ryan Giggs has made more appearances, and by the time Charlton left the club in 1973, the legendary forward had won three league titles, an FA Cup, and also captained the side to their 1968 European Cup triumph over Benfica - scoring twice as they became the first ever English team to win it.
As well as being a poster boy for the Busby Babes, Charlton left a momentous legacy at international level. He made his England debut just two months after surviving the Munich air disaster in 1958, and over the next three decades he scored 49 times in 106 appearances, appearing at three World Cups and lifting the trophy in 1966 - when he netted three times on England's route to the final.
Charlton is one of only eight players to have made over 100 appearances for the Three Lions and, until Wayne Rooney recently broke his record, he was their top scorer too. He was respected and revered by his peers and fans across the world, and former striker Denis Law cherished the years they spent together with George Best as United's fabled Holy Trinity.
"The game is never easy but it becomes easier when you've got players like that," Law said on a documentary to be screened on MUTV this Sunday. "Bobby had a bit of everything. He was a marvellous crosser of a ball and scored a tremendous amount of goals. He had a fantastic shot, it was so powerful. I knew if he was going to shoot there was a fair chance the goalkeeper wouldn't be able to hold it, so I would follow up and invariably the guy would drop it."
The Holy Trinity were honoured with a statue outside Old Trafford in 2008, and Charlton's influence extended well beyond those fortunate enough to have played with him. He has been a director at Manchester United since 1984, a position he still holds today, and he was a key figure in the appointment of Sir Alex Ferguson in 1986.
"When I first came to the club, I met the directors and said to them what I believed in," said Ferguson. "I wanted to introduce a vibrant youth system: trialing, scouting and rebuilding the youth in the club.
"Bobby was brought up in that so he was into that 100 per cent. It takes time, you need people to have the same conviction in your philosophy and beliefs and Bobby was my best supporter in that, there is no question."
What a solid human being and a person you'd trust with your life. He's been a terrific friend to me ever since I came to the club.
Charlton earns as many plaudits for his character as he does for his glittering playing career. "Bobby is a great example in how he kept his feet on the ground and kept their humility all their life," added Ferguson. "Another thing that surprised people is how shy he is. But what a solid human being and a person you'd trust with your life. He's been a terrific friend to me ever since I came to the club."
Manchester United players have felt Charlton's impact in the modern era too. "He's always been really approachable, always encouraging me right from a young age to when I was 39 or 40 and playing in the first team," said Giggs. "He was always someone with a massive impact whether it was when I was younger or a more experienced player.
"He always took an interest in how the younger players played. He would always watch the youth team and reserves, and he'd come on tours when we went abroad and you'd see first-hand the love people all round the world had for him."
David Beckham, who spent 12 years at Old Trafford between 1991 and 2003, is another United youth product to have a special connection with Charlton. "I was lucky to meet Sir Bobby when I was at his soccer school at the age of 10," he said. "It was a dream to meet him because he was my dad's favourite player and my middle name is Robert after him.
"When you play for a club and you have ex-players there that come and talk to you and are involved with the team it means a lot, but when you have Sir Bobby Charlton, someone with that stature and experience at the club you support come to you and tell you 'well done', or 'this is how you can do something better', or 'this is how you can represent the club', it means so much."
Nobody embodies Manchester United quite like Charlton, and Sunday's unveiling at Old Trafford will be a fitting tribute to a man whose association with the club spans more than half a century. "He is embedded in the club," said Beckham. "He epitomises Manchester United," added Giggs. The Sir Bobby Charlton Stand ensures his presence will always be felt.
Tune in to special documentary 'Sir Bobby - The Greatest' on MUTV at 7pm on Sunday - and watch Super Sunday: Manchester United v Everton from 3.30pm on Sky Sports 1.
