Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Soccer ace Greavsie in hospital for tests
Much-loved star has been ill since 2015 stroke
ENGLAND legend Jimmy Greaves was last night described by his family as “comfortable” a day after the star was taken to hospital by ambulance.
He has not contracted coronavirus and doctors are carrying out further tests.
Nurses insisted he was admitted to Broomfield Hospital, Chelmsford, after a visit to his home in Essex. Greaves, 80, has needed daily professional care since suffering a severe stroke in 2015. In a glittering career the former Chelsea, Tottenham and West Ham striker, scored 44 goals in 57 England games, making him the nation’s fourth highest goalscorer. Greaves played several games in the 1966 World Cup before suffering a gashed leg against France. He missed out on the final against West Germany as boss Alf Ramsey opted to stick with replacement Geoff Hurst, who went on to score a match-winning hat-trick.
Greaves is English football’s most prolific top-flight striker, with 357 goals in Division One.
At Spurs alone he netted 266 goals in 379 matches, making him the club’s greatest marksman. After retiring in 1980 he became a TV star, on Saint and Greavsie with Ian St John. He was also a columnist for the Mirror’s sister paper, the Sunday People.
Greaves’ agent and friend Terry Baker described him as “my biggest hero of all time”.
“If you love him like I do, have good thoughts for him as you go to bed tonight,” Mr Baker added.
“He has endured a very difficult five years so spare some time to think of my lovely mate.”
Chelsea, where Greaves began his career, urged him to “get well soon, while Spurs sent their “best wishes” to the star and his family.”
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