TRIBUTES TO AN ICON

GORDON BANKS: “In many ways, Bob is more than a footballer, more than a World Cup winner and more than a legend – he’s almost royalty. “When you travel abroad and meet people who don’t speak our language, sometimes the only two words of English they know are ‘Bobby Charlton’. That says it all – it shows he is revered all over the world.”

DENIS LAW: “Bobby was simply one of the best players there has ever been. He had such a fantastic career, achieving so much and what a nice guy as well. Playing with great players like Bobby – or Sir Robert as I like to call him – made the game so much easier. The pitches now are like bowling greens. If we’d had those pitches like that back then, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi might not have got a mention! I’m joking of course, they’re two of the greatest players of all time, but Bobby certainly belongs in that bracket with them.”.” SIR GEOFF HURST: “He’s a self-effacing individual, didn’t recognise how great he was. He was probably one of the most gifted players of this or any generation.” JACK CHARLTON: “He’s exactly the same now as he was when I was a lad, which for someone so famous is remarkable. The best player I ever saw was Sir Bobby – and he’s my brother.” DAVID BECKHAM: “I owe everything to Sir Bobby because without him I might not have had the chance of living my dream of playing for the club I’d supported. I went to the Bobby Charlton soccer school and Sir Bobby contacted Manchester United and said, ‘Maybe you should have a look out for this young kid’. He has always been about being successful, but even more so about helping other people. That’s what’s so special about him – he’s respected on the field, but even more so off the field.”