Tributes to Three Lions legend Jack

manager had been diagnosed with lymphoma in the last year and was also suffering from dementia.

Big Jack was one of English football’s most popular characters and was a key member of side that won the 1966 World Cup alongside brother Bobby.

But while Charlton’s younger sibling Sir Bobby was among a number of Three Lions stars to be knighted in the years after they lifted the Jules Rimet Trophy, Jack was not.

Former Liverpool midfielder Ray Houghton, who was handed his Ireland debut under Charlton, said: “The word legend is used too much in football but not for Jack, for what he’s done domestically with Leeds, winning the World Cup, which he should have been knighted for.

“I’ve still never understood that. “It’s an absolute disgrace and the fact that he did so well with Ireland. He changed everything about Irish football because there was a stage where we hadn’t qualified for tournaments.

“We had some great players and very good managers but didn’t quite get over the line.”

Charlton made a record number of appearances for Leeds – who said they were “deeply saddened” by the news – before retiring as a player in 1973 and went on to manage Sheffield Wednesday, Middlesbrough and Newcastle.

But it was with the Republic where he made his mark in the hot seat, leading them to their first major finals at Euro 88 and the World Cup quarter-finals at Italia 90 during his decade in charge.

He also took them to the 1994 World Cup finals in the USA, where they secured a famous 1-0 win over pre-tournament favourites Italy.