Nobby Stiles, who has died at the age of 78, was the “heart and soul” of the England team which won the World Cup in 1966, his team-mate Sir Geoff Hurst has said.
Stiles’ family announced in a short statement that he had died on Friday after a long illness.
Holding midfielder Stiles was a key contributor to England’s World Cup success on home soil, keeping Portugal star Eusebio quiet in the semi-final.
In 2010, after a mini-stroke, he decided to sell his medals in order to leave something to his family.
United bought them for £200,000 and the medals are now housed in the club’s museum.
