Sir Bobby Charlton celebrates turning 79… and it’s 60 years since he made his Manchester United debut and bagged a brace

QUITE RIGHTLY, Bobby Charlton will go down as one of football’s greatest ever players.

And today, as he celebrates his 79th birthday, thoughts will go back to when the game was very different, and the characters that played it exuded respect on and off the pitch.

During more than 17 years at United, Charlton made 758 appearances and scored 249 goals, winning three titles, an FA Cup and a European Cup.

He bowed out and finished his career at Preston then Waterford in the League of Ireland when he realised his powers, like those of United, were on the wane.

Three eighth-placed league finishes followed by an 18th for a team that had once commanded Europe was how it ended.

Yet he left with the fans adulation still ringing in his ears. And the recognition of what he had achieved in the game was shared by the Chelsea chairman in what was Charlton’s last game in the famous red kit.

Before his 758th and final appearance, he was presented with a commemorative cigarette case at Stamford Bridge – unlikely to be the gift given to a footballer in this day and age.

Back on October 6, 1956, Charlton made his Manchester United debut, and announced himself to the Old Trafford crowd in the style only the maverick could – bagging a brace as United defeated Charlton Athletic 4-2.

He went on to have a distinguished career, a particular highlight being a part of the England 1966 World Cup squad, a year where he won the Fifa Ballon d’Or.

And it wasn’t just off the field that Charlton stuck by his principles in helping shape the juggernaut that is the modern day Manchester United.

As a director, Charlton’s voice was once that commanded respect, and he extolled the virtues of perseverance and an onus of developing the infrastructure through the youth teams.

And we can all see how that turned out.

United’s legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson has said he owes all his success at the club to Sir Bobby.

“I owe my life here to Sir Bobby. He wanted to replicate what happened in the Busby era of youth coming through. He believed in that,” Ferguson has said.

As a director Charlton was influential in not only appointing Ferguson as manager in 1986 but standing by him during troubled early years.

Charlton could see the work Ferguson was doing in restructuring the club and believed that patience would pay dividends.

Ferguson said: “He wanted to replicate what happened in the Busby era of the youth coming through and won five youth Cups, unbelievable.

“The thing that is Manchester United without doubt is to give young people an opportunity. Bobby Charlton absolutely believed in that and that is what I tried to do.

“It’s amazing the results we had and people will recognise Manchester United in many ways and especially about who the best players were but believe me the young players will always be the spirit of Manchester United.

“Bobby Charlton always believed in me and apart from being the greatest legend at this club believe me and the greatest player it’s been a wonderful pleasure to know you.”

United’s vice-chairman, Ed Woodward has also said of Charlton in the past: “Bobby is quite simply the most iconic figure in English football history.

“A player, a diplomat, a gentleman and a tireless worker for charity, he represents everything that is good about football and Manchester United.”

Happy birthday to a legend of the game.

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