England World Cup winner Nobby Stiles dies, aged 78, after years of battling with Alzhemier’s – leaving only four of the 1966 heroes still alive
- Nobby Stiles’s family confirmed he passed away peacefully on Friday aged 78
- Stiles won the European Cup with Manchester United after they beat Benfica
- But his biggest contribution came as being part of 1966 World Cup winning side
- He won 28 England caps, the lowest of any of the team that won the World Cup
Nobby Stiles, part of the England team which won the World Cup in 1966, has died aged 78 after a long illness.
Stiles was also part of the Manchester United side which became the first English club to win the European Cup two years later, when they beat Benfica in the final at Wembley.
A statement issued by the Stiles family read: ‘The Stiles family are sad to announce that Nobby Stiles passed away peacefully today (30/10/2020) surrounded by his family after a long illness.
Nobby Stiles, part of the England team which won the World Cup in 1966, has died aged 78
The World Cup winner passed away on Friday after years of battling with Alzeheimer’s
‘The family kindly ask for privacy at this sad time.’
Stiles was credited with playing a key role in neutralising the threat of Portuguese star Eusebio in the World Cup semi-final. In total he won 28 caps, the lowest number of any of the World Cup-winning side.
Stiles was born in Collyhurst, Manchester, in May 1942, during an air raid. He agreed apprentice terms with United in 1959, at a time when the club was still recovering from the Munich air disaster a year earlier in which eight players were killed.
Stiles was also part of the Manchester United side which became the first English club to win the European Cup
He won league titles with the Red Devils in 1965 and 1967, before the continental success the following year.
Stiles left United in 1971, going on to play for Middlesbrough and Preston. He later managed the Lilywhites between 1977 and 1981, before coaching Canadian side Vancouver Whitecaps and then West Brom between 1985 and 1986.
He returned to United as a youth team coach under Sir Alex Ferguson in 1989 for a four-year stint.
In total he won 28 caps for England, the lowest number of any of the World Cup-winning side
Gary Lineker led tributes to Stiles, posting on Twitter: ‘Saddened to hear that Nobby Stiles has passed away.
‘Another of our 1966 World Cup winning heroes leaves us.
‘He had a heart that was even bigger than the gap in his teeth. RIP Nobby.’