ENGLAND legend Nobby Stiles has passed away following a lengthy illness.
Part of the famous World Cup winners of 1966, Stiles was a combative defensive midfielder in his day and his celebratory jig on the Wembley pitch went down in football legend.
Nobby Stiles has passed away after battling cancer and dementia for several yearsCredit: PA:Press Association
How old was Nobby Stiles?
Real name Norbert, Stiles earned 28 caps for the Three Lions and played more than 300 times for Manchester United in a glittering career.
He was on the field for every minute of England’s triumphant tournament, breaking up play and doing the dirty work while Bobby Charlton pulled the strings.
And at United, he won two league titles at Old Trafford and an English club’s first European Cup.
Along with Man Utd, Stiles also played for Middlesbrough and Preston before hanging his boots up in 1975.
The Manchester United midfielder played every minute of England’s World Cup campaignCredit: PA:Press Association/PA Images
He enjoyed stints in management on both sides of the Atlantic and was eventually awarded with an MBE in 2000, along with five other 1966 teammates who had initially been overlooked.
Stiles married his wife Kay in 1961 and the pair have remained together ever since.
His iconic smile after England won the World Cup at WembleyCredit: PA:Press Association
The England legend was born on May 18, 1942 – making him 78 years old at the time of his death.
He had been diagnosed with prostate cancer seven years ago, while it was later revealed he was also suffering from dementia.
Does England World Cup winner have any children?
Kay and Nobby have been together almost 60 years and the pair live in Manchester.
She is the sister of fellow footballer Johnny Giles, with the couple meeting while Stiles was with Johnny in the Manchester United youth setup.
They had three children together – John, Peter and Rob.
John was a professional footballer and played for Leeds United in the 1980s.
While in 2017, Peter Stiles stunned Bradley Walsh when turning up as a contestant on ITV quiz show The Chase.
He made it through to the final Chase in the show and played for a share of £25,000, only to be caught by The Beast.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
