Robert ‘Bobby’ Charlton is regarded as being one of the best football players in the world, certainly the best football player in England. Born on 11 October, 1937 Bobby began playing soccer at a young age thanks to his mother who was a fan of the sport and taught it to her kids.
Bobby Charlton, from playing with his brothers to fighting for the European Cup
At the young age of 15 Charlton joined Manchester United and the following year became a professional football player just like his uncle and brother, Jack, who was playing for Leeds United. Following the advice of his manager, Matt Busby, he joined the Royal Army Ordnance Corps serving his nation and in the same time developing his football career.
Charlton played a crucial part of the team that won the English Football League Championship in 1959. He was a member of the first English team to compete in the European Cup. He and his teammates won the FA Cup in 1963 and repeated the event three years later, a season in which Charlton played in every single match and was named both the European Footballer of the Year and Football Writers’ Association’s Footballer of the year.
The retirement of Sir Bobby Charlton
In 1968 Charlton became a European Cup winner and in the same year was selected for the 1970 World Cup thus becoming the first Englishman to play in four World Cup Tournaments. He retired from Manchester United in 1973 and went on to manage Preston North End and Wiggan Athletic, but found little success in his role as a director.
In 1984 he became director of the Old Trafford club, a position he held through 2012. He was knighted in 1994 and introduced to the Football Hall of Fame in 2002.