Robert ‘Bobby’ Charlton was born on 11 October 1937 in Ashington, Northumberland. His father was a coal miner, and his older brother Jack also became an England international.

Charlton was spotted playing for East Northumberland Schools and joined Manchester United as a schoolboy in 1953. He turned professional in 1954 and made his first-team debut in October 1956, scoring twice against Charlton Athletic.

He was part of the young United team known as the Busby Babes. On 6 February 1958, Charlton survived the Munich air disaster, which killed 23 people, including eight Manchester United players. He continued playing for the club as manager Matt Busby rebuilt the team.

Charlton played alongside his brother Jack in England’s 1966 World Cup-winning side. His two goals against Portugal in the semi-final helped England reach the final against West Germany.

In 1968, he captained Manchester United to a 4–1 European Cup win over Benfica at Wembley, scoring twice.

Charlton made 758 appearances and scored 249 goals for Manchester United. He also played 106 times for England and scored 49 goals.

He died on 21 October 2023 at age 86.