Sir Bobby Charlton: England And Manchester United Great Diagnosed With Dementia

England World Cup winner and Manchester United legend Sir Bobby Charlton has been diagnosed with dementia, The Telegraph reported on Sunday.

The Telegraph said the news was being disclosed with the blessing of Charlton’s wife Lady Norma in the hope that the knowledge of his diagnosis would help others.

The news follows the deaths of his older brother Jack in July and fellow World Cup-winner Nobby Stiles on Friday, both of whom had also been diagnosed with dementia.

Charlton, 83, was a key member of the England side that won the World Cup on home soil in 1966 and he was crowned the best player in the world that year when he was awarded the Ballon d’Or.

A survivor of the Munich air disaster in 1958 which killed eight of his United team mates, Charlton who was 20 years at the time, led the club to their first European Cup 10 years later with two goals in the final against Benfica.

He also won three league titles and an FA Cup with United during 17 years at Old Trafford.

He finished his career with spells at Preston and Irish side Waterford.

Joining United in 1953, he scored 249 goals in 758 games for the club, long-standing records which were eventually broken by Wayne Rooney in 2017 and Ryan Giggs in 2008 respectively.

He remained England’s record goal scorer until Rooney surpassed him against Switzerland in September 2015.

He was knighted in 1994 for services to football and United renamed Old Trafford’s South Stand in his honour in 2016.