Former Man United player and World Cup Winner Nobby Stiles has died
“Toothless Tiger” dead at 78
A “Titan” of Manchester United history is dead.
Nobby Stiles made nearly 400 appearances for the Reds as a defensive midfielder.
During his 11 years at Old Trafford Stiles won two league titles along with the team’s first-ever European Cup in 1968.
Stiles was a member of the England national team that won the 1966 FIFA World Cup.
The man born from Collyhurst, Manchester is in some elite company in terms of trophies won.
Stiles, Sir Bobby Charlton, Jack Connelly, and Ian Callaghan of Liverpool are the only English players to win both the World Cup and European Cup.
His family released a statement confirming the sad news.
“The Stiles family are sad to announce that Nobby Stiles passed away peacefully today surrounded by his family after a long illness.
“The family kindly ask for privacy at this sad time.”
The England national team on social media says: “We’re incredibly saddened to learn of the passing of Nobby Stiles, a key member of our @FIFAWorldCup winning squad.”
Meanwhile on twitter, Man United says:”We are extremely saddened to learn of the passing of Nobby Stiles MBE”
“Nobby was a titan of the club’s history, cherished for his heart and personality on and off the pitch.”
Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham says Nobby is “quite simply one of the greatest-ever Mancunians” on Twitter.
After retiring, Stiles became the club’s youth coach under Sir Alex Ferguson.
In that time, he would develop future stars David Beckham, and Ryan Giggs among others.
Stiles later managed Preston North End along with West Bromwich Albion.
In between that time, he managed the Vancouver Whitecaps in Canada for three years.
The man known as the “Toothless Tiger” for his robust game suffered from advanced dementia and prostate cancer.
He was 78. (JSL)
