Gary Neville believes the 'legendary' Sir Bobby Charlton perfectly epitomised what being a Manchester United player means. The passing of Charlton was announced this weekend and the news left the football world in mourning.
Charlton scored 249 goals in 758 games for United and is the second-highest goalscorer in the club's history after Wayne Rooney, while he is also one of just nine players to win the World Cup, the Champions League and the Ballon d'Or. ALSO READ: United player ratings as Dalot and Onana good ALSO READ: Dalot dedicates win to Sir Bobby Charlton Charlton's achievements were remarkable and tributes have poured in from around the world following his passing.
United players wore black armbands against Sheffield United on Saturday as a sign of respect and supporters have laid flowers around the Holy Trinity statue outside Old Trafford.
Neville reflected on Charlton's life on his Sky Sports podcast, which was recorded at Stamford Bridge before United played on Saturday night, and he paid an emotional tribute to a genuine great of the game. "I think he is the greatest English football player of all time, winning the World Cup, the Ballon d'Or, the European Cup and the impact he's had by winning all those trophies but also just his longevity at Manchester United," Neville said. "He played over 700 games, which is just unbelievable, over 100 games for England and if you think about his journey as a youth player and it's what I always think of; three consecutive Youth Cups at United. "Manchester United was built on the principles of the Youth Cup, which was everything when I joined in 1991/92.