Man Utd legend and England World Cup winner Sir Bobby Charlton diagnosed with dementia

Manchester United and England icon Sir Bobby Charlton has been diagnosed with dementia.

Posted Monday, November 02, 2020 by Express.co.uk

England and Manchester United legend Sir Bobby Charlton has been diagnosed with dementia, his family has announced.

Charlton, now 83, was a part of England’s World Cup winning side in 1966, and is considered by many to be the best player the country has ever produced.

Charlton’s announcement comes just days following the tragic death of his team-mate Nobby Stiles, who himself had dementia.

His brother, Jack Charlton, also passed away earlier this year and had suffered from the illness.

Charlton's wife, Lady Norma, gave her blessing for the news to be confirmed via the Telegraph.

Man Utd legend and England World Cup winner Sir Bobby Charlton diagnosed with dementia

The news was announced in the hope that Charlton’s condition can help others suffering from the same thing.

Ray Wilson and Martin Peter, who were both part of the Three Lions' 1966 squad, also passed away recently after suffering from dementia.

Wilson died in 2018, while Peter passed away in 2019.

Charlton, who survived the Munich Air Disaster in 1958, went on to win the Ballon d’Or in the same year as he played every minute of the 1966 World Cup.

He was Manchester United’s record goalscorer until just a few years ago – when his tally of 249 was surpassed by Wayne Rooney.

Charlton also held the same record for the England national team, but Rooney broke that record as well.

Despite playing in the middle of midfield, he was known for his eye for goal and was always described as being dangerous from the edge of the penalty area.

In later life, he maintained his strong links to United, and had a stand named after him in 2016.

He was regularly spotted at Old Trafford for United home games until late last season.

The former player would often attend with his wife.

He was close friends with Stiles, and played alongside him for club and country.

His brother, Jack, passed away earlier this year after a lengthy dementia battle, and his family helped to fund research into the link between football and the condition.

A moving documentary into Jack's final weeks with his wife, Pat, is set to be released later this week.