Steve Bruce pays tribute to "magnificent man" Sir Bobby Charlton

Former Manchester United defender Steve Bruce has paid tribute to the late Sir Bobby Charlton, calling the club legend "a magnificent man".

Charlton passed away last month, and the world of football came together to remember a player who enjoyed unparalleled success in English football.

Being a part of the England side that won the World Cup in 1966, he is one of just nine players to win international football's biggest honour in addition to the European Cup/Champions League and the Ballon d'Or.

After a battle with dementia though, Charlton died on October 21 at the age of 86, and tributes from Manchester United and England were particularly poignant.

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Charlton's funeral took place earlier this month at Manchester Cathedral, and Steve Bruce was in attendance to pay his respects to a man he claims is synonymous with Manchester United.

Speaking about Charlton, Bruce told Sports Mole: "There's three people that spring to mind when you speak the words 'Manchester United' - Sir Matt Busby, of what he achieved, Sir Alex [Ferguson], of course of what he's achieved, and then you've got a player as such which is arguably the greatest English player we've ever had."

Charlton's performances at the 1966 World Cup contributed heavily to his Ballon d'Or success, as he also won the Golden Ball at the finals which the Three Lions won on home soil.

Bruce was complimentary not only of Charlton's footballing ability, but also his persona off it, having nothing but pleasant words to say about him as a human being.

"When you look at his record and what he did, it was quite staggering, the number of games he played and the goals he scored for England and Manchester United, and above all, which comes through more than anything was he was a really, really fantastic man." Bruce said.

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"I've told the story where I bumped into him in Barbados when I first went to Man U, and my kids were nine and 10/11, and he said to our Alex: 'Have you been swimming with the turtles yet Alex?' and he said 'No no, I haven't seen them yet'.

"So Bobby ran along the beach, went and got a snorkel and flippers and took Alex away for a couple of hours, and I'm sitting there with my wife thinking this is the great Bobby Charlton who is swimming with the turtles!

"He enjoyed it immensely, he was a magnificent man, [and] a wonderful, wonderful footballer, so we have to just honour him on what he achieved and what he did. He was a great man."

Charlton withdrew from public life in November 2020 following his dementia diagnosis, but the man whose name sits on the South Stand at Old Trafford will always be remembered as one of English football's all-time greats.

Steve Bruce was talking to Sports Mole on behalf of Gambling Zone.

Written by
Andrew Delaney