Nobby Stiles

Born in Manchester in 1942, Nobby Stiles found fame with Manchester United but earned his place in English football folklore as part of Sir Alf Ramsey’s 1966 World Cup-winning side. He and Old Trafford team-mate Sir Bobby Charlton remain the only two Englishmen in history to have won both the World and European Cup.

The most tenacious and feared man markers of his generation, Stiles made his England debut against Scotland at Wembley in 1965 as Ramsey fine tuned his preparations for the World Cup finals the following year. The United midfielder made an instant impression and he was to play in the eight of the next nine warm-up games.

By the time the World Cup proper arrived, he was an automatic choice in the team and his all-action performances, toothy grin and phenomenal work rate earned him thousands of fans who appreciated the platform he built for the team’s more creative players.

Lifting the World Cup after beating West Germany in the final was the pinnacle of his career and the pictures of Stiles dancing with the Jules Rimet trophy after the final whistle at Wembley is one of the day’s most enduring images.

Stiles won a total of 28 caps for his country. He also went on to lift the European Cup with Manchester United in 1968 and he was finally awarded the MBE in 2000 for his services to the game.

Memorabilia signed by Nobby Stiles