On Friday, football lost one of its true greats when Jack Charlton died at the age of 85.
The sheer volume of tributes that poured in following the announcement served as a testament to his popularity, as the loss was felt across the planet.
Although he was born in Northumberland, it was in Yorkshire that Jack Charlton earned his legendary status. A one club man throughout his playing career, the centre-back accumulated a club record 773 appearances. On the international stage, he was part of England’s World Cup-winning squad in 1966.
He was also revered by Sheffield Wednesday, a club that found themselves in crisis when he took the reins as manager in 1977. The Owls were rooted to the bottom of Division Three but were steered to safety by Charlton, and eventually won promotion under his tutelage in 1980.
His replacement at Hillsborough, Howard Wilkinson, led Wednesday to promotion to the top flight in 1984 on foundations built by his predecessor.
Despite being an England international during his playing days, Charlton was adored by the Republic of Ireland for being the man at the helm during a golden age for their national side. The nation’s first foreign manager was given the freedom of Dublin and honorary Irish citizenship due to his achievements, which included a run to the quarter-finals of the 1990 World Cup.
Away from the pitch, he gained the respect of people who cared little for sport with his passion for helping people. He marched with miners in Durham, having worked in the mines himself, and had applied to join the Police as a teenager when Leeds United came calling.
A true legend in every sense of the word, he will not be forgotten. Rest in peace, big Jack.
