Famous for his toothless grin and victory jig at the end of the 1966 England World Cup final

Nobby Stiles was a legendary hard man. As an enthusiastic and fully committed half-back

he was extremely popular with Manchester United and England fans alike

renowned for his tough tackling and man marking.

Stiles was born in Manchester and as a young boy he had stood on the Stretford End and dreamt of playing for United. That dream came true when

after representing Manchester and Lancashire Schoolboys

he signed amateur forms with United in 1957.

 From 1960 to 1971 he won two league championship medals and a European Cup winner's medal along

of course

with helping England to win the World Cup in 1966. In both the World Cup semi-final and the 1968 European Cup final

it was his job to stop the legendary Portuguese striker Eusebio.

 In today’s game the tactics employed by Stiles would appear cynical

but it was perfectly acceptable at the time and viewed as part and parcel of the game. Stiles was successful in both matches

effectively extinguishing the attacking threat posed by ‘The Black Panther’.

 But it should not be forgotten that there was much more to Stiles than just his rough and tumble image. He had a great ability to read the game and demonstrated excellent tactical awareness

allowing flair players like George Best and Bobby Charlton to parade their skills.

 When Stiles performed his famous victory dance at Wembley in front of the TV cameras after collecting his World Cup medal in 1966

it was a clear demonstration of his love and excitement for the game of football.

 By 1971

the great United team of the 1960s was in decline and Stiles was sold to Middlesbrough for £22

000. He spent two years with the Second Division outfit before linking up with his former Old Trafford team-mate Bobby Charlton at Preston North End as a player-coach.  He later replaced Charlton as manager at Deepdale. Stiles crossed the Atlantic in 1981 to join Vancouver Whitecaps. Three years later

he returned to England to become manager of West Bromwich Albion for a short spell.

 Stiles returned to Old Trafford in 1989 to take up the post of youth team coach and spent four years at the club

working with the likes of Ryan Giggs

David Beckham and Gary Neville. In 2000

he received the MBE in recognition of his role in England’s World Cup win and is now a regular after-dinner speaker.