Former Liverpool and England striker Roger Hunt has died at the age of 83.
Known as ‘Sir Roger’ to Liverpool fans, Hunt was part of England’s 1966 World Cup-winning side and is the club’s record league scorer with 244 goals.
The forward won 34 England caps, scoring 18 international goals after making his debut in 1962 when Liverpool were in English football’s second tier.
Hunt played in every game of the 1966 World Cup and scored three times to help England out of their group.
“Roger Hunt comes second to no-one in his importance in the history of Liverpool FC, that much is clear,” said Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp.
Born in Golborne, Cheshire, on 20 July 1938, Hunt signed for Liverpool in 1958 and made his 492nd and final appearance for the club in 1969, by which time fans had christened him ‘Sir Roger’.
Under legendary manager Bill Shankly he helped the club out of the Second Division in 1962 by scoring 41 goals in as many games.
Liverpool then won the First Division in 1964 and 1966 either side of an FA Cup win in 1965.
Klopp added: “To be the goalscoring catalyst of the Shankly team to actually achieve promotion and then go on to win those precious league titles and the FA Cup puts him in a bracket of LFC legends who are responsible for making us the club we are today. Not only that, he was also a World Cup winner in 1966, too.
“I am told the Kop christened him ‘Sir Roger’ for all his achievements. A goalscorer who never stopped working to help his team-mates; I believe he would have fitted in well within our current team.
“So, it is Sir Roger we will remember, honour and pay tribute to over the coming days.”
Jimmy Greaves, who played alongside Hunt in the group games of the 1966 World Cup before picking up an injury, died aged 81 earlier this month.
A Liverpool statement said: “We are mourning the passing of legendary former player Roger Hunt.
“The thoughts of everybody at Liverpool Football Club are with Roger’s family and friends at this sad and difficult time.”
‘Among the finest of his generation’ – analysis
BBC Sport chief football writer Phil McNulty
Roger Hunt was often labelled the workhorse of England’s World Cup-winning team in 1966, but this criminally under-rates a striker who was easily among the finest of his generation and one of Liverpool’s greatest players.
Hunt, whose gentlemanly approach to the game and modest demeanour saw him dubbed ‘Sir Roger’ by Liverpool’s supporters, was the spearhead of Bill Shankly’s great Liverpool rebuild that led to two league titles as well as the FA Cup in 1965, when the striker scored in the 2-1 win over Leeds United at Wembley.
He scored 285 goals in 492 Liverpool appearances to lie second only to Ian Rush in the club’s overall scoring record.
The greatest moment of his international career clearly came in the 1966 World Cup. He figured in every England game, scoring twice in the group game against France and also against Mexico, before playing in the 4-2 win over West Germany in the final.
More to follow.
