England’s World Cup-Winning Goal Keeper Gordon Banks Dies Aged 81

Banks had attained 73 caps for England between 1963 and 1972, making 200 appearances for England's Stoke City Football Club before he retired from the game.

England’s 1966 World Cup winning goalkeeper Gordon Banks has passed away at age of 81, his former club Stoke City said on Tuesday.

Banks had attained 73 caps for England between 1963 and 1972, making 200 appearances for England’s Stoke City Football Club before he retired from the game due to a car crash, which also cost him the sight in one eye.

He was widely regarded as one of the greatest goalkeepers to have played the game and will perhaps be best remembered for the diving stop he made to deny Brazil’s Pele at the 1970 World Cup, which later became known as the “save of the century”.

We’re deeply saddened to hear that Gordon Banks, our #WorldCup-winning goalkeeper, has passed away.

Our thoughts are with Gordon’s friends, family and supporters at this difficult time. pic.twitter.com/nbzncYBCFA

— England (@England) February 12, 2019

From the family of Gordon Banks

It is with great sadness that we announce that Gordon passed away peacefully overnight.

We are devastated to lose him but we have so many happy memories and could not have been more proud of him. pic.twitter.com/mg5GIgSoBb

— Stoke City FC (@stokecity) February 12, 2019

“It is with great sadness that we announce that Gordon passed away peacefully overnight,” Banks’ family said in a statement posted on Stoke’s official website.

“We are devastated to lose him but we have so many happy memories and could not have been more proud of him.”

Banks began his career at Chesterfield in 1958 and moved to Leicester City the following year. He won his first England cap in 1963, four years before he joined Stoke.

(Inputs From Reuters)