Sir Bobby Charlton paid respect by England with honorary locker room space in game vs Malta – Man United News And Transfer News

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The footballing world lost a monumental figure of the game last week when Sir Bobby Charlton passed away.

The Manchester United legend’s passing had tributes pouring in from every corner of the globe and the international break gave the perfect opportunity for the national team to join as well.

Sir Bobby was the architect of England’s sole World Cup victory in 1966 and before the Euro Qualifiers game against Malta at Wembley, the Three Lions paid their respects.

The biggest tribute came not on the pitch, but off it.

The England legend was given an honorary locker room space in the buildup to the game, with his iconic “No 9” shirt hanging in the room alongside current players.

He wore No 9 for England and the jersey number became iconic when he guided England to their World Cup triumph, memorably scoring twice against Portugal in the semifinal.

In addition to the locker room, the discourse of his achievements for the national side dominated the pre-match coverage.

His black and white photograph adorned the matchday programme and a minute’s applause in his honour was another mark of respect.

The Wembley crowd was shown a 90-second video before the players made their onto the pitch which showcased just how influential a figure Sir Bobby Charlton was.

To this day, he remains one of only nine players in football history to win the Champions Cup (Now Champions League), the World Cup, and the Ballon d’Or.

England won the game against Malta 2-0 courtesy of a goal by Harry Kane and an own goal by Malta’s Enrico Pepe.

With his goal, Kane extended his lead as England’s all-time top goalscorer list with 61 strikes. Sir Bobby Charlton sits third on the list with 49.