According to The Athletic, Manchester United reporter Andy Mitten has compiled a list of the club's 25 greatest players of all time, to be released in reverse chronological order this summer. This issue reveals the number one legend.
In the article, he explained his selection criteria.
In his autobiography, Sir Bobby Charlton wrote: "Since February 6, 1958, I have been constantly asked one question: all my achievements since then, including the European Cup and the World Cup, have been accompanied by the question, 'Why me?'"
"Roger Byrne, Eddie Coleman, Liam Whelan, David Pegg, Tommy Taylor, Mark Jones, and Jeff Bent perished on the spot, and Duncan Edwards, whom I deeply admired and respected, also struggled between life and death before ultimately succumbing. Why did I find myself completely unharmed after checking myself over? Why was I able to inherit the glory that these gifted young men should have continued to create?"
Charlton survived the Munich air disaster with minimal physical injury, but the psychological trauma has haunted him for life. Ten years later, he captained Manchester United to become the first English team to win the Champions League. After the match, he vomited twice in the locker room; at the post-match party, he left early. Ten years earlier, he had lost several close friends in his pursuit of European glory; at that moment, he only wanted to reflect, not celebrate. Manchester United goalkeeper Harry Gregg, a hero of the Munich air disaster, stated that Charlton changed significantly after the tragedy; his playing style and personality were different from before.
In the years that followed, the boy, born in Ashington near Newcastle, rose through the ranks, playing his way from Manchester United's youth academy to the league's best player, and even reaching greater heights. In 1966, Bobby Charlton was named European Footballer of the Year, finishing ahead of legends Eusébio and Franz Beckenbauer; he finished second twice, in 1967 and 1968. That same year, he helped England win the World Cup on home soil, and his brother Jack was also in that championship-winning squad.
Charlton is renowned worldwide. In 1968, when Manchester United traveled to Buenos Aires for an Intercontinental Cup match against Estudiantes de La Plata, the airport announcement directly stated that "El Supremo" (the Supreme Man) had arrived.
After Manchester United won the Champions League final in 2008, Nemanja Vidic never had a chance to relax until he arranged for his father, who couldn't speak English, to meet his idol, Bobby Charlton.
In his 2013 autobiography, Sir Alex Ferguson wrote: "Bobby Charlton made 758 appearances for Manchester United, second only to Giggs, and 106 for England, participating in four World Cup finals. He was what I call 'world-class.' He seemed to float on the pitch, equally adept with both feet, able to play on the left, right, and in the center, and possessed an inner confidence and steely will. Despite his many achievements, Bobby remained humble and modest."
In Manchester during the 1980s, the name "Bobby Charlton" also referred to his football academy, where he would personally mentor the players. David Beckham was one of those who received guidance from him.
As a fan in my twenties or thirties who traveled with the team both home and away, I used to think he wasn't a "cool" choice. Charlton was a club director and was involved in many decisions that were unpopular with the fans, such as defending Ferguson when most fans demanded his dismissal. He was honest, rational, and unlike George Best, he wasn't constantly in the tabloids.
Later, I flew with Manchester United fans to Lisbon for Eusébio's farewell match in 1992, which was also Eric Cantona's debut for Manchester United against Benfica. Charlton emerged from first class, chatting and signing autographs with ordinary fans along the way. My impression of him changed considerably, but fans rarely sang his praises as they did for his teammates Best, Dennis Law, and Brian Kidd.
His consistent support for the Glazer family naturally displeased many fans, but there is no doubt that Sir Bobby Charlton is the greatest player in Manchester United's history.
Charlton's Manchester United teammate Paddy Clayland told me: "Bobby is a very genuine player; football is his life. When we meet on Saturday mornings, he's always incredibly excited, his mind is full of the game. When he gets the ball during warm-up, he's like a kid with a new toy. He's a great player, but that feeling of freshness with the ball at his feet never fades in his entire life."
"Bobby plays like an artist. Compared to a tough player like me, he's like a ballerina on the field. Other players can also perform his technical moves, but he makes them look twice as beautiful."
His powerful shots are effortless, requiring almost no leg movement and without disrupting his sprinter-like elegance. Only Wayne Rooney has surpassed Charlton's 249 goals in Manchester United's history.
Charlton won the FA Youth Cup three times with Manchester United, and later became a key member of the "Busby Babes" and a league-winning team. After the Munich air disaster, he once again stepped up, and seven years after the tragedy, Manchester United finally won the league title again, with him being the number one contributor.
In the final round of the 1964-65 season, Aston Villa defeated Manchester United 2-1, resulting in Manchester United and Leeds United finishing with a tie on points. Créland recalled: "We could have lost the title, but Bobby Charlton dribbled past five players and scored one of the most spectacular goals I've ever seen. In the end, we won the title on goal difference, which infuriated Leeds United."
Créland and Charlton had a great understanding in the midfield at Manchester United, and Charlton even helped Créland settle in when he joined from Scotland.
He explained: "On my first few weekends in Manchester, Bobby and Norma Charlton treated us to dinner. I've always respected and admired him as a player. He's quite shy, so he specifically invited us to a pub near his home in Flickton, which I appreciated. Bobby asked me what I wanted to drink, and I said sherry. I don't actually drink alcohol, not even sherry, but at the time it seemed like the safest option."
"He paused for a moment, thinking that this big Glasgow guy must be a heavy drinker, going straight for sherry instead of beer. We had a great time that night, but I barely drank anything. On Monday morning, Harry Gregor stayed with me and asked how Saturday night went. I said, 'Great, why?' He said, 'Because Bobby was so nervous, afraid the waiter would spill something, or someone would say something to you, and you'd explode.'"
Créland said: "It was very comfortable playing with Bobby. We are completely different personalities; he is quiet, and I am not. People think he is dull, and he is sometimes, but the public does not see the real him. He is not an extrovert, but he is a very good person and loves Manchester United no less than any other fan."
“Bobby only relaxes around certain people. When you see him with his good friends like Shea Brennan and Nobe Styles, he’s a completely different person: funny and easygoing. He loves to play pranks and often comes to practice to rave about the movie he watched the night before, talking so much that you want to rush to the theater right away.”
"So I took Noreen to see it, and not long after, she said it was terrible. You soon find out it's one of the worst movies you've ever seen. The next morning, Bobby was grinning from ear to ear. He knew perfectly well the movie was bad, but he just wanted to drag others down with him. Getting revenge on him was easy; just don't let him eat cream cake. Other players are afraid of gaining weight and don't dare to eat it, but Bobby loves it."
Charlton would drink a small glass of sherry or whiskey before going on stage to help him breathe more easily.
His teammates remember him often giving advice to younger players. Kidd said, "Bobby Charlton used to tell me repeatedly when I was young: 'Don't think you've already succeeded; you're not just here to make up the numbers.'"
Throughout the world, his name is synonymous with English gentlemanly conduct. Charlton became Manchester United's chief ambassador. After the Hillsborough Inquiry was released in 2012, it was he who went to Anfield to lay a wreath composed of 96 roses in memory of every Liverpool fan who had passed away. Until his death in 2023 at the age of 86, he consistently attended Manchester United matches at Old Trafford, and the stadium's main stand is named after him.
Ferguson said in 2013: "You see Bobby's eyes shining after a win, rubbing his hands together. He really loves winning. I want to be like that too. I hope I can go to Champions League matches again and tell people: I am proud of this team, it is a great club."
Bobby Charlton is the greatest player in English football history, and he dedicated his career to Manchester United.
