June 14, 2024 07:38
Geoff Hurst is England’s last surviving World Cup winner.
Photo: Getty/Alamy
Sir Geoff Hurst, who scored a hat-trick in England’s 1966 World Cup triumph, said he was “deeply sad” to be the last surviving member of the national team.
The 82-year-old striker, who scored three goals in England’s 4-2 victory over West Germany at Wembley Stadium, paid tribute to the death of Sir Bobby Charlton last year.
Sir Geoff said he was “naturally very sad” that all his team-mates had died. “I spent a lot of time with the players, not just playing but enjoying golf with them for many years afterwards,” he told the Mirror.
“Whenever I look at the team photos now and what the two or three of us have done over the years, it makes me so sad.
“Yeah, that’s it really. I’m so sad. They’re all gone. I’m not the oldest yet. I still have a little bit left.”
read more: ‘Hero to millions’: Tributes pour in as England World Cup hero Sir Bobby Charlton dies aged 86
read more: George Cohen, one of the last remaining players from the 1966 World Cup winning team, has died aged 83.
Geoff Hurst scored England’s third goal against West Germany.
Photo: Getty
“Jack (Charlton) was older than me, George (Cohen) was older, Ray (Wilson) was older, so it’s still a while before I’m the oldest.”
Sir Geoff spent the majority of his club career with West Ham and Stoke and played 49 times for England, representing the national team until 1972.
He said he kept in touch with the rest of the team, mainly through his golfing days, but as he got older he lost touch.
He said he could not remember the last time he spoke to Sir Bobby, who died last October aged 86.
Sir Geoff Hurst at the recent international friendly match between England and Iceland.
Photo: Alamy
But he said he realised something might be wrong when Sir Bobby disappeared from television cameras during a Manchester United game.
Sir Geoff said: “They’d always naturally look to Bobby and then all of a sudden he wasn’t there. Nothing was said and there was a very sensible silence kept about the whole thing, so there was very little contact after his golfing days ended many years ago.”
“But Bobby Charlton was an absolutely incredible player. That’s the story he tells us – one of our true greats, then and now.”
Sir Jeff remained the only player to score a hat-trick in a World Cup final until Kylian Mbappe achieved the feat in France’s defeat to Argentina in 2022.
Bobby Charlton.
Photo: Alamy
And he said he never imagined that nearly 60 years later, that 1966 win would still be spoken of as England’s only major tournament triumph.
“We have a very good team,” he said. “We’ve talked about the team and it’s one of the best we’ve had in a while and the team spirit is very good.”
“We are favourites – that doesn’t mean we’ll win, but we are favourites – so it’s about time. I would like to see us win a major trophy in my lifetime. I’m 82 now and I never thought I’d be talking about it 60 years on.”