Sir Bobby Charlton Diagnosed With Dementia

Sir Bobby Charlton has been diagnosed with dementia, his wife Nora has confirmed.

Charlton, 83, is one of the greatest footballers in history. A survivor of the Munich air disaster, he made 758 appearances for Manchester United and was their record appearance-holder and all-time top scorer until Ryan Giggs and Wayne Rooney came along.

A former England captain, he lifted the World Cup in 1966, the same year he won Ballon d'Or, becoming the first English player to do so.

News of his condition broke via The Telegraph, who had been in contact with his wife, Lady Nora Charlton, and had her blessing to report it a day after Charlton's former team-mate, Nobby Stiles, passed away.

According to the newspaper, Nora 'expressed hope' that news of his condition will help others. Charlton's public diagnosis will lend weight to calls for dementia in football to be investigated, as studies suggest there is a link between the disease and the sport.

Charlton is the fifth member of England's 1966 team to be diagnosed with dementia. His older brother, Jack, died in July after living with the disease, while Stiles, Ray Wilson, and Martin Peters were all diagnosed before their respective deaths.

Sir Bobby Charlton played every minute of England's one and only World Cup triumph, starring up against Franz Beckenbauer in the final as England beat Germany 4-2 after extra-time. He made 106 appearances for England, scoring 49 goals, and is the second-highest scorer in their history, behind Rooney.

Charlton served United for virtually his entire playing career, spending 17 seasons there, winning three First Division titles, an FA Cup and a European Cup.