It's been confirmed this morning that former Republic of Ireland manager Jack Charlton has died at the age of 85.
Charlton's passing was confirmed by his former club Leeds United and by his granddaughter on social media.
Leeds said he had passed away "following a long-term illness".
Beyond sad to have to say goodbye to my beloved Grandad, Jack Charlton. He enriched so many lives through football, friendship and family. He was a kind, funny and thoroughly genuine man and our family will miss him enormously. pic.twitter.com/MR4i5WgAMP
— Emma Wilkinson (@emmawilkitv) July 11, 2020
Charlton was a World Cup winner with his native England in 1966 and made a club record 773 appearances for Leeds before moving into management.
In 1986, he was the surprise choice for manager of the Irish international team.
Two years later, Ireland were off to Germany for their first ever trip to a major championships, the 1988 European Championships. There, as fate would have it, we were paired with England in the first game. We all know what happened next.
Jack became a cult like figure in Ireland, something that was only enhanced when he reached the World Cup quarter-finals two years later. Another trip to a World Cup followed in 1994.
Jack Charlton left the Irish job in 1996 after almost ten years that changed the country forever. His influence and impact went beyond football and even sport. It's safe to say we'll never see his likes again.
We'll never forget.
Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam ☘️#RIP pic.twitter.com/5lxVX326vI— FAIreland ⚽️🇮🇪 (@FAIreland) July 11, 2020
