One of the greatest footballers of all time, Sir Bobby Charlton turns 79 today. He was an essential member of the England team that won the 1966 World Cup, and he went on to win the Ballon d’Or that year.

He is a Manchester United legend having spent 17 years at the club, scoring 249 goals in 758 appearances. Aged 20, Charlton survived the Munich air disaster in 1958 that saw seven of his United team-mates killed. He played as if every game was for his fallen colleagues, recovering from his injuries to reach the pinnacle for both club and country, including scoring a goal in the final as the Busby Babes lifted the European Cup a decade after the tragedy.

He won three league titles with the Red Devils and, with England, he earned 106 caps, scoring 49 goals in the process – a record that was only broken last year by Wayne Rooney.

More sports star birthdays on this day:

1939: Maria Bueno, Brazilian former tennis player, who won seven grand slam singles titles (77).

1946: Sawao Kato, Japanese ex-gymnast. One of the most successful Olympians ever with 12 medals (70).

1989: Michelle Wie, American golfer, who won the 2014 US Open (27).

1990: Sebastian Rode, German footballer who plays as a midfielder for Borussia Dortmund (26).