Gordon Banks, England’s 1966 World Cup-winning goalkeeper, dies at 81

England’s 1966 World Cup-winning goalkeeper Gordon Banks has died, his former club Stoke have announced.

Gordon Banks looks on during a Stoke City game during the 1967/68 season. Picture: Don Morley/Allsport/Getty Images

The news was revealed in a statement from the Banks family on the club’s official website.

It said: “It is with great sadness that we announce that Gordon passed away peacefully overnight.

“We are devastated to lose him but we have so many happy memories and could not have been more proud of him.

Banks saves a shot from Denis Law during an England v Scotland match at Wembley in April 1967. Scotland won 3-2. Picture: Douglas Miller/Keystone/Getty Images

“We would ask that the privacy of the family is respected at this time.”

Banks made 510 league appearances for Chesterfield, Leicester and Stoke and won 73 senior international caps, the last of which came in a 1-0 win over Scotland at Hampden Park in May 1972. He was one of the stars of England’s 1966 World Cup triumph against West Germany, and also helped England to third place in the 1968 UEFA European Championships and eight British Home Championships between 1964 and 1972.

He will always be remembered for the remarkable save he made to deny Brazil superstar Pele four years later in Mexico.

During a 19-year career, Banks won six FIFA Goalkeeper of the Year awards, and lifted the League Cup with both Leicester and Stoke in 1964 and 1972 respectively.

He made 26 appearances for Chesterfield in the 1959/60 season after coming through the Spireites’ youth ranks, following spells as a youngster with Millspaugh and Rawmarsh Welfare.

Banks signed for Leicester in July 1959, where he started out as second-choice behind Scotland international John Anderson, but injury and loss of form saw him make 36 appearances in his first season with the Foxes.

He played 356 times for Leicester, and was at Filbert Street when he won the World Cup with England in 1966, but after losing his place in the first-team to one Peter Shilton he was told he could move on after nearly a decade at the club.

Banks moved to Stoke and played in the final four games of the 1966/67 season, going onto make 250 appearances for the Potters including a League Cup win in 1972 with a 2-1 win over Chelsea in the final.

He lost the sight in his right eye after being injured in a road accident in 1972 and retired at the age of 34 as a result.

Banks continued playing, however, joining North American Soccer League (NASL) side Fort Lauderdale Strikers in April 1977 as one of the club’s “named superstars”.

He helped the Strikers to the division title and was named NASL Goalkeeper of the Year after conceding just 29 goals in 26 games.

He featured once for Irish side St Patrick’s Athletic, keeping a clean sheet in a League of Ireland clash with Shamrock Rovers at Richmond Park in October 1977, before returning to Florida and playing a handful of games in the 1978 season for the Strikers.

Banks had a spell on the coaching staff at Port Vale, and later applied for managerial roles at Lincoln City and Rotherham United but was rejected, instead taking the reins for a short spell at part-time side Telford United.

In 2002, Stoke named him as club president, and a statue of a smiling Banks holding the Jules Rimet trophy aloft was unveiled at their ground in 2008, an occasion attended by his old friend and rival Pele.

Banks revealed in 2015 he was fighting kidney cancer for a second time, having lost a kidney to the disease 10 years earlier.

Leicester City tweeted: “Leicester City Football Club is deeply saddened to learn of the death of our former goalkeeper Gordon Banks OBE, who has passed away at the age of 81.”

England and Manchester City winger Raheem Sterling tweeted: “Of course there was THAT save, but it’s so much more we are mourning today. RIP Gordon Banks. England legend, your legacy will live on. All my thoughts with the family.”

Leicester and England defender Harry Maguire added on Twitter: “A World Cup winner, a legend. RIP Gordon Banks.”

Peter Shilton, who followed Banks as England number one, tweeted: “I’m devastated - today I’ve lost my hero. Our condolences to his family, RIP Gordon.”

BBC presenter and former England striker Gary Lineker tweeted: “Oh no. Gordon Banks, an absolute hero of mine, and countless others, has died. England’s World Cup winner was one of the greatest goalkeepers of all time, and such a lovely, lovely man. #RIPGordon.”