Jack Charlton: A man beloved in two countries

SALUTING GREATNESS: Jack Charlton is introduced to the crowd ahead of an international friendly between Republic of Ireland and England at the Aviva Stadium in 2015.

When England played Ireland in Dublin for the first time in 20 years in June 2015, there could only be one guest of honour. Before kick-off, Jack Charlton walked down the tunnel and onto the pitch. The relentless passing of time had made him frail but the smile remained young. It had always been enough to light up a dressing room.

It says everything of Charlton’s humility that he was so surprised by the warmth of the Aviva Stadium’s reaction. As rival supporters stood as one to salute a shared giant, Big Jack exhaled deeply in an attempt to hold back the tears and tipped his flat cap to the crowd. It was a hopeless attempt; by the time the cameramen had arrived to capture the moment, Charlton was wiping his cheeks dry with the sleeve of his grey suit. It is only in retrospection that the difference you make becomes most apparent.