England World Cup winner George Cohen dies aged 83

RIP: George Cohen has died aged 83, his former club Fulham have announced. Pic: Steve Paston/PA

George Cohen, the right-back in England’s World Cup-winning team of 1966, has died aged 83, his former club Fulham have announced.

Cohen played every minute of the victorious campaign on home soil and in total won 37 caps for his country.

Fulham wrote on their website: “Everyone at Fulham Football Club is deeply saddened to learn of the passing of one of our greatest ever players – and gentlemen – George Cohen MBE.”

Cohen was a one-club man, playing 459 times for the Cottagers between 1956 and 1969. A knee injury brought his playing career to a premature end at the age of just 29.

He later worked within the west London club’s hospitality suites, regaling guests with stories from his incredible career.

His contribution to the club was recognised in 2016 when they announced a statue of him to be situated at Craven Cottage had been commissioned. It was unveiled in October of that year.

The statue of George Cohen at Craven Cottage (Steve Paston/PA)

Cohen said at the time: “I find it absolutely wonderful that they even thought I was worthy of (a statue).

“Especially as it was alongside Johnny Haynes, the greatest name in Fulham’s history.

“To be alongside him, it was rather unbelievable. It was great to think that not only the club but the supporters had wanted to put a statue of me there.”

Cohen was a campaigner and fundraiser for research into cancer, which claimed the life of his 1966 team-mate and captain Bobby Moore, and into dementia which affected a number of the team in their later years.

Cohen said in 2017 he would be donating his brain for scientific research upon his death.