Jimmy Armfield: Blackpool and England legend has died at the age of 82
- From the section Football
Former England and Blackpool captain Jimmy Armfield has been described as "a national hero", following his death at the age of 82.
Armfield, who played a club record 627 times for Blackpool, managed Bolton and Leeds in a distinguished career.
After management, Armfield went on to work with the Football Association and as a summariser for BBC Radio 5 live.
Professional Footballers' Association chief Gordon Taylor said that football "is much diminished with our loss".
Armfield had been receiving treatment for cancer, after the illness returned for a second time in 2016.
Taylor, who counted Armfield as a personal friend, said he was "a national hero and football legend, Blackpool icon and captain of England, he will be sadly missed by all who knew him".
"He had time for everybody and made the world a better place with his love for life and all his many activities for his charities, hospitals, his church and his devotion to his wife Anne, his sons Duncan and John and their wives and his grandchildren."
His family say he "passed away peacefully" surrounded by those closest to him.
Their statement went on: "Jimmy had two great loves, first and foremost was his family, to which he was devoted and loved dearly. The other was football, especially Blackpool, England and his colleagues at the PFA."
Armfield, who played for Blackpool for 17 years, was captain for more than a decade at Bloomfield Road.
The right-back made 43 international appearances and was England skipper for 15 of those matches between 1959 and 1966.
He was made England captain in 1962 and looked set to skipper Alf Ramsey's team at the World Cup in 1966 but a toe injury meant he did not play as England went on to win the tournament.
Armfield was given a winners' medal by Fifa 43 years later.
