Former Liverpool, England forward Roger Hunt dies aged 83

Liverpool: Former Liverpool FC forward and part of England’s World Cup-winning squad Roger Hunt passed away peacefully at home following a long illness on Monday evening. He was 83.

Hunt is Liverpool’s second-highest goalscorer of all time with 285 goals in 492 appearances. A World Cup winner with England in 1966, Hunt joined the Reds from nearby amateur team Stockton Heath as a 20-year-old in July 1958 and spent 11-and-a-half hugely successful years at Anfield.

His overall tally of 285 goals for the Reds stood as a record until Ian Rush surpassed it in 1992. No player has ever scored more league goals for Liverpool than Hunt’s total of 244, however.

Hunt made his debut in a 2-0 win over Scunthorpe United at Anfield in September 1959 – and, naturally, marked the occasion with a goal.

Under the management of Bill Shankly, who arrived at the club a few months later, Hunt would form a fearsome strike partnership with Ian St John and went on to win the Second Division title in 1962, two First Division titles in 1964 and 1966 and the club’s long-awaited first FA Cup in 1965.

Hunt’s achievements saw him bestowed with an honorary knighthood from the Kop and he will forever be known as ‘Sir Roger’ by supporters of the club he graced with such distinction.

He also achieved legendary status on the international stage, starting the 1966 World Cup final in which England beat West Germany at Wembley. He scored three times in six appearances during that tournament and 18 goals in 34 caps overall for his country.