one of greatesTfootball stars
Sir Stanley Matthews was one of English football's first superstars and is the only player to have been knighted while still playing.
A vegetarian teetotaller, he kept fit enough to play at the top level until he was 50. He was also the oldest player ever to play in England’s top division, the oldest player ever to represent his country and his England career is the longest of any player ever to play for the side, stretching from his debut on September 29, 1934, to his last appearance on May 15, 1957, almost 23 years later.
Brazilian legend Pele described him as “the man who taught us the way football should be played”.
Sir Stanley died on February 23, 2000. His ashes are buried beneath the centre circle of Stoke City’s Britannia Stadium, which he officially opened in August 1997.