Obituary: Albert Quixall, footballer

Albert Quixall, who has died at 87, was a former Sheffield Wednesday footballer recruited by Manchester United for a then-record £45,000 as it rebuilt its team in the aftermath of the 1958 Munich air disaster.

He started his career with the Owls in 1951 and scored 63 goals in 241 league appearances, winning five caps for England between 1953 and 1955.

At Old Trafford, he scored 50 goals in 165 games before spells at Oldham and Stockport. He was part of United’s 1963 FA Cup-winning squad, his only major honour before leaving the game while still in his early 30s.

Born in Sheffield in 1933, he had joined Wednesday’s ground staff as a 14-year old. He played twice for the England schoolboys international team while holding down a day job as an apprentice joiner. He later worked for a construction firm before signing professional forms at 16.

He made his Owls debut against Chelsea on February 24 1951 aged 17, and was soon known as the Golden Boy of Hillsborough, on account of his blond hair and youthful looks.

In later years, he preferred golf to football, settling in Greater Manchester and running a scrap metal business until his retirement. A hospitality suite at Hillsborough still bears his name.

He is survived by his wife, Jeanette, whom he married in 1956, and by their three children.