Quotes by Bobby Charlton

“Some people tell me that we professional players are soccer slaves. Well, if this is slavery, give me a life sentence.”

“The injuries worry me because they all seem to be long term.”

“But our young players are older and wiser and the ability is there, so we will be okay.”

“It doesnt really surprise me and I hope that what George Best has given to football will improve the game as we know it.”

“It feels really great. Some of them we havent seen for a long, long time.”

“Id like to see it. Its either a goal or its not and at least wed know. It would only take 15 seconds for a decision. Why not when the stakes are so high?”

“Ive been asked about that goal every day for the last 40 years. We didnt have the technology back then to show whether it was a goal or not, which led to the controversy. Id like to think one day well have the technology to show whether or not it was a goal.”

“Im looking forward to the World Cup because I believe Wayne Rooney could be one of the major finds in world football.”

“It was a fair decision, the penalty, even though it was debatable whether it was inside or outside the box.”

The eccentric passion of Shankly was underlined for me by my England team-mate Roger Hunts version of the classic tale of the Liverpool managers pre-game talk before playing Manchester United. The story has probably been told a thousand times in and out of football, and each time you hear it there are different details, but when Roger told it the occasion was still fresh in his mind and Ive always believed it to be the definitive account. It was later on the same day, as Roger and I travelled together to report for England duty, after we had played our bruising match at Anfield. Ian St John had scored the winner, then squared up to Denis Law, with Nobby finally sealing the mood of the afternoon by giving the Kop the V sign. After settling down in our railway carriage, Roger said, You may have lost today, but you would have been pleased with yourself before the game. Shanks mentioned you in the team talk. When he says anything positive about the opposition, normally he never singles out players. According to Roger, Shankly burst into the dressing room in his usual aggressive style and said, Were playing Manchester United this afternoon, and really its an insult that we have to let them on to our field because we are superior to them in every department, but they are in the league so I suppose we have to play them. In goal Dunne is hopeless- he never knows where he is going. At right back Brennan is a straw- any wind will blow him over. Foulkes the centre half kicks the ball anywhere. On the left Tony Dunne is fast but he only has one foot. Crerand couldnt beat a tortoise. Its true David Herd has got a fantastic shot, but if Ronnie Yeats can point him in the right direction hes likely to score for us. So there you are, Manchester United, useless...Apparently it was at this point the Liverpool winger Ian Callaghan, who was never known to whisper a single word on such occasions, asked, What about Best, Law and Charlton, boss?Shankly paused, narrowed his eyes, and said, What are you saying to me, Callaghan? I hope youre not saying we cannot play three men.

In the sweep of its appeal, its ability to touch every corner of humanity, football is the only game that needed to be invented.