Sir Stanley Matthews was one of the earliest global superstars of the game, a mesmerising right-winger nicknamed the Wizard of Dribble for his ability to bewitch defenders with feint and acceleration. His career at Stoke City and Blackpool stretched across an astonishing span, and he was still playing top-flight football past his fiftieth year.
He gave his name to the 1953 FA Cup final, when his late brilliance dragged Blackpool from behind to victory, and in 1956 he became the inaugural winner of the Ballon d’Or.
The first professional footballer to be knighted, he remained a byword for sportsmanship and longevity, a model professional revered across the world long after he retired.