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England's World Cup-winning goalkeeper Gordon Banks has died aged 81

Stoke City have confirmed the news.

ENGLISH WORLD CUP-WINNING goalkeeper Gordon Banks has died aged 81.

Gordon Banks File Photo RIP: Gordon Banks (pic dated 1965). PA Wire / PA Images PA Wire / PA Images / PA Images

One of his former clubs, Stoke City FC, confirmed the news this morning with a short statement from the 1966 World Cup champion’s family.

“It is with great sadness that we announce that Gordon passed away peacefully overnight,” the family announcement read.

“We are devastated to lose him but we have so many happy memories and could not have been more proud of him.”

Banks famously played one game for League of Ireland outfit St Pat’s. He lined out in Inchicore against Shamrock Rovers in October 1977 at the age of 40 — five years after his career was brought to an abrupt end after losing an eye in a car accident.

On loan from US outfit Fort Lauderdale Strikers at the time, he kept a clean sheet as the Saints beat Rovers 1-0.

The 73-time capped international produced a massive save to deny Brazil great Pele at Mexico 1970, and that’s lauded as one of the greatest-ever feats in goalkeeping.

Banks won the League Cup with Stoke, where he was between the posts for six years after joining from Leicester City in 1967.

He also played for Chesterfield before making his name with the Foxes, with whom he won the League Cup with in 1964, and then with Cleveland Stokes and Hellenic in the latter days of his career.

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Emma Duffy
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