Jimmy Greaves

James Peter Greaves (20 February 1940 – 19 September 2021) was an English forward widely considered one of the finest strikers and players the country has ever produced. He sits fifth on England’s all-time international scoring list with 44 goals, a tally that includes a national record six hat-tricks, and is Tottenham Hotspur’s second-highest goal-scorer in the club’s history. Across the English top flight, no one has scored more: Greaves netted 357 times. He topped the First Division’s scoring charts in six separate seasons, more often than any other player, and finished third in the 1963 Ballon d’Or voting. He also holds a place in the English Football Hall of Fame.

Greaves came through Chelsea’s youth system, turning professional in 1957 after scoring 122 goals for the under-18s the previous season. He made an immediate impact, netting on his First Division debut against Tottenham at White Hart Lane, and ended his first campaign as the club’s top scorer with 22 goals. Over four seasons he racked up 124 top-flight goals for Chelsea, including a club-record 41 in 40 league games in 1960–61. That year he also became the youngest player to reach 100 league goals, aged 20 years and 290 days. Despite his prolific form, Chelsea struggled for consistency, and chairman Joe Mears sold him to AC Milan for £80,000 in April 1961 to raise funds.

His time in Italy did not work out. By December 1961 he was back in England, joining Tottenham Hotspur for £99,999. At Spurs he won the FA Cup twice (1961–62 and 1966–67), the Charity Shield in 1962 and 1967, and the European Cup Winners’ Cup in 1962–63. He never won a league title, though Spurs finished second in 1962–63. In March 1970 he moved to West Ham United in a player exchange and retired the following year. After a four-year break, he returned to non-league football despite struggling with alcoholism, playing for Brentwood, Chelmsford City, Barnet and Woodford Town before finally retiring in 1980.

On the international stage, Greaves scored 13 goals in 12 appearances for England’s under-23 side and 44 goals in 57 full caps between 1959 and 1967. He played at the 1962 and 1966 World Cups. In 1966 he was injured during the group stage and lost his place to Geoff Hurst, who kept him out of the final—substitutes were not yet allowed. England won the tournament, but Greaves did not receive a winner’s medal until FIFA changed the rules in 2009. He was also part of the squad that finished third at UEFA Euro 1968, though he did not play a single minute in the finals.

After hanging up his boots, Greaves moved into broadcasting. From 1985 to 1992 he co-hosted Saint and Greavsie alongside Ian St John, and he regularly appeared on TV-am and other ITV sports programmes, including Sporting Triangles (1987–1990).