Jimmy Greaves

James Peter Greaves, born 20 February 1940 and died 19 September 2021, is widely considered one of the finest strikers in football history and among England's greatest players. He holds the record for the most goals in English top-flight football, with 357, and topped the First Division scoring charts six times—more than any other player. Internationally, he scored 44 goals for England (fifth all-time), including a national record six hat-tricks, and earned a third-place finish in the 1963 Ballon d'Or. He is enshrined in the English Football Hall of Fame and is Tottenham Hotspur's second-highest all-time scorer.

Greaves started his professional career at Chelsea in 1957, having been scouted as a teenager and signed as an apprentice under manager Ted Drake. He made an immediate impact, scoring on his First Division debut against Tottenham at age 17. Over four seasons, he netted 124 league goals for Chelsea, becoming the youngest player to reach 100 league goals. Despite his prolific output, Chelsea struggled for consistency, and in April 1961 he was sold to AC Milan for £80,000. His time in Italy proved unsuccessful, and he returned to England in December 1961, joining Tottenham Hotspur for £99,999.

At Spurs, Greaves 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 hiatus, he returned to non-league football despite battling alcoholism, playing for Brentwood, Chelmsford City, Barnet, and Woodford Town before retiring for good in 1980.

For England, Greaves scored 13 goals in 12 under-23 matches and 44 goals in 57 senior appearances between 1959 and 1967. He played in the 1962 and 1966 World Cups, but an injury during the group stage of the 1966 tournament cost him his place to Geoff Hurst, who started the final—substitutes were not yet permitted. England won the World Cup, but Greaves did not receive a medal until FIFA changed its rules in 2009. He was also part of the squad that finished third at UEFA Euro 1968, though he did not play in the finals.

After retiring as a player, Greaves moved into broadcasting, co-hosting Saint and Greavsie with Ian St John from 1985 to 1992. He also appeared regularly on TV-am and worked on other ITV sports programmes, including Sporting Triangles (1987–1990).