Sheffield United legend earmarked as Bobby Charlton’s successor pays emotional tribute to Man United ‘God’

They say to never meet your heroes.

Tony Currie, the Sheffield United icon, went further than that.

"Jimmy and Bobby were the ones for me," the Blades’ greatest ever player says, referencing his childhood idols Jimmy Greaves and Bobby Charlton.

"They influenced me massively, gave me the inclination and drive to be a footballer."

Sadly both members of England’s 1966 World Cup-winning squad are no longer with us, with Charlton’s passing at the age of 86 announced at the weekend – shortly before his team, Manchester United, took on the Blades at Bramall Lane.

Charlton had withdrawn from public life in 2020, shortly after being diagnosed with dementia, and his death sparked an outpouring of tributes from the wider footballing world.

"Jimmy played in my debut for Sheffield United, and I captained United in Bobby’s last game at Old Trafford. It’s strange how things happen, isn’t it?" adds Currie.

"With what happened in the Munich crash, and how he came back from that and dealt with it over the years, was brilliant. And what a lovely man as well.

"He had time for everybody. Obviously it’s been covered a lot on the telly in the last couple of days and it makes you think back to the games we played against each other, when Man United were great and when they weren’t so great towards the end of his career. The tributes show the life he had and how he was loved. He was a God. He was the King. They called Denis Law that but for me, Bobby was the King."

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Currie was earmarked as the heir to Charlton’s throne, identified as the ideal replacement for the departing World Cup-winning legend by the Red Devils’ hierarchy.

Currie was 23, a star in his own right at Bramall Lane, and admits to being flattered about the interest. But he "adored" life at the Lane and his introverted personality led to concerns about how he would fit in at Old Trafford. Instead, he signed a six-year deal – plus a one-year option – to stay at the original United.

A season later the Red Devils were relegated; a far cry from the behemoth that arrived at Bramall Lane last weekend as arguably the biggest football club on the planet but weakened a little by the loss of one of their favourite sons. Pre-match tributes saw current-day captain Bruno Fernandes lay a wreath in the centre-circle while both clubs’ players, staff and fans took part in a minute’s applause while Charlton’s image appeared on the big Bramall Lane screen.

"It was emotional, very emotional," Currie says. "I’m an emotional type of bloke anyway. When we had the tributes to Maddy Cusack against Newcastle, that was very emotional too and I always raise a glass to anyone I know who has died. I did the same with Bobby. It comes to an end for all of us one day, I guess. But you think that gods like him would go on forever."