Alan Ball, who died on 25 April, 2008, at the age of 61, was the youngest member of England's World Cup winning football team of 1966.

On English football's finest day, he is remembered as the man whose creativity and enthusiasm outshone every other player, setting up the pivotal third goal in England ’s 4-2 win over West Germany .

A bundle of energy, Mr Ball displayed a will to win and a love for the game throughout his career that could be matched by few, resulting in the utmost respect from both colleagues and fans alike.

Having twice commanded the British transfer fee record as a player, he moved into management when his playing days finished, and despite not enjoying the success he had as a player, he still carried an infectious passion for the game that never dwindled.

James Alan Ball was born on 12 May 1945, in Farnworth, Lancashire and was encouraged to play football by his father, who had played for and managed Preston North End.

A stumbling block in young Ball's career was his height, at only 5ft 6in he was rejected by a number of teams, and it was only the influence of his father that convinced Blackpool to sign him up as an apprentice in 1961, making his debut at the age of 17.

By 1965 he was an England international, making his debut against Yugoslavia after being spotted by manager Alf Ramsey , who recognised the influence a man with Mr Ball's fitness, ambition, commitment and a will to win could have on his World Cup hopefuls.

After being dropped in the early rounds, he was reinstated for the quarter final against Argentina and did not look back, winning the World Cup at the age of 21, which paved the way for a £110,000 transfer to Everton.

Further success followed with Everton, where he played 249 matches and scored 78 goals, winning the league title in 1970 in the process, before he was sold to Arsenal for £220,000 in 1971, playing 177 games in which he scored 45 goals.

After moving to Southampton in 1976, who he led to promotion, he then moved to America, before returning to England to manage a number of clubs including Southampton, Portsmouth and Manchester City .

Despite intermittent periods of success as a manager, he failed to reach the highs he had experienced as a player, though many of the teams he managed had been in a perilous position when he was hired.

Renowned for his high pitched voice, he finished his working life putting it to use, experiencing more success as an after dinner speaker, calling upon a rich bank of stories, in addition to his often controversial, opinionated and passionate views.

In 2000, 34 years after the famous day at Wembley, Mr Ball was finally awarded a richly deserved Member of the British Empire and was inducted into the British Football Hall of Fame three years later.

During the time he had away from football he had a further love, that of horse racing, and would often take his teams to Cheltenham or Newbury on team building exercises, something he would see as the ideal mix of business and pleasure.