Legendary Tottenham and Chelsea footballer Jimmy Greaves dies aged 81
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Legendary Tottenham and Chelsea footballer Jimmy Greaves dies aged 81

JIMMY GREAVES, World Cup winner and record scorer for Tottenham Hotspur, has died at the age of 81.

The North London club confirmed his passing in a statement this morning.

Greaves, who had used a wheelchair since suffering a stroke in 2015, scored 266 goals in 379 appearances for Spurs.

He also scored 44 goals in 57 appearances for England and was a member of the squad that won the 1966 World Cup.

"We are extremely saddened to learn of the passing of the great Jimmy Greaves, not just Tottenham Hotspur's record goalscorer but the finest marksman this country has ever seen," read a Spurs statement.

"Jimmy passed away at home in the early hours of this morning (Sunday 19 September), aged 81."

Greaves started his professional career at Chelsea, for whom he scored 125 goals in 157 league appearances.

He arrived at White Hart Lane in 1961 following a short stint in Italy with AC Milan.

Greaves played alongside Belfast native Danny Blanchflower as Spurs won the 1962 FA Cup Final, with both men scoring in the 3-1 victory.

The striker won the competition again five years later, and also scored a brace as Spurs beat Atletico Madrid 5-1 in the 1963 European Cup Winners' Cup Final.

After departing Spurs, Greaves played for West Ham, before seeing out his career at non-league sides including Brentwood and Barnet.

Having played in each of England's three group games at the 1966 World Cup, injury ruled him out of the knockout stages of the competition.