English football has lost another of its greatest sons after it was announced that former Liverpool striker Roger Hunt has passed away at 83.

Nicknamed 'Sir Roger' by supporters on the Spion Kop, Hunt signed for the Anfield club in 1958 and went on to become the club's all-time record league goal-scorer with 244. He scored 285 in all competitions - a tally only surpassed by Ian Rush.

But Hunt became a national hero as part of England's victorious 1966 World Cup winning squad, scoring three goals in the group stages and playing in every match, including the famous final against West Germany at Wembley.

Speaking on the Liverpool FC website, first team manager Jurgen Klopp said: “It’s really sad news and our thoughts and our love go to his family.

“Unfortunately, it feels too frequent in this moment we are saying farewell to these giants of our club.

“Roger Hunt comes second to no-one in his importance in the history of Liverpool FC, that much is clear.

“To be the goalscoring catalyst of the Shankly team to actually achieve promotion and then go on to win those precious league titles and the FA Cup puts him in a bracket of LFC legends who are responsible for making us the club we are today. Not only that, he was also a World Cup winner in 1966, too.

“I am told the Kop christened him 'Sir Roger' for all his achievements. A goalscorer who never stopped working to help his teammates; I believe he would have fit in well within our current team.

“So, it is Sir Roger we will remember, honour and pay tribute to over the coming days."

Born in Golborne, Cheshire on July 20, 1938, Hunt was signed by Phil Taylor from non-league Stockton Heath but was kept on by Bill Shankly, and helped the club out of the old Second Division in 1962, going on to win league titles in 1964 and 1966. He also won the FA Cup with Liverpool in 1965.

"English football has lost another great with the passing of Roger Hunt," said FA CEO Mark Bullingham.

"On behalf of the FA, our thoughts are with his family and friends today. Roger will always be treasured by fans across the country as one of our World Cup winners of 1966.

"He will forever be remembered at Wembley Stadium and we will pay tribute to his memory before our home fixture with Hungary next month."