George Cohen

England’s 1966 side is usually remembered through Moore’s calm, Charlton’s power and Hurst’s goals, but the right flank had its own quiet certainty in George Cohen. Quick, strong and wonderfully reliable, he was a full back with real athletic drive, able to defend one on one, recover ground and support attacks without losing the discipline of his role. At Fulham, he became a one club man, which adds a lovely old football texture to a career that deserved more noise than it usually gets. He was not a decorative technician or a flamboyant overlapping specialist, but his pace, concentration and decision making made him one of the most dependable defenders of his era. For England, he played every minute of the 1966 World Cup triumph, a detail that says plenty about Ramsey’s trust. Cohen was functional excellence: fast, clean, brave and built for serious matches.