Tributes from football clubs in the East for legend Jimmy Greaves
Andy Ward reflects on Jimmy Greaves' life
Tributes have been pouring in for football legend Jimmy Greaves who has died at the age of 81.
Greaves, who lived near Chelmsford, suffered a stroke in 2015. He scored 44 goals for England and was the leading scorer for Spurs.
Later he became a popular pundit on the ITV show Saint and Greavsie.
The Premier League club said in a statement: "We are extremely saddened to learn of the passing of the great Jimmy Greaves, not just Tottenham's record goalscorer but the finest marksman this country has ever seen.
Greaves wound down his playing career with stints at West Ham and Barnet before starring alongside former Liverpool striker Ian St John in the popular ITV programme 'Saint and Greavsie' between 1985 and 1992, which saw him become a popular pundit.
Watch a short interview with Barry Fry, Director of Football at Peterborough United about his memories of Jimmy Greaves
Essex-born Sir Geoff Hurst who replaced Greaves in the 1966 team and scored a hat-trick in the final triumph over West Germany, says Greaves was simply the greatest English forward there has ever been.
"There have been some great players but forwards are judged on goals, and there's nobody who could touch him," Hurst told the PA news agency in February 2020.
"I am asked is there any animosity between Jimmy and I, because I took his place? But not for one second. "You hear the term genius, and it is the one word which applies to Jimmy."
Southend West MP Sir David Amess also paid tribute to a man he described as an England hero.