Sir Bobby Charlton: Who's likely to be at the Manchester United football legend's funeral?

The funeral of footballing legend Sir Bobby Charlton will be held this afternoon.

The Manchester United and England great died in October at the age of 86, following an accidental fall at his care home.

A procession will pass Old Trafford, 1.30pm, where fans will be able to say a final farewell, before the service at Manchester Cathedral from 2pm.

While many have already written tributes online, here's a look at who's likely to be there in person to pay their respects and celebrate his life.

• Sir Alex Ferguson

Widely regarded as one of the greatest managers of all time, Sir Alex Ferguson managed Manchester United between 1986 and 2013. In a eulogy to Sir Bobby, Sir Alex reflected on his appointment and the "personal connection" he had with him.

He added: "It’s no surprise to me that we’ve seen tributes to Sir Bobby from everywhere in the world, on every TV channel and in every newspaper, because he was without question the greatest English player of all time.

"People loved him because of all those thunderbolt goals, but it was more than that. My dad used to say that humility in success is a sign of greatness, and that was Bobby. He never used to boast about his own achievements; it was always about the team and the club."

• David Beckham

LA Galaxy owner Beckham could be flying over from the US for the funeral.

Following Sir Bobby's death, Beckham dubbed him a "national hero", saying: "He was respected on the field for what he did for what he went through, for what he won, but he was even more respected off the field for what he stood for."

• Denis Law

Law spent 11 years at United with Sir Bobby, where he scored 237 goals in 404 appearances, which places him third in the club's goalscoring history, behind Sir Bobby and Wayne Rooney.

• Paddy Crerand

Speaking to ITV News, former teammate Paddy Crerand said Charlton "meant everything" to Manchester United, and his death had left him and many others "heartbroken".

• Bryan Robson

Former player and manager Bryan Robson signed for Man Utd in 1981, where he became the longest-serving captain in the club's history.

In March 2008, 14 years after he had last played for them, Robson returned to United where he worked alongside Sir Bobby to help 'promote the club's commercial and charitable aims'.

• Alex Stepney

Stepney was United's goalkeeper when they became the first English club to win the European Cup. He played for the club from 1966 to 1978.

• Brian Kidd

Kidd played for United alongside Charlton between 1967 and 1974. He was most recently assistant coach of Manchester City, alongside manager Pep Guardiola.

• Erik ten Hag

The United manager will likely be there alongside some of the current squad.

• Gary Neville

Football pundit and former player Gary Neville described Sir Bobby as "the greatest English football player" who was a "a champion on and off the pitch" and "paved the way for all to come at United".

• Paul Scholes

Coach, pundit and former player Scholes spent his entire professional playing career with Manchester United, for whom he scored over 150 goals in more than 700 appearances between 1993 and 2013.

• Wayne Rooney

The current Birmingham City manager, who played for Manchester United between 2004 and 2017, is the club's record goalscorer.

He was also the record goalscorer for England 2015-2023, and has made more appearances for England than any other outfield player.

He regards Sir Bobby as a "huge inspiration".

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