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Former Manchester United player Jeff Whitefoot has died after reaching 90 years of age.
The club released a statement yesterday saying that they were “deeply saddened to learn that Jeff Whitefoot, a former Busby Babe, has passed away.”
“May he rest in peace, with a special place in club folklore long since assured.”
The Cheshire-born wing half was one of the “original Busby Babes”, an exhilarating team that took 1950s British and European football by storm.
Whitefoot made history when he became United’s youngest league debutant at the age of 16 years and 105 days in the 1949/1950 campaign.
He went on to play 93 times for the club with a “cool, seemingly casual grace which masked a sharp competitive edge.”
According to the club’s statement “there were few more perceptive and precise passers of a football in England than Jeff during the mid-1950s.”
The Englishman won two league titles under Sir Matt Busby in 1952 and 1956, playing 93 times for the Red Devils.
He formed a solid partnership with mythical United icon Duncan Edwards and Allenby Chilton in the half-back line, but would eventually be replaced by Eddie Colman in the 1956/57 season and this would result him in leaving for Grimsby Town in November 1957.
Whitefoot would later go on to play 285 times for Nottingham Forest, winning the FA Cup in 1959, before hanging up his boots in 1967, one year before Busby would fulfil his and the club’s destiny of lifting the European Cup at Wembley.
On his retirement from football he ran a bookmaker’s before trying his hand as a greengrocer.
He would later take over The Wheatsheaf pub in a town called Oakham and was described as “the epitome of the genial country landlord” during his time in charge of the establishment.
Reflecting on his time at United in an interview with Lincs Online he said, “it was a really good atmosphere to be in because we were all young men. There were a lot of really good young lads all starting there. It was a nice time.”
Whitefoot became known as “the last of the Busby Babes”, as noted on his Wikipedia page.
Sending our heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of Jeff Whitefoot, a former Busby Babe, who has passed away at the age of 90 ❤️ pic.com/3xhPZjpVX2
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) July 2, 2024
It was an honour knowing Jeff Whitefoot. He, and dad were two of the original Busby Babes and spent many memorable years together before Jeff left @manutd in 1957. A lovely human being, and great footballer. RIP. xx#mufc #busbybabes #manutd #jeffwhitefoot #mufc_family pic.com/eKVNq9uEBi
— Rachel Viollet (@rachel_viollet) July 2, 2024
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