Liverpool had three players in the World Cup-winning squad of 1966, with Roger Hunt leading the line as England won their only ever major trophy.
As hosts, England unforgettably won the World Cup in 1966 as Alf Ramsey’s side gained legendary status for their achievements that summer.
Having finished top of their group above Uruguay, Mexico and France, the Three Lions met Argentina in a heated quarter-final. Geoff Hurst scored the only goal of the game with 12 minutes remaining, as England secured a semi-final showdown with Portugal.
It was Bobby Charlton who was the hero in the clash with the Portuguese at Wembley, the attacking midfield legend scoring twice to put his country in total command.
Although Eusebio, arguably the best player in Europe at the time, did reply with a late penalty, Ramsey’s men held on to book their place in their first ever World Cup final.
Rivals West Germany awaited, in what remains the most famous day in the history of English football.
Helmut Haller stunned the Wembley crowd early on, but Hurst made it 1-1 soon after. The score stayed that way until the 78th minute.
England 4-2 West Germany (AET)
July 30, 1966 | Wembley
Goalscorers
**England:**Hurst (18′, 101′, 120′)Peters (78′) **West Germany:**Haller (12′)Weber (89′)
The Lineups
England (4-4-2)
1. Banks
2. Cohen
6. Moore
5. J. Charlton
3. Wilson
7. Ball
4. Stiles
9. B. Charlton
16. Peters
10. Hurst
21. Roger Hunt
West Germany (4-2-4)
1. Tilkowski
2. Hottges
6. Weber
5. Schulz
3. Schnellinger
4. Beckenbauer
12. Overath
8. Haller
11. Emmerich
9. Seeler
10. Held
Trivia: Roger Hunt was so certain Hurst’s ‘ghost goal’ had crossed the line that he turned away to celebrate instead of tapping the rebound into the net.
Midfielder Martin Peters pounced on a spinning ball to put England within touching distance of glory, but Wolfgang Weber broke English hearts with one minute remaining to take the final into extra time.
Hurst’s second goal, which came off the underside of the crossbar and supposedly crossed the line, was hugely controversial but put England back in command.
The West Ham striker, who had been behind star striker Jimmy Greaves in the pecking order at the start of the tournament, completed his hat-trick with just seconds remaining.
Captain Bobby Moore lifted the Jules Rimet Trophy in front of a jubilant home crowd; England were champions of the world.
The impact of Liverpool’s Roger Hunt
While fellow Liverpool players Gerry Byrne and Ian Callaghan made the squad but barely featured – Callaghan played in the group stage against France while Byrne didn’t get on the pitch at all – striker Hunt was an integral part of the side throughout the tournament.
He scored his first goal of the competition in England’s second game, a 2-0 win over Mexico – they had drawn their opening match 0-0 with Uruguay – finishing from close-range to double his team’s lead.
In the final group game against France, Hunt scored twice as the hosts won 2-0 and his teammate Callaghan provided the assist for his second goal. Three strikes in as many group games was an excellent return.
Although Hunt didn’t score for the rest of the tournament, he remained a key player. His partnership in attack with Hurst was formidable.
If ever you needed proof that the ball crossed the line for Hurst’s second goal, you just have to look at Hunt’s reaction.
Despite being on hand to head the ball home when it comes off the crossbar, the Liverpool man immediately celebrated the goal. For Hunt to turn down a tap-in in a World Cup final, he must have thought the goal was good.
With Liverpool having won the league and Everton lifting the FA Cup, the two starters from the teams, Alan Ball and Hunt, famously paraded the trophy around Wembley before the Charity Shield just two weeks later.
Roger Hunt World Cup trophy Goodison Park Everton FA Cup Charity Shield August 13 1966 (Trinity Mirror / Mirrorpix / Alamy Stock Photo) 1960s
The then 27-year-old’s exploits made him a great for England as well as Liverpool, with the forward scoring a total of 18 goals in 34 appearances for his country.
He scored a staggering 286 goals in 492 appearances for Liverpool, meaning only Ian Rush (346) has scored more for the club.
There haven’t been many better British strikers in history.