The great Jimmy Greaves on missing the 1966 World Cup Final.

A fascinating insight into how this great player felt on not being a part of England’s greatest day. But I think he’s not telling the whole story and that links to something that Jack Charlton said - that the 1966 World Cup just didn’t happen for Jimmy. He didn’t score in the group matches before his injury and wasn’t in the best of form. As he himself said, the bout of hepatitis that he contracted earlier that season, and the long lay off, did affect his speed and recovery. The in-form strikers were Roger Hunt and Geoff Hurst, both providing invaluable goals and assists. Hurst’s goals against Argentina and West Germany made all the difference. Jimmy thereafter played just three more times for England and his England career petered out. He retired from top class football at just 31 years of age in 1970/71 which, again, was a sad way to go after such a brilliant career.

Great bloke and that's really interesting. Not sure you would get such an in depth interview from current players!

So many facets to Jimmy Greaves. Intriguing character.

Such an intelligent, warm and funny guy. Much more than just the class joker he played across most media in the 80s and early 90s. The way people who saw him play talk of him he'd be worth 200m these days.

No doubt the greatest goal scorer ever in English football and a shame he got injured . It is however an inconvenient truth is that his replacement scored a perfect hat trick (only player to do so; do 2 pens really count?) and became an outstanding forward.

poor bloke. must have been tough. great clip.

I met Jimmy once and asked if he had been fit enough to play in the World Cup Final? He had been injured but he said ' Yeah...yeah I could have played'

Jimmy Greaves..."My all time Hero"👍👏 i use to travel on my own (age 14--15yrs)on the train 410 miles round trip From Bolton to Tottenham.. Just to watch Greavsey ⚽️⚽️⚽️

Ball boys getting medals these days. Poor Jim, what a decent man.

He would have walked into a World XI at the time. Possibly the greatest ever English striker.

His ego was dented. We won the WC without him. With him, who knows? Made his alcoholism (and recovery) in to a kind of second career and was a trailblazer for those who followed. A kind of second-act.

and should’ve been one of first Brits win European cup/champs league as had hatrick disallowed in away leg of semi final which pretty everyone agreed was due to dodgy ref - one was offside but he picked ball up ok own half

My mother is not a football fan but she organised a charity golf day many years ago and Jimmy played in it. Mum said he was an absolute gentleman who had time for everybody. A great man.

He was my hero and always will be. To be as good as he was, was my dream.

@Rossmac212 Least he didn't think about his bonus and be an absolute bitter cunt like Stephen Warnock hoping the Liverpool team lost the CL final cause he was dropped.

My dad knew Jim and we met him a couple of times back the 80s He was a lovely man. Very normal

Wooldridge a brilliant interviewer. Compare his class with the shouty bunch we get together saying 'Well what a performance, you must be delighted' and not even asking a bloody question.

Very sad ,as an Irishman always felt for Jimmy,sort of Englishman I respected

Of course back in those days they didn't have a subs bench.

Football legend and really nice bloke.

Also the great Ian Wooldridge

Legend

Very sad. I'm too young to have seen him play live but his record and the footage shows what an incredible player he was. Of course these days, he comes on as a sub and wins it for England in normal time.

Charming , witty and a very very good finisher (going by what my dad says) . Used to love Saint and greavsie on a saturday before going to Goodison 👌🏻

He was a goal scoring genius and would have 💯 have been upfront in the final instead of either Hunt or Hurst if he hadn't have been injured. Incredible to think of what could have been 👌

The sight of a crestfallen Greavesie at the pitch side after the final, is why I support Spurs and how I discovered my boyhood hero

Never saw him play live, but my favourite ever presenter, him and Ian St John were just so funny together, in the Midlands he was also on Central/ATV sports and often put Gary Newbon in his place 🤣

Interviewed by the great @DailyMail Sport's journalist Ian Wooldridge. Only sad thing is Greaves didn't play for @Arsenal @henrywinter @mattletiss7 @Joey7Barton @ChelseaFC @SpursOfficial @_DeclanRice @PaulMerse @WestHam @FrannyBenali @IanWright0 @GaryLineker @RealRomfordPele

Very open and honest from Jimmy Greaves.

What an impressive answer by Jimmy. I'm also interested in how articulate working class footballers were back then.

These days the whole squad get a winners medal in all football tournaments. It was crazy in those days!

@Rossmac212 Very articulate and well spoken. Apparently he used to smoke a cigarette right before every kick off.

Impressed with how articulate Jimmy was in that interview

This was before subs were allowed to play so it would have been a risk to play Jimmy as he was recovering from injury. England would never had won with 10 men if he had limped off. It was tough on him.