ENGLAND LEGENDS - JIMMY GREAVES


Jimmy Greaves was one of the most prolific goal poachers of his time. Despite not being the most strongly-build of forward, he scored 44 goals in 56 internationals, twice scoring four times in a match and also registering four hat-tricks.

Having made his debut against Peru in Lima in May 1959, Greaves' first experience of a major championship was the 1962 World Cup in Chile. Graves played in all four of England's matches, scoring one goal against Argentina.

Two years later England failed to make any headway at the 1964 European Nations' Cup but then, in 1966, came England's glorious summer when Alf Ramsey's side were crowned world champions.

However, injury early on in the tournament meant that Greaves was forced to watch the victory in the final over West Germany from the bench.

In his club career, Greaves was equally prolific, striking 357 top-flight goals, including three five-goal hauls, and scoring on his debut for every club he played for.

Having scored 124 League goals in only four seasons at Chelsea, Greaves moved to Milan at the start of the 1961/62 season, and though he never settled in Italy, he still managed nine goals in ten games.

After just a few months abroad, Greaves came back to England when Tottenham manager Bill Nicholson paid a British record fee of £99,999 to take Jimmy Greaves to White Hart Lane in December 1961.

Greaves began repaying his huge transfer fee in typical fashion with a hat-trick on his debut against Blackpool and thereafter the goals continued to flow with a predictable regularity.

The end of his first season saw Greaves score in Spurs' FA Cup Final victory over Burnley (3-1), and in total the England striker scored 21 goals in 22 League matches.

The following season was Greaves' most abundant in a Tottenham shirt. In just 41 matches he bagged 37 League goals - a club record which stands to this day - and on the way he helped Nicholson's side win the European Cup-Winners' Cup, which was won after Atletico Madrid were beaten 5-1 in Rotterdam.

That season had seen Greaves finish as the League's top goalscorer and he repeated this feat in 1963/64 and 1964/65 season's, thus becoming the first player to top the charts for three consecutive seasons.

Greaves won The FA Cup for the second time in 1966/67 as Spurs beat former club Chelsea 2-1 in The Final.

That was the striker's last hurrah in a Tottenham shirt and a few years later, in March 1970, Greaves moved to West Ham as part of the deal which saw Martin Peters move in the opposite direction.

Jimmy Greaves Factfile

Nationality: England (57 caps, 44 goals)
Date of Birth: 20 February 1940
Place of Birth: Poplar, London
Clubs: Chelsea, Milan, Tottenham H, West Ham Utd 

Year

Club

Apps

Goals

1957/58

Chelsea

35

22

1958/59

Chelsea

42

32

1959/60

Chelsea

40

29

1960/61

Chelsea

40

41

1961/62

AC Milan

10

9

1961/62

Tottenham Hotspur

22

21

1962/63

Tottenham Hotspur

41

37

1963/64

Tottenham Hotspur

41

35

1964/65

Tottenham Hotspur

41

29

1965/66

Tottenham Hotspur

29

15

1966/67

Tottenham Hotspur

38

25

1967/68

Tottenham Hotspur

39

23

1968/69

Tottenham Hotspur

42

27

1969/70

Tottenham Hotspur

29

8

1969/70

West Ham United

6

4

1970/71

West Ham United

30

9


Statistics refer to league appearances/goals only