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Jeff Whitefoot, Last-Surviving Busby Babe and Man Utd Icon, Dies at 90

Manchester United have honored Jeff Whitefoot, who passed away at the age of 90. Whitefoot had notably won the First Division title with the Red Devils under Matt Busby.
Anna Ciao
By: Anna Ciao
Jeff Whitefoot during his time with Nottingham Forest.

Manchester United has paid tribute to Jeff Whitefoot, a former Busby Babe who passed away at the age of 90, in an emotional statement released on Tuesday. The club extended heartfelt condolences to Whitefoot's family and friends, recognizing his significant achievements during his tenure. Whitefoot was a key member of two title-winning teams under the legendary Matt Busby in 1952 and 1956.

During his time at Manchester United, Whitefoot set a notable record as the youngest player to start a league game for the club, making his debut at just 16 years and 105 days old. He was affectionately known as the 'last of the Busby Babes' and made close to 100 appearances before continuing his career at Grimsby Town and later Nottingham Forest.

Nottingham Forest also honored Whitefoot's legacy, acknowledging his pivotal role in their historic FA Cup triumph in 1959. The club shared their condolences via social media, expressing sadness at his passing and remembering his nine-year spell at The City Ground from 1958 to 1967. Whitefoot made over 250 appearances for Forest before retiring from professional football in 1967.

Following his retirement, Whitefoot pursued various business ventures, including running a bookmakers, greengrocer's, and a pub in Leicestershire. He also represented England at the under-23 level during his football career.

Opening up about his time at Old Trafford in an interview with Lincs Online last year, he reflected, “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.”

Regarding his legendary former manager, Whitefoot described Matt Busby as, "very quiet, but he could be very nasty. In training on Monday if we hadn’t done very well on Saturday he would come up alongside you and say ‘well how did you think you played?’. You’d say ‘alright boss’ and then he started!”

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Anna Ciao
Written by: Anna Ciao
Anna Ciao is a sports content contributor at Betimate. Born and raised in a rural village in China, I have had a passion for football and various sports such as basketball, volleyball, badminton, from a young age. Along with diligent studies, I achieved an IELTS score of 8.0 in the English language, and I have become a content contributor specializing in sports, particularly football, as I am today. I hope that my articles are helpful to readers.

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