LONDON: Ron Springett, the former England goalkeeper and a member of the 1966 World Cup-winning squad, has died at 80 after a short illness.

Springett began his career at QPR in 1953 and five years later joined Sheffield Wednesday for whom he made 384 appearances.

The Londoner won the first of 33 caps the following year and started every game as England reached the quarter-finals of the 1962 World Cup in Chile. He was back-up to Gordon Banks when England won the tournament in 1966.

Fulham-born Springett was 17 when he signed for QPR and went on to make 147 appearances for the west London club over two spells.

He joined Sheffield Wednesday five years later and was instrumental as the Owls won promotion to the top flight in 1959, earning him a first England cap against Northern Ireland in November of that year.

Springett reached the 1966 FA Cup final with Wednesday but they lost 3-2 to Everton.

A year later he returned to QPR in 1967 for a second spell in a deal that saw his brother and fellow goalkeeper Peter move in the opposite direction. He retired in 1968.

In 2009, Springett and his fellow non-playing squad members from the 1966 World Cup final were presented with winners’ medals in a Downing Street ceremony, after a change in policy by world governing body Fifa.

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