Sunderland 'Player of the Century' Charlie Hurley dies, aged 87

Sunderland legend Charlie Hurley has died at the age of 87, the club has announced.

The former centre-back played for the Black Cats from 1957 to 1969, making more than 400 appearances for the club across all competitions.

In 1979, Hurley was voted Sunderland's 'Player of the Century' to mark the club's centenary year, while he remains in the top 10 appearance-makers in their history.

The Irishman only missed one match as Sunderland won promotion in 1963-64, with his performances seeing him finish behind only Bobby Moore in the FWA Footballer of the Year voting.

Nicknamed 'The King' by the Sunderland faithful, Hurley has gates named after him outside the club's stadium and is still regarded as one of their greatest ever players.

Hurley also made more than 100 appearances for Millwall before moving to Wearside, and finished his playing career at Bolton Wanderers.

The former defender won 40 caps for the Republic of Ireland too, scoring two goals for his country during an international career that spanned from 1957 to 1969.

After hanging up his boots, Hurley spent five years as Reading manager, while he also had a stint as scout for Southampton.