Manchester United is deeply saddened to learn that Jeff Whitefoot, a former Busby Babe, has passed away at the age of 90.
There were few more perceptive and precise passers of a football in England than Jeff during the mid-1950s.
The Cheshire-born wing-half, who became United’s youngest league debutant in April 1950 when he ran out to face Portsmouth at Old Trafford at the age of 16 years and 105 days, played the game with a cool, seemingly casual grace which masked a sharp competitive edge.
One of the original Busby Babes, Jeff had joined the Reds straight from school in the summer of 1949 as an office boy-cum-midfield schemer, rapidly emerging as competent at the former task, exquisitely promising at the latter.