Alan Ball

London: Alan Ball, the youngest member of England’s 1966 World Cup-winning side, has died of a suspected heart attack at the age of 61.

Hampshire police confirmed on Wednesday that Ball was pronounced dead in the garden of his home after apparently suffering a heart attack when trying to tackle a bonfire that had got out of control.

“The fire brigade were called at 11.30pm on Tuesday night and they discovered the body of a 61-year-old male in the garden,” a police spokesman said.

There were no suspicious circumstances.

“From what we can gather, our father was at his compost heap which caught alight,” his son, Jimmy, said on Wednesday. “Whilst trying to fight the fire, he suffered a fatal heart attack. I got a phone call in the middle of the night. It’s unbelievable and very, very sad.”

“It is with the very deepest of regret that Everton Football Club has to report the death of Alan Ball,” the Premier League club said on their official web site on Wednesday.

The former Everton, Arsenal and Southampton midfielder won 72 caps for his country, scoring eight goals, before moving into management.

Ball becomes the second member of the side that beat West Germany 4-2 in the 1966 final at Wembley to pass away. Captain Bobby Moore died of cancer in 1993.

World Cup-winning colleague Jack Charlton told the BBC: “I am going to miss Alan more than anybody because we had a tremendous relationship.”