🎥 Remembering Gordon Banks and the greatest save of all-time | OneFootball

Former England, Stoke City and Leicester City goalkeeper Gordon Banks passed away on Tuesday at the age of 81.

Banks was part of England’s legendary 1966 World Cup winning team but the defining moment of his career was arguably his majestic save to deny Pelé four years later in Mexico.

Given the circumstances and the calibre of the player he denied, it might just be the greatest save of all-time, and here it is in all its technicolour glory …

“That save from Pelé’s header was the best I ever made,” Banks told the Guardian in 2003.

“I didn’t have any idea how famous it would become – to start with, I didn’t even realise I’d made it at all.

“I heard Pelé shout ‘goal’ as he headed it, which was followed by a massive, almost deafening, roar. Even though I’d got a hand to it, I thought he must have scored.

“Then I realised the crowd were cheering for me. I couldn’t believe it.

“Bobby Moore came over and ruffled my hair – I like to tell people that he was having a go at me for not holding on to it! After all, our match against Brazil was still at 0-0 and we had a corner to defend.

“As I got to my feet I tried to look as nonchalant as possible, as if to say that I make that sort of save all the time.”

In 1994, comedy duo Frank Skinner and David Baddiel staged a brilliant re-enactment of the save as part of the TV series Fantasy Football League.

Remarkably, Banks and Pelé became life-long friends as a result of the save and on Tuesday, the Brazilian icon penned a touching farewell to his old rival via his official Facebook page.

“For many people, their memory of Gordon Banks is defined by the save he made against me in 1970. I understand why,” wrote Pelé.

“The save was one of the best I have ever seen – in real life and in all the thousands of games I have watched since.”