The best scorer I have ever seen

REDKNAPP’S TRIBUTE TO ENGLAND HERO

JIMMY GREAVES is the subject of a feature-length documentary... just days before his 80th birthday.

‘Greavsie’, the latest biopic from the award-winning BT Sport Films series, will be broadcast on February 18.

It portrays the life of England’s greatest goalscorer, a Sunday People columnist until he suffered a severe stroke which left him with serious speech difficulties and unable to walk.

The film includes rarely-seen archive footage of Greavsie’s goalscoring exploits from a career which saw him star for Chelsea, AC Milan, Tottenham and West Ham, and net a record 44 goals in 57 England appearances.

There are interviews galore with greats of the game, including his old mates and contemporaries Pat Jennings, Cliff Jones, Ron Harris,

Alan Mullery, George Cohen, Steve Perryman and Denis Law.

His old Hammers team-mate Harry Redknapp features as well, and he said: “There was no one like Greavsie. He was the best goalscorer I’ve ever seen.”

The biopic is from the team which also made Too Good To Go Down, the story of Manchester United’s relegation from the old Division One in 1974.

Superstar

It kicks off in the 1950s when the young Greaves, a target for every club in London, opts to join Chelsea and becomes a teenage superstar as he bags 124 goals in just 157 games.

A move to Milan follows but he hates life in Italy and returns to London, this time with Tottenham, where he goes on to become clubrecord scorer with a phenomenal 266 goals in 379 appearances.

Greavsie’s disappointment at missing out on the 1966 World Cup final is a focal point of the film. Geoff Hurst, the man who took his spot in Sir Alf Ramsey’s team that beat West Germany 4-2 and would become the Three Lions’ hat-trick hero, is also among those interviewed.

Greaves’ life was just as colourful after he retired from football and in the following years he battled alcoholism, something he later spoke about with searing honesty.

He became a much-loved TV star through Saint and Greavsie with his good friend Ian St John, who is also featured in the film.

In May 2015, Greavsie, who turns 80 on February 20, suffered a stroke, but he retained a wicked sense of humour.

And many of those who saw him play have retained the belief that there simply hasn’t been another goalscorer like him.

Greavsie will premiere at 10.30pm on BT Sport 2 on February 18. It is the latest in the award-winning BT Sport Films series. Btsport.com/films