A GREAT footballing hero has been remembered as one of the game's "giants" following his death in Malvern.

Stan Cullis, player and manager at Wolverhampton Wanderers, died aged 84 on Tuesday, February 27 - described as "a sad day for the whole of football".

A minute's silence was held in his honour at the beginning of the England-Spain International on Wednesday and the flags were flying at half-mast at Molineux, Wolves' home ground.

Mr Cullis was born at Ellesmere Port, in Cheshire, in 1915 and by the age of 15 he was playing for Wolverhampton Wanderers.

At 19, he captained the Wolves side and became the England skipper when he was just 22, going on to win 22 caps. But it was as a manager that he really came into his own.

Sir Jack Hayward OBE, chairman of Wolverhampton Wanderers, described him as "one of the all-time managerial greats in British football".

He said: "Stan never got the full recognition he deserved, which is why I announced recently that the club would erect a statue of him outside Molineux to remind everyone of his great achievements."

Malcolm Finlayson, a player under Cullis, said he was an inspiration.

"Stan was a hard man but you knew where you stood with him at all times," he said. "Playing under him meant you went out into the field expecting to win. If you lost it was a surprise."

Under Mr Cullis's reign, Wolves won the League Championship three times and the FA Cup twice.

He married Winifred and had two children, Andrew (Reverend) and Susan. Mr Cullis lived out his retirement in Colwall. His funeral is on Thursday (March 8) at St James the Great Church, Colwall, at 2.30pm.