Norman Hunter ‘remains severely unwell’ in hospital in battle with coronavirus as Leeds tell club legend and 1966 world cup winner ‘keep fighting, we are all with you’
- Leeds United have provided an update on the health of legend Norman Hunter
- The 76-year-old is receiving care in hospital after contracting coronavirus
- The former defender is a Leeds icon and won the 1966 World Cup with England
- The Championship club said that Hunter ‘remains severely unwell’ in hospital
- Learn more about how to help people impacted by COVID
Leeds United have provided an update on the health of club legend Norman Hunter as the icon continues his battle with coronavirus.
Last Friday the club announced that Hunter, 76, was being treated in hospital after contracting the disease that has taken the lives of 12,868 people in the UK.
The club have said today that the 1966 World Cup winner is still receiving care and remains severely unwell.
Leeds United have provided an update on the health of club legend Norman Hunter
The former Leeds and England defender Norman Hunter is in hospital with coronavirus
A statement from the club’s official website read: ‘Norman Hunter continues to battle the COVID-19 virus in hospital and whilst he is, as expected, fighting incredibly hard, remains severely unwell.
‘His family would like to take this opportunity to thank all Leeds United supporters for their amazing messages and well wishes.
‘They would also like to say a huge thank you the NHS doctors and nurses who continue to do an amazing job 24 hours a day for Norman and all of those currently in their care.
The club confirmed that the 1966 World Cup winner remains ‘severely unwell’ in hospital
Hunter played as a defender and was nicknamed ‘Bite Yer Legs Hunter’ for his hard tackling
‘Keep fighting Norman, we are all with you.’
The no-nonsense defender established his reputation as one of the greatest and most uncompromising defenders during the Sixties and Seventies with the Lilywhites.
Hunter played 726 games in 15 years at Elland Road. In the great sides managed by Don Revie, he won First Division titles in 1969 and 1974, the 1972 FA Cup and League Cup and the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup twice.
Only three Leeds players — Jack Charlton, Billy Bremner and Paul Reaney—- have made more appearances for the club than Hunter who, as one of the best centre halves of his era, also won 28 England caps.
None of those came at the 1966 World Cup, where he was behind Charlton and Bobby Moore, but as a squad member he was belatedly handed a winner’s medal in 2009.
He drew the nickname ‘Bites yer legs’ after a banner carried the message at the 1972 FA Cup final and famously got into a punch-up on the pitch in 1975 with Derby County’s Francis Lee — after the pair were sent off!