BRYAN Douglas has paid tribute to his former England team-mate Jimmy Armfield who lost his battle with cancer at the age of 82.

World Cup winner Armfield, who played 627 matches in 17 years for Blackpool and was part of Sir Alf Ramsey's victorious squad in 1966, was diagnosed with cancer for a second time last year.

Rovers legend Douglas represented his country on 36 occasions, and often shared a room with Armfield during their time on international duty.

Armfield, a defender, was capped 43 times by England, captaining the Three Lions on 15 occasions, and Douglas was keen to pay tribute to ‘a great footballer and a lovely man’.

“First of all, Jimmy was a fabulous guy. He was a great mate of mine, a great friend,” Douglas told Rovers’ official website.

“He was my roommate on many England trips, so we became very close. He was a modest person and a successful footballer but most importantly a fantastic man.

“He's going to be sadly missed. I'm so upset to hear the news.

“As a player, his record speaks for itself. He was a bit unlucky to miss out on the World Cup (final starting XI) team, but his record with Blackpool and England is outstanding.

“He was a great footballer and a lovely man. One game that stands out was one against Spain - at that time they had two wingers that were going to tear us apart.

“Jimmy absolutely mastered their threat - he never let his club or his country down.

“We talked a lot when we were away with England before we went to sleep. I'm so upset that he's gone.”

Rovers added: “The thoughts of everyone at Rovers are with Jimmy's family and friends, as well as those at Blackpool Football Club.”