Sir Bob Murray's touching tribute to Charlie Hurley after Sunderland legend's passing

Sir Bob Murray has paid tribute to Sunderland legend Charlie Hurley after The King sadly passed away aged 87.

Tributes have poured in from football figures up and down the country after his death was announced last Thursday, with fans from Sunderland, Millwall, Reading and the Republic of Ireland also adding their voices.

Here, former Sunderland chairman Sir Bob Murray pays tribute in The Echo to Hurley:

Sir Bob Murray: Charlie Hurley was one of my all-time heroes. I have always been awestruck by his ability and unbelievable loyalty. He was elegant and graceful on the pitch and even more so in person. He could have played for any team in the country but wanted to stay at Sunderland.

When I became chairman, I wanted to meet him as soon as I could. I wanted to get to know him, his wife Joan and his daughters and for Charlie to know how welcome they would always be at our club. It was why I named the Charlie Hurley Centre after him too.

His lovely daughters could never believe just how much he was adored and idolised here. I was very fond of him and we became very good friends and never lost touch when I left the club. 

He used to tell me about getting on the bus with the supporters at Ryhope when he was playing for Sunderland. And he used to joke that the older he got, the better player he became, because of the amazing reaction he always got when he visited Sunderland.

Knowing Charlie was one of my greatest privileges.